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MIAMI -- LeBron James says his new protective mask is hot, uncomfortable and prone to fogging up. Odell Beckham Jr Giants Jersey . Plus, as teammate Dwyane Wade pointed out, it looks weird. So James is in the market for design suggestions. "Ive been talking to Marvel Comics for the last couple of days, and DC Comics, to try to come up with one of the greatest masks of all time," James said with a chuckle Wednesday. "So well see what happens." James spoke after trying out his new mask for the first time in practice. He plans to use it Thursday when the Miami Heat play the New York Knicks. The game will be the first for James since he broke his nose last Thursday in a victory at Oklahoma City. He and his mask took part in contact drills Wednesday, and coach Erik Spoelstra was encouraged by James progress. "Hell give it a shot Thursday," Spoelstra said. "He was able to go through today without any hiccups. But he also didnt take a hit today." Given James aggressive style of play, hes bound to receive an inadvertent blow to the face sooner or later. Thus the mask. "It lessens the impact," said James, who wore a mask 10 years ago to protect a broken cheek. "You can still feel it, because the nose is still tender. But it definitely lessens the pain." James had removed his clear mask by the time media were admitted to the gym for the end of practice, but teammates provided a description. "He looked like every other player in a mask -- it looks weird," Wade said. "He looks like the LeBron that wore a mask the first time, only about 30 pounds heavier, a little more muscular, a little less hair." Said Shane Battier with a grin: "As long as No. 6 is in uniform, he looks all right to me." James was on a roll when hurt. On Thursday hell try for his fifth consecutive 30-point game, which would be the second-longest such streak in Heat history. The Heat have won five consecutive games and trail Eastern Conference leader Indiana by one game. But theyve been prone to stumble against weak opponents, and their next three games are at home against team with losing records -- the Knicks, Magic and Bobcats. Nine of the Heats 14 defeats, including one against the Knicks, have come versus teams that are below .500. "You dont want to lose to the good teams. And you dont want to lose to the teams that arent as good," Wade said. "So then you would be 82-0. Youve got to lose to somebody. You cant play your A game for 82 games, so you have some of those moments. It happens to every team. Were no different." Lately the two-time defending NBA champions have been consistently on their A game, in part because of stout defence. They held Oklahoma City to 81 points, which tied the Thunders season low, then held Chicago to 79 in a victory Sunday as an antsy James watched from the bench. The injury-plagued Knicks have lost their past three games, and in their season of upheaval, the latest jarring development came Tuesday. Point guard Raymond Felton was arraigned on two felony weapons possession charges following an early-morning arrest. After going 54-28 last season, the Knicks are 21-36. "They havent forgotten how to play," Spoelstra said. "Theyve been injury-riddled all year long, and thats tough to deal with. That adversity coming into our game is irrelevant. Im sure theyll be ready." The Knicks split two games earlier this season against Miami, and theyre one of the few teams with a player who can match James basket for basket. Carmelo Anthony has scored more than 40 points in three of the past four games. James said hes sorry to see his friend endure such a difficult season in the standings. "I want him to win, and I want him to succeed," James said. "Obviously he has been playing great basketball, but I definitely dont like seeing him lose the way theyve been losing." Phil McConkey Giants Jersey . Rinehart joins safety Darrell Stuckey and linebacker Donald Butler as potential unrestricted free agents who are remaining with the team. Saquon Barkley Giants Jersey . Amare Stoudemire had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony scored 21 and the New York Knicks won their eighth straight game, 93-92 over Philadelphia on Friday night, sending the Sixers to their 23rd straight loss. http://www.nygiantsfanaticshop.com/Black-Eli-Manning-Giants-Jersey.html?cat=866 .Y. - The Philadelphia Eagles game at Green Bay against the Packers on Nov.Were less than six weeks from the Mar. 2 trade deadline, which means all the basic chatter and tire kicking will take on a more serious tone as early as next week. Theres no promise that deals will be made immediately following the All-Star break, but a number of team executives do sense that the urgency to make a move is starting to grow. On Thursday nights Tim Hortons Thats Hockey, we addressed the wants and needs of the seven Canadian NHL teams. Granted, every team is looking for upgrades and Im certain many NHL general managers take some pleasure in playing the media game by declaring a wish list that often includes a top six forward or a top four defenceman. And its hard to imagine any of the 30 teams arent in the market for that. With that in mind, lets first take a look at the list we unveiled in Tuesdays edition of Insider Trading disclosing the initial list of players considered as trade bait with the deadline looming: Trade Bait Player NHL Team Position Antoine Vermette Arizona Coyotes Centre Tyler Myers Buffalo Sabres Defence Joffrey Lupul Toronto Maple Leafs Left Wing Jake Gardiner Toronto Maple Leafs Defence Keith Yandle Arizona Coyotes Defence Ryan OReilly Colorado Avalanche Centre Jaromir Jagr New Jersey Devils Right Wing Curtis Glencross Calgary Flames Left Wing Zbynek Michalek Arizona Coyotes Defence Erik Cole Dallas Stars Left Wing Chris Neil Ottawa Senators Right Wing Cody Franson Toronto Maple Leafs Defence Marc Methot Ottawa Senators Defence Jiri Tlusty Carolina Hurricanes Left Wing Jeff Petry Edmonton Oilers Defence Tyler Kennedy San Jose Sharks Right Wing Zack Kassian Vancouver Canucks Right Wing Matt Hendricks Edmonton Oilers Left Wing Drew Stafford Buffalo Sabres Right Wing Brad Boyes Florida Panthers Right Wing Matt Irwin San Jose Sharks Defence Michael Ryder New Jersey Devils Right Wing Kyle Brodziak Minnesota Wild Centre Ryan Carter Minnesota Wild Centre Chris Phillips Ottawa Senators Defence Paul Martin Pittsburgh Penguins Defence Tomas Fleischmann Florida Panthers Left Wing Canadian NHL Team Game Plans Toronto Maple Leafs Veteran defenceman Cody Franson is a late addition to the Trade Bait list in the likelihood he embraces unrestricted free agency. The Leafs arent willing to pay him what he will lure on the open market and based on the demand for blueliners with a right-handed shot, Franson will fetch a decent trade return once its been determined he intends to walk. And that decision should be soon. Forwards Daniel Winnik and Mike Santorelli (also pending UFAs) are drawing interest from trade circles as well and given Torontos play of late, the list of available Leaf players is starting to grow. While never impossible, any trade involving a key player is unlikely until the off-season, when other cap teams have more flexibility to take on bigger contracts. Again - anything is possible. However, Torontos expected return seems fairly specific as the Leafs are looking for good young roster players in their early twenties. Montreal Canadiens The Habs have faced adversity this season, but keep on finding ways to win and remain a top team in the Eastern Conference. A sagging power play has regained some spark and when healthy, Carey Price has performed at his usual elite standard. Trying to nail general manager Marc Bergevin down on divulging internal secrets is a near futile exercise, but he talks to enough people around the league to surmise hes not satisfied with how his team looks. And if he can add a forward to strengthen his top two lines, he will. Bergevin is also believed to be looking for a defenceman - perhaps an upgrade to whats already considered a decent top five. Ottawa Senators Wayne Scanlan of The Ottawa Citizen wrote an excellent piece this week on Senators GM Bryan Murray and by Murrays own admission, this will very likely be his last season at the helm. Murray likes what he sees on this years roster and still believes Ottawa has a chance, though the standings are continuing to paint a different picture. Its believed Murray would also like to add a top six forward - an established player with some term remaining to give the Senators some stability. Deandre Baker Youth Jersey. Acquiring such a player is hard to do, though Murray found a way when winger Bobby Ryan was brought into town. While some believe it might be better for the Sens to wait and allow the younger players to develop, Murrays more immediate concern is his lack of roster space. Mark Borowiecki is very close to returning, which will force Ottawa to make a tough decision. Its likely that Colin Greening will be placed on waivers to open a spot. Meanwhile, the uncertainty of Marc Methots future continues to hang over the club as well. A pending UFA, Methot complements captain Erik Karlsson and is playing well. If a contract extension cant be worked out, Methot will likely be traded - which would create a large hole on Ottawas blue line. Given the spot duty assigned to veteran defenceman Chris Phillips (who has been a healthy scratch eight times this season), perhaps Murray finds a new home for a proud man who cant be happy with his limited role. All of this makes for difficult decisions for Bryan Murray and his management team to ponder. Winnipeg Jets The Jets appear to be a throwback example of hard work and chemistry paying off. Head coach Paul Maurice says he never goes to the rink concerned about how hard his team is willing to work. And it shows, as the Jets are highly regarded as one of the most difficult teams to play against. Comfortably in a playoff spot, no one in this organization is taking anything for granted. And this Jets team knows that the post All-Star grind will demand a high level of intestinal fortitude to secure that spot. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has assets he can dangle in a trade - particularly from his defence corps. The Jets would like to add a third line right winger, but given the play of this team, Cheveldayoff might consider something more significant to bolster his chances against the Western Conferences big boys. The Jets wont mortgage their future, but if they continue to string wins together and find a way to creep into the Top 10, there will be some interesting boardroom conversations leading up to the deadline. Vancouver Canucks The Canucks continue to quietly go about their business and with far less drama than weve seen in recent years. The team is where they thought they would be at the beginning of the season - in the playoff mix, but fighting to distance themselves from the Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings. Now Vancouver needs scoring and the team is hopeful that the right deal will materialize to add a second line forward. Dont expect GM Jim Benning to dive into the rental pool, as the Canucks have no intention of blowing out the young talent theyve accumulated over the last couple of seasons to acquire a player destined for free agency. And the rumour mill keeps linking the Canucks to Boston, given the obvious history Benning has as the Bruins former assistant GM. Calgary Flames Remarkably, the Flames remain one of the NHLs pleasant surprises this season. Approaching the 50-game mark, they are a playoff team, while the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are not. Yes, its hard to believe. Head coach Bob Hartley has developed a winning culture in Calgary and similar to the job Maurice has done in Winnipeg, the buy-in from the players is impressive. But Flames GM Brad Treliving knows where his team is on the rebuilding road and while it might be enticing to fast-track the plan, he continues to evaluate his group to make sure he has the long-term pieces in the right fit. The team would like to add a defenceman and will remain open to all trade possibilities. But young key players wont be sacrificed based on where the Flames are positioned in the standings on Mar. 2. Edmonton Oilers General manager Craig MacTavish has faced enough challenges to last 10 lifetimes, but his to-do list is as long as ever as the club braces for another offseason of selling hope. Its hard to imagine the Oilers being quiet in the weeks leading up to deadline, but with three picks in the Top 35 in this Junes draft, MacTavish may wait to do the heavy lifting until the summer. If Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle or another member of the Oilers core is to be included in a game-changing swap, then this type of auction will clearly draw the most action in the off-season. Goaltending and defence are a top priority for the Oilers and another quality centre would help as well. Defenceman Jeff Petry will attract interest on the trade front and could be used in a package to satisfy one of the teams needs, or for another draft pick that the Oilers can use to load up for June. Enjoy the All-Star break and make sure you check out SportsCentre and TSN.ca on Tuesday for the latest edition of Insider Trading. ' ' '