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METAIRIE, La. -- The NFL Players Association confirmed Wednesday that it filed a grievance on behalf of Jimmy Graham concerning the Saints tight ends franchise tag designation. At issue is whether the NFL was correct to apply the tight end tag to Graham or whether Graham should have received the more lucrative wide receiver tag, a difference of $5 million. The NFLs current collective bargaining agreement states that a player should be tagged according to the position at which he lined up most often. Graham and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, are contending that the frequency with which Graham lined up split out from the line merits the $12.3 million receivers franchise tag, not the $7 million tight end tag. No date for a grievance hearing has been set, but the filing alone could provide Graham with a measure of additional leverage as he seeks to have his franchise tag designation removed in favour of a long-term extension. July 15 is the final day a team can sign 2014 franchise players to long-term extensions. Grahams agent, Jimmy Sexton, did not return a message seeking comment on the matter. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday there had been no progress to report on negotiations with Graham. The Saints have asserted that lining up split from the line is a significant part of every tight ends job description. When asked in January whether the Saints viewed Graham as a tight end under the leagues CBA, Loomis responded: "Isnt that what we drafted him as? Isnt that what he made the Pro Bowl as? Thats what we see him as -- a tight end. "The tight end has always been part of the passing game," Loomis continued. "Hes part of the running game. So hes part of both. So are receivers. So are running backs." According to an analysis by ESPN Stats and Information, Graham lined up split out from the line on 67 per cent of his snaps -- 45 per cent of the time in the slot and 22 per cent out wide. Unless the Saints and Graham pre-emptively agree on a long-term deal, an arbitrator may have to decide whether those numbers alone, under the language of the CBA, would require the league to apply the receiver designation to Graham. If so, it likely would set a precedent for negotiations involving other tight ends who figure prominently in their teams passing games, and could substantially lower the franchise tag number for tight ends who more often line up next to offensive tackles. It could also affect other positions in which players have varying roles, most notably some outside linebackers in a 3-4 defensive scheme, who could argue their right to receive the higher defensive end tag. Justin Faulk Jersey . Toronto has lost six of its last eight games but is coming off Thursdays 7-3 victory at Kansas City. Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus both went deep for the Blue Jays, who are second in the American League with 34 home runs on the season. Rod Brind Amour Jersey .com) - The Carolina Hurricanes hope to remain perfect at home in January on Friday night as they welcome the Vancouver Canucks to PNC Arena. http://www.hockeyhurricanes.com/.Under the agreement announced Monday, the Cuban defector is guaranteed $68.5 million over six seasons.Tomas gets a $14 million signing bonus that is payable within 30 days of the deals approval by Major League Baseball, and then salaries of $2 million next year, $4 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017 and $10 million in 2018. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . The Blue Jackets announced the injury through their official Twitter account Friday afternoon. Gaborik, 31, has scored five goals and six assists in 17 games with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14.UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Detroit Red Wings are surging and the New York Islanders are sinking. Daniel Alfredsson, Darren Helm and Jimmy Howard led Detroit past New York 5-0 for the Wings first regulation win against the Islanders in a decade. Alfredsson had two goals and an assist, Helm scored twice and Howard made 29 saves and the Red Wings controlled play for their third win in a row as the Islanders lost their fifth straight. Since beating Boston 3-1 on home on Nov. 2, New York is 2-10. "You keep your head up and you keep playing hard but this isnt good enough in any way," Islanders captain John Tavares said. "As a team, all we can think about his playing a better game next time out." New York came into the game with a 6-0-1 mark against Detroit in its past seven meetings. The Red Wings hadnt beaten the Islanders in regulation since November 2003. "Its great to see guys scoring goals and gaining confidence," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "And our goaltender had a dominant performance." The shutout was the second this season for Howard and the 18th of his career. The 29-year-old goaltender entered with a 0-3-4 record in his past seven starts, allowing at least three goals five times during the streak. "We were getting chances and burying them," Howard said. "I give all the credit to the team in front of me. We played a very strong game in our zone." Helm scored his sixth of the season at 7:09 of the first. He took a pass from Alfredsson at the top of the left circle, then skated in and slid a backhand past a flailing Kevin Poulin, making his fifth straight start for the Islanders. Helm made it 2-0 with a spectacular short-handed score at 16:49 of the second, after he and Poulin lunged for a loose puck in front of the crease. Helm poked it free and then past the prone goaltender, tumbling upside down to the ice in the process. The goal with Justin Abdelkader in the penalty box brought out boos at Nassau Coliseum. The 40-year-old Alfredsson, who joined Detroit after 17 seasons with Ottawa, made it 3-0 just 12 seconds into the third, beating Poulin high to the glove side on a breakaway. "This was a huge win for us," said Alfredsson, who was playing his 1,200th career game and will return to Ottawa on Sunday for the firstt time.dddddddddddd Gustav Nyquist scored his fourth of the season at 6:12 of the third, finishing a two-on-one break with Johan Franzen by sending another high shot past Poulin. Alfredsson completed the scoring, knocking a loose puck past Poulin for his sixth of the season and the 432nd goal of his career at 16:13 of the third. "When you score goals and get great goaltending, you feel better and better as a team," Alfredsson added. "Our hard work going forward will be the key for us." The 23-year-old Poulin became New Yorks No. 1 goaltender after starter Evgeni Nabokov was injured when the teams met on Long Island on Nov. 16. The Islanders won that game in a shootout, but havent recorded a victory since. Poulin is 2-7 in his past nine appearances. "Tonight we made decisions with the puck that werent very good," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "You just cant do that against this team or any team." The Islanders fell to 8-15-3. The game started slowly with an unusual 4 p.m. start time the day after Thanksgiving. The Islanders outshot the Wings 12-9 in the first period. Detroit had a 9-7 shots advantage in the second. Detroits loss on Long Island two weeks ago was part of a stretch when they were 0-2-5 from Nov. 4-19. But the Red Wings have won four of five since, including Wednesdays 6-1 drubbing of Boston at home. Detroit played without top centre Pavel Datsyuk, who was elbowed in the jaw at Ottawa last Saturday and missed his third straight game. Detroit also scratched forward Todd Bertuzzi, out for a fourth straight game with an upper body injury. Centre Josh Bailey was a healthy scratch for the Islanders for the first time this season. Bailey has no goals and two assists since Oct. 25. The Islanders host Washington on Saturday and Pittsburgh next Tuesday before leaving on a five-game road trip. New York has lost seven straight away from home. NOTES: The Islanders continued to be without defencemen Lubomir Visnovsky (concussion) and Brian Strait (upper body). ... New York also scratched left wing Eric Boulton and defenceman Calvin de Haan, who was recalled from AHL Bridgeport on Thursday. ... The Red Wings were also missing defenceman Danny DeKeyser (shoulder). ... The Islanders visit Detroit on Dec. 23 ' ' '