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David Poile and his U.S. Olympic hockey management team have been making what he called "ghost rosters" since August. Its getting close to the time where the roster has to be real. "We know were going to have to make these decisions pretty soon," said Poile, the general manager of the American side. "Weve also got a number of injuries right now that we have to deal with, and we have to make decisions on that." Decisions are looming on three players who are out with injuries: Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, defenceman Brooks Orpik of the Pittsburgh Penguins and winger Ryan Callahan of the New York Rangers. Team Canada is dealing with a similar situation with injured Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos -- who was considered a lock to make it to Sochi -- and could name him to the team even if he hasnt returned after suffering a broken right tibia. Poile, by day the Nashville Predators general manager, plans to use the same injury exception if he has to. "If we think any of these players are going to be on the Olympic team or we want them on the Olympic team and theyre going to be healthy by Feb. 11, then well have to name them on the team and then well have to deal with replacing them if their injury doesnt come around," Poile said on a conference call Thursday. Unlike Canada, which will take advantage of the IIHF pushing the 25-man roster deadline back to Jan. 7, the U.S. will still name its team Jan. 1 at the Winter Classic. Six days may not make a lot of difference in this case. In answering the question about injuries, Poile used Quick, whos recovering from a Grade 2 groin strain, as his example. He went on to say that he expects the Kings goaltender to be ready. "The information that we have from Los Angeles, and specifically from (GM) Dean Lombardi, tells us that hes going to be back before the end of the year," Poile said. "If hes a guy that we want on the team, we will name him to the team. If, for some reason, between then and the start of the Olympics, he cant play because this injury didnt come around or what have you, we will be able to replace that player." Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy-winner for the Stanley Cup-champion Kings, is a shoo-in as long as hes healthy. He could even be the starter, though Poile had plenty of good things to say about 2010 silver-medal-winner Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres too. The U.S. has several goaltending options, including Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils and Ben Bishop of the Lightning. On defence, the U.S. cant be so sure about Orpik, who suffered a concussion Saturday night when he was knocked to the ice and sucker-punched by Boston Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton. "Its one of those things probably, with a concussion, that were going to have to wait and see and kind of see how he reacts," U.S. associate general manager and Penguins GM Ray Shero said this week. "Right now (hes) really not doing too much, just resting." Orpik was on the U.S. team at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and figured to be a part of the core of the group Poile expects to bring back for Sochi. If the concussion lingers and he cannot play, it would mean the loss of a veteran presence and key defensive stopper and penalty-killer. The penalty kill would also suffer if Callahan cannot recover in time, and the Rangers captain is in the most danger of that among these three. Callahan suffered a sprained ligament in his left knee in Tuesdays loss to the Predators and is expected to be out four to six weeks. That would mean a return sometime in January, after the roster deadline but before the Olympic break and before players fly to Russia. Poile listed Callahan among the U.S. teams leadership group and said "in all likelihood" all five -- Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, Dustin Brown and David Backes, additionally -- would make it. Its hard to replace what Callahan brings, but the U.S. is deep at right wing with Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, T.J. Oshie, Blake Wheeler and Bobby Ryan. Poile said he and Brian Burke, who was GM of the 2010 team, agreed that it was harder this season to pick the team and that thats a good thing. Its even better because of what injuries could do. "The most important thing, for U.S.A. Hockey specifically, is our talent pool is so much better, so much more in quantity (and) most importantly in quality," Poile said. "(Players from 2010 are) going to be the foundation of this team. Theres going to be some new players, up-and-coming younger players, that are just too good to keep off the team." Hisashi Iwakuma Jersey .com) - Novak Djokovic captured a mens Open Era-record fifth Australian Open title on Sunday by defeating rival Andy Murray in the final in Melbourne. Braden Bishop Mariners Jersey . 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Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.MELBOURNE, Australia - A place in the quarterfinals awaits the victors Monday when the fourth round is completed at the Australian Open and the second week begins in earnest at Melbourne Park.The womens and mens singles winners, to be determined next Saturday and Sunday nights, will add their names to the honour roll that began in 1905 as the Australian championships and became the Australian Open in 1969, a year after the professional Open Era began.There were no tournaments during both world wars, there were two in 1977 due to a date change when the tournament went from early to late in the year, then none in 1986 when it moved back to its current start-of-the-year slot on the Grand Slam calendar.On Monday, the matches include a potential stern test for the womens top-seeded player, a tale of two Madisons and a mens lineup that includes a four-time Australian champion, the 2014 winner and two of the young new breed of potential major champions.Here are some things to watch on Monday:___DANGER FOR SERENA?: Serena Williams describes her loss to Garbine Muguruza in the second round of last years French Open as the best loss I had the whole year. Her 6-2, 6-2 loss was also the fewest games shed won in any Grand Slam match of her career. That one in particular made me realize what I needed to work on, Williams said after her third-round match here. It opened my eyes towards a lot of things. It actually ended up helping me a lot. She said Muguruza didnt miss a shot that day and the 21-year-old Spaniard agrees. Everything was perfect, Muguruza says. Ill just try to do the same again.___NOVAK, KEI AND MILOS: Novak Djokovic hopes to remain in contention for his fifth Australian Open title when he plays Gilles Muller, while defending champion Stan Wawrinka, who has been wearing Stan the Man t-shirts to his post-match media conferences, hopes to have it on again under winning circumstances after playing Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori, 25, and Milos Raonic, who is 24, are part of that next generation aiming for their first Grand Slam titles.dddddddddddd. Nishikori takes on David Ferrer and Raonic plays Fernando Lopez. Like last year, Wawrinka is flying under the radar while more attention is paid to players such as Djokovic and quarterfinalist Rafael Nadal. For sure Im not the focus, but it doesnt matter, Wawrinka says. To get into the second week again, its great.___MADISON SQUARED: Madison Keys beat Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to advance to a match against another Madison — her American compatriot Madison Brengle. I cannot believe that I just did that — I have wanted to be in the second week for so long, Im still trying to find words, said the 19-year-old Keys, who was born in Rock Island, Illinois. Keys has never been past the third round at any Grand Slam and now — under the guidance of Lindsay Davenport — could be in the quarterfinals. Were very excited to play each other, we know a Madison will get to the quarterfinals, Keys said. The 24-year-old Brengle, who was born in Dover, Delaware and still lives there, says she and Keys set up the possibility of a match between each other before Keys took the court against Kvitota — and after Brengle had beaten fellow American Coco Vandeweghe. She walked into the locker room and she said, Maddie, great job. I was like, You have to win, Brengle said. We have to recreate this picture. Because it would just be so, so funny. Not so funny anymore, but true.___COMPLETING THE PICTURE: The other womens matches Monday feature last years finalist at Melbourne Park, Dominika Cibulkova (she lost to now-retired Li Na), against two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, and Venus Williams, making her first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2011, against Agnieszka Radwanska. A Venus victory would see her play one of the Madisons in the quarterfinals and potentially her sister, Serena, in the semis.___Follow Dennis Passa on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DennisPassa ' ' '