You know how you know things are going well for a team? When they come home from a successful road trip, smoke a division rival by a 6-2 score, and the coach describes the play as “sloppy.” That’s right—the team that scored six goals and pulled away from a rival that makes its living by shutting down the opponent, and the head coach described it as sloppy.

Such is life for the Anaheim Ducks these days. The Ducks scored early and often as they racked up six goals against the reeling Phoenix Coyotes.

It’s not often that a 13th place team will get a standing ovation for the final 30 seconds of the game. But then again, it’s not normal for 13th place teams to have 6-0-1 stretches either. They’re not just winning—they’re dominating. In the seven games, the Ducks have outscored their opponents 31-13. They’ve been the highest scoring team in the NHL throughout the first month of 2012 by averaging a full four goals per game.

Not too bad for a league that has most teams averaging under 2.50 goals per game.

Still, the head coach wasn’t positively pleased with his teams overall game. When asked when he knew his team would be able to avoid complacency and would be rolling again tonight, he said: “when Corey Perry scored.” For those keeping track, Perry scored with less than four minutes left in the game.

“Quite frankly, I thought we were pretty sloppy. [I had to] bite my tongue most of the night. They missed a lot of chances and we took advantage. We had four shots in the second period, we had two goals. The chances we did have – after they scored the goal, we had a good push, a good deflection, and got a good power play goal. But I mean, it wasn’t one of those barrages where we kept coming at them and we weren’t playing like we were in Vancouver or Calgary where we were shutting teams down. I thought we were a little loose. But, I mean, I’m not complaining. We still won over a good hockey club and we scored six goals.”

Again, that’s the head coach of the winning team.

One of the huge keys to the Ducks recent run of success is the secondary scoring the team has received from players not named Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, or Selanne. Against the Coyotes, it was the third line of Andrew Cogliano, Nick Bonino, and Jason Blake that proved to be the difference-makers for the team.

The three joined up for one of the prettier goals you’ll see this season. “It was just a pretty play of skilled NHL players. But I think the confidence part wasn’t on Cogliano, but on Bonino. Bonino, who’s getting better every game. Cogliano made a nice play to him, but corral a bullet pass and pass it back is a real tough play.”

Those are the types of plays that weren’t coming earlier in the season—from anyone. Now they’re coming from seemingly everyone.

The added scoring punch wasn’t lost on Boudreau: “[It makes] all the difference in the world,” he said. “Then the other team is talking about it. You have to at least acknowledge the fact that they’re out there. When you have a third line—earlier on, not one of them had a goal. There’s really not a thread out there. Then the fourth line, I think at one point, had one goal. So you’re basically trying to shut down two lines. If you have three lines that have been productive, then you just keep throwing them out.”

But it’s not just the third line and fourth line guys either. Over the recent run of success, the Ducks have been receiving contributions from everyone—defensemen included.

Speaking of the blueliners, “If they’re not a threat, then people don’t worry about them,” Boudreau said. “We need teams to be saying in between periods, or before the game, ‘you really gotta watch out, Cam Fowler is jumping into the play; Beauchemin is jumping into the play.’”

Anyway you cut it; things are going well in Anaheim right now. All 20 guys are playing with confidence on a given night – the stars, the secondary guys, the defensemen, and the goaltenders.

Just imagine what they could do on a night when they weren’t sloppy?

Scoring a hat trick is a big deal. So why do we say that Shane Doan “finally” scored a hat trick in the headline? Because in Doan’s case, it took him 1,161 career NHL games to score three goals in a single game—the most in league history. For those keeping track, those would be his 306th, 307th, and 308th goals of his career. It’s about time man.

Anyone around the team will tell you that it couldn’t have happened to a better guy. In a league that that reveres the title of “captain,” Doan has been one of the best captains of the last decade. His leadership is visible on the ice and on the bench; but it’s just as important in the locker room and on charter airplanes. He’s the unquestioned leader of a team that has repeatedly surprised the harshest of critics over the last two seasons. If you ask some people around the team, they’ll tell you that the secret to the Coyotes success is #19.

This is how the man celebrated his first career hat trick...

While preparing for a quick interview, I overheard someone say, “it all starts with that guy right there,” pointing at a cooperative Doan.

We always hear about how a team has a tendency to take on the personality of its leaders. Sometimes that means the team will take on the personality of an iron-fisted coach. Sometimes that means a squad will perform in the mold of an outspoken general manager. But ideally, a team will learn from one of their own—from a guy that sets an example in the room, on the bench, and on the ice.

In Doan’s case, the “leading by example” thing goes far behind the playing surface. He is one of the most cooperative, well-spoken, understanding guys that I’ve encountered in the entire NHL. He takes his time when answering any question and pauses to make sure he gives the best answer possible. And there are some guys that you just trust their honesty when they answer questions. Doan is one of those guys.

His reaction to the third goal of the hat trick was quintessential Doan. After netting his first hat trick in almost 16 years, he looked at the opposing netminder and actually said “sorry.” He was sorry because he tacked on a meaningless goal with 0.1 second left of a 5-1 blowout. After the game, the humility continued:

“I knew I wasn’t a lock to get it, and then the puck kept coming to me. They kept trying to find me. There was chance after chance. …It was getting embarrassing.” –Shane Doan (via Arizona Republic)

I, for one, am happy that he finally scored his first career hat trick. If for no other reason, it gave me an excuse to write this story.

Here’s a cold, hard fact that anyone who has ever had a job clearly understands: things get messy when someone is fired.

At the end of the day, management decides that it’s best to remove someone from the office because things would be better if someone else was doing their job. Think about how tough that decision can be for management. Think about how tough it can be if you are the person that is being removed. Your employer thinks the office would be a better, more productive place if you weren’t there.

Reality bites.

As usual, hockey has a way of mirroring real life. Coaching changes are usually messy. There is no one, magic bullet that explains all of the reasons that a leader was forced onto his own sword. Instead, it’s usually some toxic elixir that combines losses, doubt, unrealized expectations, and underperformance. It’s like asking a player why the team is struggling: if they knew what was wrong, they’d do something to fix it.

Just like in our everyday lives, telling (or hearing) that someone is fired is never easy. Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi explained that things weren’t any easier when he was firing his coach of the past three seasons, Terry Murray: “If this was just a business relationship… we always use the cliche, `This is business.’ But this was more than business. This goes beyond that. It’s always difficult even if you’re using the business approach. There’s a very good man here and nobody likes to be the bearer of this type of news.’’

Again, reality bites.

Why was Terry Murray fired?

It’s pretty simple—the Kings are sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference and they’re the lowest scoring team in the league. People on the opposite coast, in different time zones, and in the 300 level will throw out things like “losing the room” or “needing a new voice.” There are a time and place for each of those arguments when a coach is fired—but now is not the time and Los Angeles is not the place. This season the Kings’ management, fans, and ownership expected to win. And they expected to win a lot. When the wins weren’t piling up like most people thought they should be, it was only a matter of time before changes headed the Kings way.

Dean Lombardi said as much in his conference call:

“…I think it’s safe to say that with the expectations this year it becomes more result orientated. This goes back to—every situation is different and the challenge for a coach as well as players, when you have expectations, it’s driven more to results. It’s harder, at times, to look for those victories within losses. That’s just the state of the franchise right now. You could look for more of those things 3 years ago. But we’re trying to push to the next level. And it isn’t easy.

It’s a lot easier playing with the house’s money… I do think we’re at the stage of the franchise where you’re going to be judged on wins and losses and playoff rounds. And that’s where you strive to be. It’s a lot easier when there are no expectations and with every win you can get a parade. We’re not there right now, so it comes down to wins and losses.”

When a team isn’t performing and the GM feels like a change needs to be made, they have two choices. They can either go out and make a major trade to shake things up or make a head coaching move. With the acquisition of Dustin Penner at the deadline last season, the trade for Mike Richards in the offseason, and the Simon Gagne signing during free agency, the organization has made a commitment to bring in players that are proven scorers to help push the team from “playoff contender” to “Stanley Cup contender.”

Where are the goals? I'm pretty sure they're hidden right next to the wins...

When the team was underachieving, Lombardi felt that there was only one way to go.

It’s important to note that Lombardi must believe in the team or he would have made some kind of change to the roster. (No, waiving Ethan Moreau doesn’t count.) But Ducks GM Bob Murray summed it up only a couple of weeks ago in Anaheim when he made the decision to make a coaching change of his own: “If I didn’t believe that they could do it, I would have gone a totally different direction and blown things up and started all over.”

But why? Why have the Kings struggled with this roster this season? Is it the coach’s system? For every fan that complains that the Kings are the worst scoring team in the league, they need to acknowledge the fact that the Kings have been one of the best defensive teams in the league over the last handful of years. This year is no different.

The common line of thinking is that offensive can be effected by systems, but by and large scoring is created by talent. Defense? Defense is primary successful when the team buys into the coaches strategy and gives incredible effort. A guy like Alex Semin can wake up and score 30 goals in his sleep. But to have a team that keeps the puck out of the net for three consecutive years, there needs to be a certain level of heart, dedication, and passion from the players willing to sacrifice for the team.  From that point of view, the Kings are as good as they’ve ever been.

Lost his job, but never lost the team

Here’s the tough part for Terry Murray—he hadn’t lost the team. Over and over, we hear about how a coach has “lost the team” and someone new needs to come in to gather the troops with a newfound focus. That’s not the case in the Kings locker room. As early as last week, guys like Kopitar and Williams said they believed that they could come back from a deficit. Confidence is a huge part of today’s NHL; and the team believed that they could make a comeback. That’s not the sign of a team that had lost all hope.

The players have been playing with just as much dedication and passion for Terry Murray than they have for the last three seasons. Players that give up on their coach wouldn’t be willing to make those kinds of sacrifices.

Offensively, on the other hand, the Kings have been a dumpster fire for the better part of two months. Over the last week, the team knew they needed to score more goals and it was obvious that certain guys were gripping their sticks a little tighter than usual. Will coaching change the fates of each and every one of the struggling offensive players? Fans and the GM are betting on it.

But make no mistake about it. The Kings didn’t quit on this coach. The teams focus was always there—even until the bitter end.

I can’t say the same for the coach in Anaheim. That was a case of a team that had tuned out their coach and was ready to hear a new voice. Both Randy Carlyle and Terry Murray are good, successful NHL coaches, but both were fired for different reasons. Even though the losses were piling up for the Ducks, the main reason that Carlyle was fired was because the GM felt that the team had given up on the coach. He wasn’t alone in his assessment.

Some of us were there in the locker room. We were there at practice. We saw the games. We know what a team looks like when they quit on their coach because we just saw it in Anaheim two weeks ago.

Murray this week: “We’re in good shape.”

In Los Angeles, no one around the organization thinks the team quit on the coach. The only problem—and it’s a huge problem—is that they weren’t winning enough. Just last week, I asked Terry Murray how he felt about the team’s performance through the first third of the season with the increased expectations:

Let's run the play where we score a goal at the end...

“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Murray shared. “I think we’re in good shape. We made a lot of changes over the year. We brought in new players, veteran players and it takes them time. We were hoping that Scott Parse would be able to come in and really contribute to the team and that broke down. He’s out and probably done for the year. Penner’s starting to get going; he’s been through a lot through the summer time (and) getting himself to the level that we want. [He’s had] a couple of injuries right from the start—groin injuries and he broke his hand, so there’s a lot of that happening. Doughty comes in late to training camp, or after the training camp, misses the early part. There have been a lot of things, and I think that overall the team’s come through with an incredible amount of confidence. We’re in pretty good shape.”

Unfortunately for Murray, it will be another coach reaping the benefits of all the early season character building. He continued:

“You want to go back through statistics; we’re only a couple of points behind last year’s pace at this time. We’re actually better on the goals against [average] at this time—we’re four less than we were at this time, and we’re fourth in the league in goals against overall this year. Pretty good.”

After the offseason moves (and expenditures) the Kings made this summer, “pretty good” isn’t going to get it done. When a team is shooting for the NHL’s elite at the beginning of the season and they’re swimming in mediocre waters after a third of the season, heads are likely to roll:

“Every franchise, don’t forget, has different levels of expectations,” Lombardi said from Boston. “This team came in with a very high level of expectation, so that puts a different perspective in your room—particularly when you’ve got younger players leading that group. So it’s unique here, in the sense that you have the youngest core in the league and you’re counting on these young players. But again, these established players have to step up here.”

Here’s the part that should be a little more worrisome for fans in Los Angeles. There’s no doubt that the pressure of expectations are weighing on everyone in the organization. But when those pressures start dictating personnel moves that the team normally wouldn’t make—there’s a problem. Firing Terry Murray may very well have been the right move at the right time for the Kings, yet Dean Lombardi repeatedly insisted on Monday that it was a move that he didn’t want to make.

Is it a move in response to the expectations? Or is it a move out of desperation? It’s a difficult question that only Dean Lombardi knows the answer to.

Ultimately, most people around the team believe that the blame for the mediocre start lies at the feet of the 25 men in the locker room. According to reports, the GM blasted the team for forcing his hand with their porous play through 29 games. In a letter to fans, Lombardi said: “I told the players that the coach, who works as hard as any coach I have been around, paid the price and that they are accountable.”

Hard work isn’t the issue right now. The team is working as hard as they’ll work for new coach that may lead the team in the future. Murray admitted only a few days that the team wasn’t executing the simple plays for a full 60 minutes and the mistakes were costing the team. And of course, scoring goals is the biggest issue.

The next step is for the Kings to show that they are, in fact, the team that many people expected when they were making their preseason predictions. Is this the type of team that can make the playoffs, win a few rounds and compete with the Blackhawks, Sharks, Canucks, and Red Wings of the Western Conference? Are they capable of becoming that type of team with a new coach that can squeeze a few more goals out of the collective sticks in that locker room? Well, that’s exactly why Lombardi made the move:

“To answer your question, I think every situation is unique, but why else, in any sport, would you make this change unless you’re hoping for improvement?”

Whoever takes over the reins, the mandate is improvement. A point here, a victory there won’t get it done either. This is a team that is built to win. The boss has spoken and he expects better results—now. Like the office politics that we’re all used to, he thinks the group of individuals will thrive under new leadership. Murray walked the plank for the group’s inefficiency.

Now that he’s gone, it’s up to the rest of the guys to show that things will get better.

This year we’re doing something a little different for the Trade Deadline. Every blogger out there is going to tell you who’s going to be a buyer, who’s going to be a seller, who needs this, and who needs that. And for the record, we reserve the right to do the same thing later—although it might just be more entertaining to make fun of teams and completely overreact after the fact.

But we wanted to do something a little different around here. This year, we wanted to put these same questions in front of fans who cheer passionately for their teams. It’s one thing to hear answers from a blogger who follows the team and has an eye towards objectivity; but it’s something else completely when you ask the question to a diehard fan who cheers with their heart on their sleeve. We’re talking about people who watch their team every game, know what their team needs, and have strong opinions on what they need to do to get better. They’re you and me. Hockey fans.

What better place to look for passionate hockey fans all over North America than checking out Twitter? So that’s where we went—and here’s who we found! For the Pacific Division, we have Chris representing the Ducks, Jason for the Stars, Meg for the Kings, Amy for the Coyotes, and Sarah for the Sharks.

Hope you enjoy the project as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. After checking out everyone’s views, we’d love to hear if you agree or disagree with everyone’s answers. We know you have an opinion as well!

**Editor’s note: Some of these contributions were submitted before early trades were executed.**

1. Is your team living up to the expectations they had going into the season? Do you think there’s more or less pressure to make moves at the deadline because of those expectations?

Chris (Ducks): Well, considering how badly the Anaheim Ducks failed to meet expectations last season, just being a +500 club this season has made many fans happy, yours truly included! Unfortunately, y’all know how tight the Western Conference has been this season… being a 500-club isn’t going to give you a playoff seed. Given that, and the fact that the Ducks have been doing better this season than the last, I think there’s a lot of pressure to make the right moves by the trade deadline. There was no postseason for the Ducks last year. Nobody wants to see that again!

Hockey fans in Southern California can be fickle. We need a winning team just to put butts in the seats. Even when the team is winning, there’s just so many other distractions in this part of the globe (the beach, basketball *ahem* The Lakers, Hollywood, etc.) to take sports fans away from the ice rink. Yes, there are die-hard hockey fans here, but not all of them cheer for the local team. Just come to any Ducks game and you’ll see a fair share of the opposing team’s fans in attendance. Transplants aplenty.

Jason (Stars): Dearest Stars fans,

As someone that tries to meet the deadlines of others, particularly those classy folks at View From My Seats, I wrote the following on the 10th of February despite having a deadline of 7 solid days. My thought was that I could accurately answer all the questions that needed to be answered and give everyone time to post my ramblings. Apparently, every single GM in the league decided that they too dislike deadlines and my idea was a horrible one. Thus here we find ourselves on here 14 trades later on the 21st of February. That being said, I have kept my original submission 100% intact with only a few minor addition in the form of writer’s notes. Now all I can hope for so that all is not completely lost is that Brad Richards is not traded for Brett Lebda while I’m asleep. If that happens, the trade will then be followed by hell freezing over as well as Kyle Wellwood flying.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Three popular players in Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, and Mike Smith were all traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Brad Richards and a goalie with reflexes slightly better than Vesa Toskala. In Richards first game as a Dallas Star, he put up five assists against the Chicago Blackhawks. In other words, Dallas fans just took down all the Cowboys logos from the parade, and changed them to the Dallas Stars logo. Zoom ahead to the playoff run that year where Stars fans saw a team that was hungry thriving off every energetic hit and goal from Brenden Morrow (Hey Devon, how ya feeling there buddy?). A derailing by the Dead Things was the only bump in the road for what would surely be a great team in contention for the Stanley Cup for years to come. Fast forward two seasons later and Stars fans had to be asking themselves what on earth happened. Zero playoff appearances, the loss of Modano, Lehtinen, and Turco, an ownership situation nightmare, passing on Cam Fowler since he isn’t a franchise player, and then having the Ambassador of Fun, Brett Hull, nowhere to be found. Combine that with a defensive core that was as porous as Swiss cheese and as mature as an eight year old with a poop joke book and a goaltender who had more back and groin problems than a 90-year-old retired porn star, and I’m pretty sure a vast majority of fans would have expected the only thing we would be capable of winning would be the draft lottery. Hell, I was anticipating a losing streak to start the season longer than the run on sentence that was just written.

Instead, the Stars tried something new this season: winning games. Lots of them, too. For the fickle and bandwagon city of Dallas this is much needed. While there is no more or less pressure from the fanbase for the rest of the season, the lenders who now operate the team need success. Without a trip to the playoffs, the Stars will once again be the fourth team in the minds of Dallas fans after the Cowboys, Rangers, and Mavericks. For people forced into team ownership and trying to sell a quarter billion dollar product, this isn’t exactly an ideal situation. From the perspective of the lenders, this team not only has to make it to the playoffs, but it also can’t afford to jettison talent since that would affect the value of the franchise. Just the fact that Nieuwendyk was allowed to bring back Jamie Langenbrunner shows this team is serious about some sort of playoff run.

Meg (Kings): I’d have to say the jury is still out on living up to expectations, simply because the playoff picture isn’t finalized yet. When your team captain steps up to a microphone in July at a major fan event and says the team expects to be in the playoffs and that’s the goal of every player in the room, that pretty much puts the writing on the wall. The bottom line is that even IF Dustin Brown had never uttered that statement, the fans expectations would still be a return to the playoffs. You can’t give an addict a little hit of crack and expect them to stop there, and that’s how the playoffs felt last year. This team and their fans have been so starved for success after all the rough years, a step back would send some of us to rehab. Personally, I have faith this team will make the playoffs, so in my mind they’re living up to expectations. I just wish they would be a little less streaky and not send me into heart failure during home games.

Because the expectation is to not only make the playoffs, but actually go deeper than the first round, there is a ton of pressure on Dean Lombardi to make a move to improve the team. But if Kings fans don’t know by now that Dean Lombardi can handle the pressure and have the patience to wait for the right deal, they haven’t been paying attention to all those charts and graphs he carries around.

Amy (Coyotes): The Coyotes had pretty high expectations after their standout year last season, however the significant losses of Zbynek Michalek and Matthew Lombardi somewhat dampened the outlook. Due to the tenuous ownership situation and the apparently apathy of Phoenix fans, the team needs to win NOW, and that means making the playoffs and winning at least one round. The Coyotes have been up and down all season. This points pressure on General Manager Don Maloney to make some moves to help his streaky team make the playoffs from a ruthless Pacific Division.

Sarah (Sharks): Ah… Sharks and expectations. That is a messy conundrum. Whose expectations? Personally, I think the team came into the season with question marks that expectations, and the season has lived up to that. Will the goalie situation work out? Will the offense offset the weak defense? All of these things are still questions as the team clings to playoff hopes. I’m not sure a trade deadline deal would be able to answer any of them right away. Not many magic bullets out there.

2. Will your team be a buyer or a seller? What are fans hoping to see the team do at the deadline?

Chris (Ducks): We have a hearty helping of defensemen thanks to the early-season drought after losing Chris Pronger at last season’s trade deadline and Scott Niedermayer to retirement. GM Bob Murray went around signing all sorts of d-men to help out our blue line and now we have “too many.” I think that definitely makes the Ducks a d-man seller… we’ve already unloaded Paul Mara, Aaron Voros, and earlier, Brett Festerling. I expect we’ll probably deal one or two more d-men by the deadline. Offensive-wise, the Ducks finally have that great two-line scoring depth they were promised at the beginning of last season. There’s even occasional tertiary scoring from guys like rookie Brandon McMillan, consistent call-up Dan Sexton, and secret sniper George Parros. Fans would probably be fairly happy as long as we kept our RPG (Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf) and Masterton (Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Jason Blake) lines together, as well as effective defensive pairings like Cam Fowler-Francois Beauchemin and Toni Lydman-Lubomir Visnovsky.

Jason (Stars): As I mentioned, the lenders cannot afford to have this team head into the summer without any type of playoff revenue and hype surrounding it. It would be a crippling blow to their business-balls if go three years without any type of postseason hype. That being said, the team isn’t exactly a buyer either. Operating almost at the cap floor, the team then took on Langenbrunner’s prorated contract for the remainder of the year. This means unless a team is paying the Stars to take a player off their hands, I highly doubt there will be an addition to the club. Realistically, fans can’t expect much to change with this club unless there is an unexpected injury that frees up cap space. So you know, if all $1.5 million of Matt Niskanen accidentally got clubbed over the back of the head by a masked man similar in stature to Les Jackson, then I suppose some sort of deal could end up happening. (Writer’s Note: Or you know, you could just package him in a deal to the Penguins. Whichever.)

Also, as far as all the female fans go, I’m pretty sure they’re hoping to see Brad Richards take off his shirt again.

(Writer’s note: Jason Williams was signed on a two-way contract prior to this writing, so that was about the only addition I had expected when I completed this. Pens trade aside, the situation is completely different than it was a week ago. The Stars are clinging to a playoff spot despite being in a 5-way tie only because they have played fewer games than three of the other teams. I would like to believe the extra cap space saved via the trade, is really just a cost saving measure to help get the lenders to agree to give Richards a new contract. Besides, what makes this team more appealing to purchase? Having a ton of cap space or having a legit team? Richards is the key in determining each, but with a concussion, it now gets into scary territory considering what we’ve seen with Savard, Crosby, and others.)

Meg (Kings): There is no question the Kings are buyers. Even if we didn’t look like a playoff team on a game-to-game basis, I think we’d still be buyers because Dean Lombardi is a builder and the core of team is still young. Plus Kings fans have waited this long for a legitimate shot at the Cup, so what’s the harm in being a little patient?

Fans are of course hoping Deano finds that ever-elusive, 50-goal scoring left winger that will magically solve all our problems. I’ve got news for you, Kings fans — that magic left winger exists in the same world as leprechauns with pots of gold. If you can find the leprechaun with the left winger, you not only get the pot of gold, you get Dean Lombardi’s job. Any player close to resembling what fans are looking for A) won’t be acquired in trade without significant subtractions from our current line-up and B) likely isn’t going to come along before the trade deadline.

Amy (Coyotes): Phoenix will again be a buyer at the deadline. Don Maloney has been very active on deadline day in the last two seasons. Fans, as always, are hoping to see a marquee name come into town that will put some butts in the seats, but alas, the team is not built to house a stud, nor is the bank account. With GMDM already bringing in Michal Roszival in to season the defensive core a bit more, look for the other big move to be a second or third line winger that has some goal potential.

Sarah (Sharks): If the team is anything, it would be more of a buyer for a missing piece. The Sharks have long been “slow and steady” builders, and very few OMG! moves have been made midseason (or ever, but that is debatable). And with the big contracts of the big three up front, I doubt that they really have any money to be huge shakers right now unless one of those is moved. And I highly doubt that would happen.

3. What specifically does your team need if they want to take the next step? Which players/prospects are on the trading block and could be on the move by Deadline Day?

Chris (Ducks): The worry right now is in net. With Jonas Hiller on and off IR, there are concerns of whether backup Curtis McElhinney can deliver consistently. The Ducks’ mysterious pickup of Ray Emery doesn’t help to stifle rumors that the details of Hiller’s illness are more serious than the club is letting on. Otherwise, to take the next step, the Ducks have to make sure that their defense is consistent, that the scoring lines continue to score, and that the Ducks continue to stay disciplined. As for specific players/prospects that could be on the trading block, I would suspect that a few of our perennial scratches and/or low ice timers (defenseman Sheldon Brookbank, defenseman Andreas Lilja, defenseman Luca Sbisa, forward Kyle Chipchura, forward Matt Beleskey) might be shopped around. I’d be very disappointed to see dealings involving Lilja, Sbisa, and/or Beleskey because I believe these guys are valuable to the club and I’m sure, if dealt, Murray won’t get their full worth in return.

Jason (Stars): I’d like to start by asking all the Toronto Maple Leaf Fans and New York Ranger fans to peacefully and calmly walk into their garages, make sure the door behind them is closed good and snug, then start up the engine of their vehicle whether it’s a car, truck, or snow mobile, sit back, relax, and slowly drift into that delusion of theirs where Brad Richards is setting up the game winning Stanley Cup clutching goal – all while sucking in the delightful fumes. For as much torture as they’ve both gone through lately, I felt it would be crass to tell them to just die in a fire. It’s the kinder, gentler part of me shining through in 2011.

Now then, is this like a wish list or a realistic list? Regardless, the Stars need to bolster their defense core. The loss of Mattias Norstrom a few years back began to take the D out of Dallas (suck it, pun haters). There was a moment of reprieve with Willie Mitchell, but then he left from the nice warm climate of…wait, he left us for Vancouver? There is no replacement for Sergei Zubov, and fans need to come to terms with that, since many still haven’t. Regarding who is available that the Stars could get, Kaberle gets tossed around again, and while it would be a boost for the PP, as well as generate some more offense, I’m not sure if he is really the best option. Besides, calling up Brian Burke for anything, even to get his favorite recipe for poutine, would likely end in him wanting Richards. The other viable option in my mind is Zach Bogosian. If we could somehow parlay Matt Niskanen into Bogosian through some additional picks or prospects not named Jack Campbell, then I think the organization has to do it. Now, this is purely a pipe dream, but it would make me a happy fan. (Writer’s Note: Whoops on Kaberle. On a positive note, there’s still time to turn Goligoski into Bogosian. Technically that’s still parlaying Nisky into something good.)

One really can’t be to sure who is and isn’t on the block when it comes to Joe Nieuwendyk. This is the man that said goodbye to three huge names in the organization, brought back a hugely popular player and signed Trevor Daley to a long term deal when it seemed there was no money to pay for either, made a questionable trade for a goaltender who couldn’t stay healthy, and in the process gave up our top rated defensive prospect. I don’t think you can get an accurate judge on what he is and isn’t willing to do to help this team win.

Finally, I know there has been interest in Jamie Benn, and for all the GMs that have called to inquire about his potential services, I thank you for your interest and ask that you please take a passenger side seat with the Leaf and Ranger fans. As for the rest of your survivors, repeat after me “Red Wings suck…”

Meg (Kings): What Dean Lombardi does need to do is make a trade to move some prospects, a marginal player or someone that’s getting a little too long in the tooth for our line-up, provided the player he’s looking to acquire makes the team better. The Kings are lucky to have prospects out the yin-yang, which certainly helps in terms of putting together an attractive package for the right player, especially if the trade partner is looking to do some rebuilding. Just don’t think about touching Loktionov or Schenn. I would love to see the Kings offload Teubert, but I’m not sure who would want him. In my mind, the Thomas Hickey experiment has failed, so packaging him with an Oscar Moller and another player might be possible. The Habs like little guys, right?

Out of the Kings current NHL line-up, I see Richardson, Ponikarovsky, Harrold and Drewiske as available. I could also — and don’t hate me Kings fans — see Wayne Simmonds being moved for the right price given his sub-par performance this season. I could also see Justin Williams getting off-loaded because I think he’ll be looking for a multi-year contract this summer, and I’m not sure he’s the best option for the Kings long-term given his injury history. And as much as I love Kevin Westgarth, Kyle Clifford’s shown grit this season that makes having an old-time enforcer less crucial, so a team looking for a big body could pick him up.

Amy (Coyotes): The Coyotes need smart, defensively responsible players that can score a goal or two. Tippett needs to piss or get off the pot in regards to figuring out the third defensive pairing, as healthy scratching or giving minimal minutes to Ekman-Larsson isn’t doing anyone any favors. The Coyotes can’t go into the playoffs with OEL having his current level of experience and having no trust from the coach. If this current situation continues, Phoenix may need to pick up a serviceable Dman in addition to a scoring winger. Players that may be available include Ed Jovanovski, who could waive his no-trade clause for the right situation as he is in the last year of his hefty contract. Radim Vrbata, who has heated up as of late after a long dry spell, is also a UFA that may be dealt (and then watch me go ballistic). Prospects Mikkel Boekder and Brett MacLean have NHL level skill but are still waiting in line for a significant chance with a deep NHL roster. They may get that chance somewhere else. Finally, don’t be utterly shocked if Ilya Bryzgalov is no longer a Coyote. If GMDM feels like there is no way that Bryz can be re-signed in the off-season, he may make a killer deal to get a big name winger and a goalie (how you doin’ Neuvirth?). Hey, it could happen.

Sarah (Sharks): Defense. It is what they needed in the summer, and the summer before that, and on and on. If any changes are made, it has to be on the back end. The name floating around the most as trade bait is Setoguchi. The team is forward heavy, and I think many believe that he’s both expendable and valuable enough to get a return. He’s not someone to “get rid” of for draft picks; he’s someone to use to bring in something tangible and immediate.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Randy Carlyle and his future with the Anaheim Ducks. Some are of the opinion that blame for the Ducks’ horrible start lies at Carlyle’s feet for not producing better results. It’s not just that they’re losing— it’s how they’re losing. They’re getting wildly outshot and predictably outscored, as well. The GM says it’s not the coach’s fault and the players are to blame.  But we’re talking about very smart people who think he needs to get the axe, so it’s an idea worth thinking about.

But here’s the thing; when I looked at the Ducks roster this offseason, I knew they were going to be terrible. Their defensive corps had to learn to play together AND they aren’t very good to begin with. Even in August it was apparent that they needed Cam Fowler to come in, earn a spot, and play serious minutes on the power play. It’s one thing to hope he can contribute, but a completely different situation when a team is depending on him to make contributions.

We’re talking about a team that knew they’d play Lubomir Visnovsky, Andy Sutton, and Toni Lydman. Behind them—it was a toss up as to who would earn spots on the team. That means they were gambling and hoping for the best with half of their every day defensemen. Add in that they lack depth up front and their back-up goaltender gets beaten more than a horse coming down the stretch at Churchill Downs, and it seems obvious that they will struggle badly this season.

So when I look at who is responsible for this disaster, I look to the people who put this team together. Sure, Carlyle is the visible guy on the bench and the teams are piling up L’s, but you can only get so much out of so little. They have good top-line forwards and their power play is one of the best in the league (6th). They don’t have very good defensemen and they’re one of the worst in the league on the PK (22nd). This isn’t rocket surgery—without the horses in the NHL, it’s going to be tough to succeed.

Even the Ducks players are embarrassed with their roster... (Photo: AP)

I wonder why GM Bob Murray isn’t catching a little more heat for putting together a team with such little depth. Losing the likes of Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Francois Beauchemin is tough for any team to deal with. But it’s not like any of those came out of left field. Niedermayer has been contemplating retirement since the 90’s, Beauchemin was up for a big payday two years ago, and Pronger was willingly traded for a forward and draft picks. Even though he knew all of his Cup contributors would be out the door in the near future, no contingency plan was put into place. The Ducks defensive prospects look like a who’s who for a future AHL contender. And just imagine how bad it would be if Cam Fowler hadn’t dropped into their laps this year?

Now whose fault is that?

We knew this season was going to be rough because they don’t have the players to compete. Plain and simple. Look back to the Tampa Bay Lightning circa 2006-08 to see just how far one line and a bad defense can take you. Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan are all spectacular players and will win a few games on their own—but they won’t be able to single-handedly make the Ducks a contender.

The case against Murray is so much simpler than it is against Carlyle. They lost players. They knew they were going to lose them. They didn’t replace them and they don’t have anyone on the horizon to replace them. That’s it—and that is precisely the General Manager’s job. Anything else is clouding the issue.

If you think the Ducks players are better than they are playing on the ice, then that’s a different issue completely. If they were underachieving, then that would fall squarely on Carlyle’s portly shoulders. But looking at the roster in the offseason I just didn’t see it. And through the first 12 games of the season, I’m seeing exactly what I expected to see. I see a team that can’t compete on a nightly basis with some of the better teams in the league. I see a team that will struggle on the road all season because they are built around one line. I see a team that, if they play their very best game against their opponent’s best game, will lose far more games than they will win.

Even if Carlyle’s the guy who gets fired this year, it will be the predictable conclusion when a coach is the scapegoat. But this time, it’s not the players who are to blame—it’s the GM.