Rumors are swirling that Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray is looking to make changes in Anaheim. Marred in a seven game losing streak, the Ducks are in grave danger of missing the playoffs, which, for a team that according to Capgeek.com carries a $60,681,263 payroll and has attendance issues, is simply out of the question. Veteran forward Teemu Selanne leads the Ducks in scoring this season with eight goals and 14 assists. Teammates Corey Perry (ten goals, eight assists), Ryan Getzlaf (four goals, 12 assists), Cam Fowler (two goals, ten assists), Saku Koivu (four goals, seven assists) and Bobby Ryan (seven goals, four assists) round out the Ducks’ top-six scorers. Combined, Selanne, Perry, Getzlaf, Fowler, Koivu and Ryan own a plus/minus rating of minus-42, with Getzlaf and Perry leading the way at minus-13 each. While the questionable goaltending of

Prior to the start of the 2011-12 season many “experts” had the Vancouver Canucks as Stanley Cup favorites with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators being hard-pressed to make the playoffs. While it is still very early in the season, Canada’s teams look to be holding their own in the NHL standings with Toronto currently sitting in second spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Edmonton Oilers currently occupy third spot in the Western Conference. Both Toronto and Edmonton can be referred to as early season surprises, but the bigger surprise may be the absence of the Canucks from a playoff spot as they currently sit 10th in the Western Conference. Toronto is getting it done with their potent offense which is currently ranked third overall at 3.14 goals per game, while Edmonton

After a quick start to his NHL career which saw him come runner up for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year (2005-06), being selected as a Norris Trophy finalist as the NHL’s top defenseman (2006-07) two All-Star selections (2007 and 2008) and a slew of International accomplishments, Dion Phaneuf slowly fell out of favor with the Calgary Flames, ultimately leading to him being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the time of the trade Phaneuf was involved in a number of controversies surrounding both his on and off ice life. On the ice, Phaneuf had to endure a number of criticisms including accusations of laziness, rumors of turmoil in the dressing room and even allegations of drug use off the ice. With so much scandal surrounding Phaneuf a trade out of Calgary looked to

January 2nd, 1992—Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher pulls off what many fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs refer to as the best trade in Maple Leaf history, acquiring Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Natress, Kent Manderville and Rick Walmsley in return for Gary Leeman, Alexander Godnyuk, Jeff Reese, Michel Petit and Craig Berube. Gilmour quickly made his mark with the Maple Leafs, winning the Selke Trophy and finishing runner up for the Hart Trophy after the 1992-93 season which saw the feisty forward put together the greatest season in Toronto Maple Leaf history, scoring 32 goals and racking up 95 assists for a total of 127 points. In the end, this trade was all about Gilmour, nothing more, nothing less. Jamie Macoun proved to be a serviceable defenseman for the Maple Leafs, while Leeman, Godnyuk, Reese, Petit and

Unless you were living under a rock last season you would have witnessed the line of Clarke MacArthur, Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski dominating the NHL at times last season. The “Misfit” line as I like to call them, established themselves as a dangerous unit throughout the 2010-11 season, combining for an impressive 77 goals and 97 assists, for a total of 174 points on the season. The Misfits’ effort was good enough to emerge as the 11th most dangerous line in the NHL, not bad for a line that was often the Toronto Maple Leafs second line of attack. Perhaps even more impressive was this trio’s ability to play defense, emerging with a combined plus +18 rating, proving once and for all that despite the criticism and trade rumors surrounding these players that all three could play at both

With the pre-season officially in the books, the regular season is just hours away from commencing, giving Canada back it’s favorite drug- Hockey! For some NHL teams the playoffs looks to be all but a sure thing, including the likes of the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference, followed by the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference. For others, a playoff birth will be hard fought, if not impossible, which will likely cause many Canadians to hit the pharmacy or the local liquor store on more than a few occasions! For Canadian hockey fans there is plenty to be excited about. The Winnipeg Jets are officially back, while the Toronto Maple Leafs looked poised to make the jump to the playoffs…or not!