With the turning of the calendar year, many people are looking back at what happened in 2006. Let's not do that. Instead, let's take a look at some of the burning issues facing teams and players as we enter the second half of the regular season and look forward towards the Stanley Cup playoffs.
How high can Crosby fly?
Halfway through the season, Sidney Crosby's on pace for around 130 points. It's not anywhere near Wayne Gretzky's marks, or even Mario Lemieux's highest total, but he's still putting up extremely impressive totals. The scary thing is that Crosby started out kind of slow and really got into a groove around the game 15 of the season. These days, three-point nights seem almost standard for Crosby, so he may even be able to outpace his current projection.
Will Anaheim falter?
Through the first half of the season, the Ducks only had single-digit regulation losses. Every team hits a slump during a season, and the Ducks are no different. Will critical injuries to their outstanding defensive core (most notably, Chris Pronger) make the top spot in the Western Conference competitive or will the Ducks continue to run away with it?
What will the trade deadline look like?
Last season was the first trade deadline in the NHL's new salary cap era. While a lot of transactions occurred, they were mostly of the depth variety — players who could play anywhere from the second to fourth lines, add character, and a little bit of skill. It wasn't until free agent season when things got really nuts and a tad bit bizarre at times. A few weeks ago, it looked like some teams, such as the Phoenix Coyotes and St. Louis Blues, would be dumping players for prospects faster than an Alexander Ovechkin slap shot. Today, almost all of the teams except for Philadelphia have at least a slight chance of pulling a comeback. Will there be any fire-sales or will this be one of the quietest trade deadlines in NHL history?
Who will turn it around in the Central Division?
Since the beginning of the season, Columbus, Chicago, and St. Louis dug themselves massive holes. It took three coaching changes — Denis Savard in Chicago, Ken Hitchcock in Columbus, and Andy Murray in St. Louis — and a little bit of time, but all three teams found themselves cutting down their goals-against averages and, more importantly, figuring out how to win hockey games. Chicago got over .500 and has been wavering since; Columbus and St. Louis have had flashes off and on, but have struggled to maintain consistency. Will the Central Division see a second-half sprint for the seventh and eighth playoff spots or will these three teams look towards next year?
Will Peter Forsberg retire?
Bad ankles, bad feet, bad head, bad groin — look at a chart of Peter Forsberg and you'll see injuries in almost every part of his body. Sure, every player gets injuries, but few have had the chronic problems that have plagued Forsberg. This season, it's been a combination of things bogging him down and seeing him play is a rarity. Will injuries force Forsberg to call it quits in the middle of the season or will he heal up and get traded for one last good run at the Cup?
Can Hasek stay healthy?
Defying pretty much every critic and observer in North America (and beyond), Dominik Hasek's put up great numbers so far this season and hasn't had any injury woes. Part of the reason he's able to pull this off is because Detroit's been playing a very tight defensive game that limits shots on goal. However, Hasek's groin is about as fragile as, well, Peter Forsberg, meaning that he could be one kick-save away from going on the injured list. Hasek's been playing well, but his recent history shows that he's a gamble. Who knows if and when his groin will take him down again?
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