USA TODAY Sports' NHL staff recently returned from a trip to the North Pole, where it compiled a Christmas wish list for every team. Some have realistic gift ideas, while others ... well, we're not sure even Santa Claus can make those dreams come true.
Anaheim Ducks: A time machine. General manager Bob Murray needs to travel back to last summer and figure out where this team went wrong. Did they make a mistake trading Kyle Palmieri? Should they have made a stronger effort to re-sign Matt Beleskey? Do they miss Francois Beauchemin? Why is this team struggling? (Kevin Allen)
Arizona Coyotes: A note to remind them they have to be Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to defense. Don't be charitable when it comes to scoring chances. Don't give anything to anyone. You can't rank 29th in goals-against and make the playoffs. (KA)
Boston Bruins: Increasing defensive depth. The Bruins' blueliners have come a long way since their slow start to the season, but the depth the B's have there still feels precarious. Eliminating mental mistakes has been a key to the turnaround, but the addition of a strong two-way defenseman would elevate this group to the next level. (Kristen Shilton)
Buffalo Sabres: Patience. The Sabres have made great strides under coach Dan Bylsma, but are still 14-16-4 and near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. With a young nucleus that includes Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen, their rebuild is off to a strong start. (KS)
Calgary Flames: How-to guide for hockey special teams. The Flames rank dead last in power play and penalty-killing. If their special teams were better they would be well above .500. (KA)
Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal trade. The Hurricanes aren't winning with Staal and they could use an infusion of high-end young talent to fortify their next winning roster. There are a lot of intriguing pieces here, but keeping Staal and losing him at the end of the year does them no good. (Jimmy Hascup)
Chicago Blackhawks: Another move. Perhaps the best part of the trade that brought Rob Scuderi to Chicago for Trevor Daley was the $1 million in cap space the Blackhawks picked up. While they are playing well and moving in new and younger players this season, GM Stan Bowman is certainly not done with the roster. Perhaps that extra cash can help land another defenseman. (Peter Barzilai)
Colorado Avalanche: New life from the old guys. Although the Avs have played much better of late, they still need more production from Jarome Iginla, 38, and Alex Tanguay, 36. They've combined for 11 goals and are each putting up some sorry possession numbers – Iginla with a Corsi for of 42.4% and Tanguay at 43.1% -- while clocking about 17 minutes of ice time. (PB)
Columbus Blue Jackets: Resolution to the Ryan Johansen drama. Does Johansen respond well to coach John Tortorella's tough love (which has included a benching and then becoming a healthy scratch)? Or does he become a cancer and eventually request a trade? How this situation plays out will drastically affect the Blue Jackets' future. (JH)
Dallas Stars: Putting the D in Dallas. They'e fun to watch because they score and have been doing it well enough to shoot to the top of the Western Conference. But come playoff time, the Stars will have to tighten up on defense, so why not start now? (PB)
Detroit Red Wings: Upping their (mental) game. The Red Wings are as fundamentally sound a team as you'll find, but they have a bad habit of letting games slip away in the third period. Confidence is good, but being lackadaisical while nursing a lead will only continue to hurt the Wings. Adding the right amount of poise and mental toughness to their game will help them soar. (KS)
Edmonton Oilers: A defenseman with big antlers. You know the kind. A slick, graceful, majestic beast who can fly up ice and is big enough and powerful enough to plow the front of the net. The Oilers, my friends, aren't far from being a quality team. (KA)
Florida Panthers: Help on the wing. Like most teams, the Panthers would benefit from more offense, but injuries to top forwards has highlighted their need for support along the wings. The Panthers have a solid defensive group that can generate scoring opportunities, but Florida's young centers need some help. (KS)
Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar's autograph (on a new contract). Kopitar is too important to the Kings to let this drag out much longer. GM Dean Lombardi probably needs a gift of more cap space to make this easier to get done. (KA)
Minnesota Wild: Peace and quiet. Since Mike Yeo tore into his team (again) after an OT loss on Nov. 28, they've tightened up on defense and shot up the standings. The Wild need to keep playing as they have this month, and they might be able to avoid another Yeo eruption. (PB)
Montreal Canadiens: A healthy Carey Price. With all due respect to Mike Condon, who filled in admirably for Price earlier in the fall but has struggled on extended assignment, there is no true replacement for the best goaltender in the game. Since Price last played, the Canadiens are 3-7-1. (KS)
Nashville Predators: Offensive force. The Predators are always a sound defensive team, and their current roster is deep on the blue line and in net. What they've been in search of for years is an elite scorer. Now is the time to trade some of that defensive depth. Or they could make a run at Steve Stamkos in free agency. Hey, it's not that crazy. (PB)
New Jersey Devils: Goal scorers. Mike Cammalleri, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Henrique and Lee Stempniak are all having nice seasons. But you'd hardly classify them as game-breakers. The Devils have none of those. (JH)
New York Islanders: More from Strome, Lee. Last season, the two youngsters combined for 42 goals and 91 points. This year, they have seven goals and 24 points. Getting these guys back on track would greatly boost the offense, which ranks 12th. (JH)
New York Rangers: Wake-up call on defense. Many of New York's problems stem from their back end. If you can't cleanly exit the defensive zone, you'll have trouble starting an offense predicated on rush chances. Coach Alain Vigneault should rethink his deployment habits. (JH)
Ottawa Senators: Try a little consistency. If anything separates the surprisingly solid Senators from the Eastern Conference's elite teams, it's consistency. Slow starts have plagued Ottawa, particularly against upper echelon teams, and adding a steadiness to their play is what can vaunt them up to that same level. (KS)
Philadelphia Flyers: Puck luck for Jakub Voracek. Three goals on 98 shots from Voracek mean the hockey gods have not been kind. But Voracek returning to a 20-goal pace would make the Flyers more watchable. Claude Giroux is the only player with double-digit goals. (JH)
Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby of old. Crosby is not to be blamed for all of the Penguins' struggles. But he's on pace for 15 goals and 56 points. He has the ability to turn the team's season around, even if they're a flawed group. (JH)
San Jose Sharks: A 21-day getaway. This is a team that needs the longest road trip in NHL history because they have been sharp in away games and inexplicably poor in the Shark Tank, where they are 4-9-0. (KA)
St. Louis Blues: Return to health. Patrik Berglund, Jaden Schwartz and Steve Ott could make for a solid line. Except each of them as missed major time with injuries. Berglund is expected to make his season debut soon, followed by Schwartz in January and Ott closer to the playoffs. (PB)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Step up, Steven Stamkos. The Lightning have been hit by the injury bug this season, and as a result, they need their best offensive player to carry them more than ever. Stamkos has 12 goals, and recently went through a 10-game spell without one. His average production is a big reason the Lightning are 23rd in offense. The captain needs to reestablish his shooter's mentality. (KS)
Toronto Maple Leafs: A scoring touch. The Leafs need a finisher, or several, who can help turn tight games into their favor. Toronto is 25th in goals scored, and while they have gotten contributions from across the roster, their lack of a true offensive star is glaring. (KS)
Vancouver Canucks: Clarence the Angel. He would show everyone in Vancouver how life would be much worse they didn't have the Sedin brothers to keep it interesting. Vancouver fans have had a wonderful life watching the Sedins for many years. (KA)
Washington Capitals: To win when it counts. There's nothing wrong with being one of the best teams during the regular season. But is this version of the Capitals ready to take the next step and win in the playoffs? They have all the ingredients to win it all. (JH)
Winnipeg Jets: Total consciousness. Regardless of whether the Jets make a run at playoff contention, they have franchise-defining decisions looming. Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien will be unrestricted free agents and Jacob Trouba will be a restricted free agent after the season. They'll be due three of the largest contracts in Jets history, that's if the notoriously thrifty franchise doesn't trade any of them before the offseason. (PB)
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