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1999-2000 Stat Leaders Stat  Leader  No.  Goals  Paul Kariya  42  Assists  Teemu Selanne  52  Points  Paul Kariya  86  +/-  Paul Kariya  22  Shots  Paul Kariya  324  Ice Time (F)  Paul Kariya  24:24  Ice Time (D)  Oleg Tverdovsky  22:48  Faceoff Pct.  Steve Rucchin  53.41%  Hits  Ruslan Salei  205  PP Pts.  Teemu Selanne  31     Paul Kariya  31  SH Pts.  Paul Kariya  3

General manager Pierre Gauthier, a respected hockey man, went out and acquired forward German Titov, defenseman Patrick Traverse and backup goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the offseason. Too bad it wasn't enough.

Barely missing the postseason by a hair, Anaheim -- by and large a one-line squad under coach Craig Hartsburg -- didn't really do much to improve itself. In other words, if those three players are what Gauthier thinks is needed to challenge the rest of a deep Pacific Division, the Ducks may be bouncing off the playoff bubble again.

There's no question stars Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne carry the team on their collective shoulders. But isn't five years of running in the mud enough?

There's also no question that role players must step it up. Antti Aalto is being counted on to be a contributor, as are Marty McInnis and Titov. But they must do it on a consistent basis. Otherwise the Ducks will be floundering near the bottom of the division again.

For more on the Mighty Ducks, bookmark this page and check back Wednesday, Oct. 11 for a Sports Illustrated Scouting Report.

BRIGHT SPOTS		GRAY AREAS
Cheers to the organization for slashing some season ticket prices. Won't see that very often. Inking Hartsburg to a two-year deal will quiet surfacing rumors that Jacques Martin would be the Ducks' next coach. Coincidence or not? With 32 games left, defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky was inserted on the power play and the Ducks went 35 of 140 (25%), a 13% improvement.		What happened to the power play? A year after leading the NHL, the Ducks slipped to 16th last season, netting just 16.6% of their chances. Could the penalty killing be any worse? They killed 79.1% of their penalties, earning them the distinction as the worst unit in the NHL. Starting goalie Guy Hebert didn't play particularly well. His penchant for soft goals was part of the reason why he slumped to a 2.52 GAA and 28-31-9 record.

Comings
Player	Pos.	From	Via
Antti Aalto	C	Anaheim	Re-signed
Dan Bylsma	LW	Los Angeles	Free agent
Marc Chouinard	C	Anaheim	Re-signed
Jim Cummins	RW	Montreal	Free agent
Jean-Sebastien Giguere	G	Calgary	Trade/re-signed
Ladislav Kohn	RW	Anaheim	Re-signed
Peter Leboutillier	RW	Anaheim	Re-signed
Mike LeClerc	LW	Anaheim	Re-signed
Dean Malkoc	D	Anaheim	Re-signed
Marty McInnis	LW	Anaheim	Re-signed
Chris O'Sullivan	D	Vancouver	Free agent
Kevin Sawyer	RW	Phoenix	Free agent
German Titov	LW	Edmonton	Free agent
Patrick Traverse	D	Ottawa	Trade/re-signed

Goings
Player	Pos.	To	Via
Ladislav Benysek	D	Minnesota	Expansion
Ted Donato	LW	Dallas	Free agent
Scott Ferguson	C	Edmonton	Free agent
Stu Grimson	LW	Los Angeles	Free agent
Kevin Haller	D	NY Islanders	Free agent
Jeff Nielsen	RW	Minnesota	Expansion
Fredrik Olausson	D	Swiss League	Free agent

Prospect Watch
Vitaly Vishnevski, D, 6'2", 190
Born: March 18, 1980
Acquired: 1998 draft, first round (No. 5 overall)
The Ducks project the physical Vishnevski to make the team. Scouts liken him to Darius Kasparaitis, Vladimir Konstantinov and Scott Stevens.

Get the Highlighter
Fri., Oct. 6 vs. Minnesota: Ducks welcome Wild into the league in home opener.
Sat., Oct. 14 at New Jersey: First test comes early. Hit the road in New Jersey and then must play seven of next nine on the road.
Fri., Nov. 24 at Calgary: Ducks head to Calgary for a stretch that sees them play seven of eight away from home.
Tues., March 13 at Washington: If they're still in the playoff race, they may not be after this. Ducks play eight straight on the road before finishing up in Vancouver.
Sun., April 8 vs. San Jose: Final contest of season vs. San Jose could very well decide playoff spot.

Quoteworthy
"OK, who's taking me to Vegas? I told you I'm a good gambler."
--Gauthier, after believing Minnesota and Columbus would pass on Hebert in the expansion draft

Team-by-team previews compiled by CNNSI.com's Ken Klavon, Jamie MacDonald and Jimmy Traina.

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