(My Sportsbook) - The Phoenix Coyotes had their best season under head coach Wayne Gretzky in 2007-08, notching 83 points but still finishing eight points out of the playoff picture.

The offseason addition of Olli Jokinen was supposed to get the Phoenix franchise back to the postseason for the first time since 2001-02. Instead, the Coyotes likely find themselves once again in the frustrating position of seller heading into Wednesday's trade deadline.

It is not that Jokinen has been disappointing. Posting 21 goals and 21 assists, the ex-Florida Panther is second on the Coyotes in goals and points, behind only Shane Doan. Jokinen and Doan were set to team with young guns Kyle Turris and Peter Mueller to give the Coyotes a consistent offense, while veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski and last year's waiver-wire pickup, netminder Ilya Bryzgalov, were set to anchor the defense.

But that hasn't been the case. The Coyotes rank 25th in the NHL at 2.49 goals per game, with Mueller and Turris both struggling. Mueller surprised with 22 goals and 32 assists in 81 games last year, but has just 12 goals and 20 helpers so far this season. The 19-year-old Turris, meanwhile, has just six tallies and 10 assists in 50 games this season, and the third overall pick of the 2007 draft has also seen time in the minors this year.

Bryzgalov has also struggled. After winning 26 games and posting a 2.42 goals against average in 55 tests with the Coyotes last year, he is just 20-26-4 with a 2.95 GAA in 52 games this season.

All that has Phoenix eight points back of a playoff spot heading into play on Monday and could have the team fielding calls for the services of Jokinen, Jovanovski or a handful of other players.

The club has already been sitting defenseman Derek Morris in preparation of trading him prior to Wednesday's deadline.

DUCKS: BLUELINE TAKING ON NEW LOOK

The Anaheim Ducks got a jump start on things when they acquired defenseman Ryan Whitney from the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday, about a week shy of Wednesday's trade deadline.

It doesn't seem as if the Ducks are done shaking up their defense either.

The Ducks parted ways with 29-year-old forward Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi to get Whitney. Kunitz had 16 goals and 19 assists in 62 games with the Ducks this year and was coming off consecutive 20-goal seasons with the team.

Whitney, meanwhile, had two goals and 11 assists in 28 games with the Penguins, having not made his season debut until late December following foot surgery in August.

Ducks vice president and general manager Bob Murray said after making the trade that Whitney brings size and the ability to skate and move with the puck to Anaheim's defensive group, a unit that is currently missing Francois Beauchemin (left knee surgery) and Kent Huskins (right foot surgery) due to injury.

The 26-year-old Whitney might not be the only new face to Anaheim's club very much longer. Chris Pronger has been rumored to be on the trading block, with the 34-year-old being linked to such places as Boston, St. Louis and Toronto.

Pronger is signed through next season, when he will make $6.25 million.

SHARKS: MARLEAU ADDING TO SHARKS' DEPTH

With Patrick Marleau coming off a disappointing 2007-08 season, the San Jose Sharks likely weren't sure what they were going to get out of their 1997 first-round pick.

After all, Marleau followed up back-to-back 30-goal campaigns with just 19 goals and 29 assists last year, leaving many to wonder if the 29-year-old was going to fit into San Jose's future plans. Needless to say, with the trade deadline coming on Wednesday, Marleau probably isn't going anywhere.

Marleau has notched a team-best 34 goals on the season, tied for fourth most in the NHL heading into Monday's play. He has 12 points over his last 11 games off eight goals and four assists, with the Sharks going 6-3-2 in that span.

The Saskatchewan-born forward also leads the league with 10 game-winning goals, meaning he is making it count when he lights the lamp. That is something he failed to do last season, ending with just a pair of game-winning markers.

How big of a resurgence has Marleau put forth this season? Well, he matched his 2007-08 point total in just 38 games this year.

San Jose would love to see the same thing happen with Jonathan Cheechoo sooner rather than later. Since exploding for 56 goals in just his third NHL season in 2005-06, Cheechoo has posted just 69 tallies in 194 games since. That includes just nine tallies in 49 games this year.

STARS: INJURIES FINALLY CATCHING UP

Please forgive the fans of the Dallas Stars if they are frustrated with their team's current play. After all, the club just went 1-5-0 on a six-game homestand that dropped them out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

The Stars got their longest residency of the season off to a good start, defeating Edmonton, 4-2, back on February 19. However, Dallas then get outscored 15-6 in losing the next five contests, scoring more than one goal just once over the slide.

Dallas is now on its longest losing streak of the season and is two points back of a postseason spot.

It would be fair to say that injuries are finally catching up with the Stars. They survived a tough start to stay in the postseason hunt despite Brenden Morrow (right knee surgery) and Sergei Zubov (left hip surgery) being sidelined since late November due to injury.

However, it appears the camel's back finally broke when Brad Richards was lost to a broken right wrist in a win over Columbus on February 16, Dallas' final road test before its recent homestand. Richards had 16 goals and 32 assists prior to his injury.

Even a change in net didn't help the Stars. Marty Turco had made a franchise- record 32 straight starts prior to Sunday's game versus the Penguins, but was rested in favor of Tobias Stephan. Stephan made 19 saves in the loss in what was his first start since December 13.

KINGS: FALLING MONARCHS

Wins in seven of their eight games to bridge January and February had the fans of the Los Angeles Kings getting geared up for their first postseason appearance since 2001-02.

Hope no one put down a deposit.

Since that winning burst, a span that saw the Kings outscore opponents when they needed to and win some tight battles, Los Angeles has gone just 2-6-2. The club has been held to two goals or fewer in seven of those outings, winning just once in that scenario. Over a three-game slide, the Kings are getting outscored by an 8-3 margin.

The Kings, 13th overall in the Western Conference with 61 points and six points out of a playoff spot, deserve some credit for still being in the postseason hunt. LA has had some success this year despite eventually settling on a 23-year-old rookie in net (Jonathan Quick) after Erik Ersberg struggled in addition to a blueline that features a pair of budding but young stars in Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson.

If anything, the Kings should be excited about the progress they are making, especially with Doughty. Despite being just 19 years of age, the second overall pick of this past draft is leading all NHL rookies with 23 minutes and 47 seconds of average ice time. He also leads all freshman skaters with 85 blocked shots.

The rebuilding process in Los Angeles finally seems to be on the upswing and there is still a shot of the Kings cracking the postseason this year. But even if the team falls short of that goal, the Kings seem poised to be a regular playoff participant in the very near future.