The first half of the NHL season is behind us, with some surprises and a lot of the usual suspects dominating the standings and statistics. Now, the season swings into the second half, and with a month to go before the Olympic break, here are some teams to keep an eye on. Not all of them may qualify for the postseason, but this is about the impact these teams could have on the entire playoff picture.

Anaheim Ducks
It’s been a rocky season in Southern California for the Ducks. Barely three points out of the cellar. The offense has struggled heavily at times, and the once-stellar goaltending is shaky at best these days. So why watch this team? They’re too talented to remain stuck in neutral, and due for a major breakout. Ryan Getzlaf started the season slow, but has come around lately. Scott Niedermayer is a -11, but that won’t last. Teemu Selanne is skating full practices with the team after breaking his hand early in December, and Joffrey Lupul is on track for a March return following back surgery. If one of their goalies gets hot, this team can rise quickly in the standings.

Detroit Red Wings
It’s been an odd season in the Motor City. The team has been dealing with a rash of injuries, and the offence has been in a funk all year. The good news is that they’re getting healthy. Henrik Zetterberg should be rejoining the team any day, and Niklas Kronwall has resumed skating. Long term injuries for Jason Williams and Johan Franzen are progressing, but both are weeks away. Another plus has been the emergence of Jimmy Howard in goal. If the Wings can hover around the bottom playoff picture, returning players will give them the boost needed to get in, and then anything can happen.

Philadelphia Flyers
The season has been a roller coaster for the Flyers. After starting the season strong the team faltered, costing John Stevens his job. Replacing him with Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia has started to turn the corner, going 4-2 since Christmas as the players are slowly adapting to his system. Ray Emery has also been injured since early December, but he’s due back any day and will certainly help anchor the team. As proved early on, this team has the firepower to turn it around.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Alright, there’s not a lot of supporting evidence here. The defence is a bit of a mess, and goaltending hasn’t lived up to its potential. Tomas Kaberle is having another strong year, although he’s a -7. Phil Kessel has 14 goals in 31 games, but the team hasn’t had enough supporting players step up yet. That being said, the Leafs seem to always go on a late season run, and while it’s not likely they’ll make the playoffs (even though they’re only 6 points out of 8th), they’re certain to play spoiler to a few teams.

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