2003 Anaheim Ducks

Upgrades is the key word for the Mighty Ducks this season. Scarcely one game away from winning the Stanley Cup last season, Anaheim is looking for a rematch.

No doubt, Sergei Fedorov and Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal are a step up from Paul Kariya and Adam Oates, bringing more size, better defense and just as much (if not more) scoring.

In Detroit, Fedorov often played his best when forced to cover for injured team mates, so he's ready for a bigger role. The Ducks hope they get the Prospal who scored 134 points in two years with Tampa, not the ordinary Prospal who bounced around the NHL for several seasons before that.

Defensively, the Might Ducks have not changed much -- Keith Carney and Sandis Ozolinsh will continue to command 25+ minutes per night -- and strength will be found in Niclas Havelid, Ruslan Salei, Kurt Sauer and Vitaly Vishnevski on the line.

This puts coach Mike Babcock within reach of his goal for this team -- a team that can skate to shut down the opposition and then respond with equal speed in transition on the attack.

With a solid core of experience, the Ducks will have to incorporate a few more youngsters into the roster when in the playoffs. With major changes to the lineup of key players coupled with some younger players getting acclimated to the ice, the trip to the Stanley Cup finals may make for the trickiest ride at Disneyland this year.