Anaheim Ducks: Bruce Boudreau Is Not Enough to Fix Ducks

The 2011-12 campaign has been an awful one for the Anaheim Ducks.  

Undisciplined play, lack of scoring and an uncharacteristic season for Jonas Hiller have been largely to blame for the Ducks' collapse. 

So, on Nov. 30, a much-needed change was made.  Randy Carlyle was fired, and replaced with former Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau.  

Under Carlyle, the Ducks had been one of the most undisciplined teams in the NHL for years, and it was clearly taking a toll.  

In HBO's "24/7" hit last season, viewers got to see what kind of a coach Boudreau really is, and hard-ass doesn't even begin to define him.  

So who better to take over coaching a team that lacked discipline?  

In that aspect of the game, Boudreau has brought success.  

Prior to the change, the Ducks had an average of 14.6 penalty minutes per game.  Since Boudreau has taken the reigns, that number has dropped to 11.6.  

It may not seem like a huge difference, but it is. 

Three less penalty minutes is three minutes that the No. 1 line could be on the ice, three minutes that their players can focus on offense, three minutes that a struggling team isn't constantly playing on its heels.  

Unfortunately, the improvement in discipline hasn't been enough to pull Anaheim out of the gutter.

Something else needs to be done.  But this time, a player needs to go.

Prior to the coaching move, the Ducks' personnel were quick to throw Bobby Ryan under the bus, causing speculation that he would be the one dealt.  

When Carlyle was fired, Ryan's position on the team appeared to be safe for the time being, but the clock is ticking.  

It would be a safe bet to say when the Ducks are looking to make a move, Ryan will once again be a topic of discussion.  His play has been sub-par this season, yet he still has incredible trade value.  

As the next few weeks progress, don't be surprised to see Ryan's talents being shipped to another club.

Look for Colorado, Carolina, New Jersey, Columbus, New York Islanders, Nashville and Toronto to lead the pack as potential trade partners.