With the recent firing of Atlanta Thrashers head coach Curt Fraser, do you see Bob Hartley ending up in Atlanta? -- Alex Fowler, Morganton, N.C.

Melrose: There are a number of good coaches, including Darryl Sutter and Bob Hartley, who are out of work right now. I would think Don Waddell already has someone in mind. I'm sure they don't want a Calgary situation where they fire their head coach and don't have someone to take his place. So, I would think Waddell has already contacted someone about coaching the Thrashers.

Do you have any interest in coaching the Atlanta Thrashers? -- Jeremy, Pensacola, Fla.

Melrose: I am interested in coaching. I miss it and if the right situation came along, would like to do it again. If a team wanted me, I would certainly consider it. But I have not been in contact with the Thrashers at all.

What do you think of the efforts of Pittsburgh Penguins' youngsters Milan Kraft and Michal Sivek in their current stints with the big club? Could this be an indication that the Pens' youth development is headed in the right direction? If so, does this make the potential decision to trade Alexei Kovalev easier? -- Mike, Raleigh, N.C.

Melrose: Kraft was a first-round pick who they've been waiting on for about three years now. Sivek was part of the Jaromir Jagr trade. About a week ago, for the first time, the Penguins had all three guys acquired in the Jagr trade in the lineup. Kris Beech is out with an appendectomy, but he's another good, young player.

Unlike some other teams, the Penguins don't have the money to go out and pay for free agents. So they need to develop their own youth. They've got to hope Mario Lemieux, Martin Straka and Kovalev can score enough goals, and that these young guys can come in and play good two-way hockey and chip in offensively.

Their power play improved in the last two games (which they won). But that's the only way the Pens can compete -- a better power play than their opponents and finding players within their own system.

Since Kovalev is a free agent, if Pittsburgh can't sign him, they'll have to trade him because they can't let him go for nothing. I'm sure they'd love to keep him around, but Kovalev will be one of the NHL's top scorers again this year, and he's going to want a lot of money. So, once we get to late-January, February and March, if there is no sign of signing him, than he will be traded by the trade deadline on March 11.

With some early negative reports about Steve Yzerman's progress and Sergei Fedorov's contract issue, do you see the Detroit Red Wings trying to sign Sergei ASAP? Also, if Yzerman decides to retire, what would the Red Wings do to fill the void at center and captain? -- Marcus, Detroit

Melrose: If Yzerman couldn't play, the Red Wings would certainly have enough guys who could fill his position. Fedorov can play any position, including center -- so that's not a big deal. What would be missed most is Yzerman's leadership. Finding a leader who can play both ends of the ice like Yzerman is once in a lifetime. He's an inspirational leader who'd be missed more in the locker room than for his numbers.

Fedorov is a great player who's becoming even more important with Yzerman's injury. Detroit wants to sign him, but Fedorov is going to want a lot of money. In hockey, you're not a free agent very often. I'm certain Fedorov will explore the free-agent market.

Dallas Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov is arguably one of the three best defensemen in the NHL this season, yet his name hardly gets any mention during consideration for the Norris Trophy and he's trailing by a mile in the voting for a starting line-up in this season's All-Star game. He must be the most underrated and underappreciated defenseman in the NHL. Please explain. -- Andy Wong, Fort Worth, Texas

Melrose: I agree with you Andy, Zubov doesn't get the respect that he deserves. He's got great offensive ability and he's good defensively. When we talk about great defensemen, we mention Rob Blake, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Leetch, and Chris Chelios. But Zubov is having as good a year, if not better, than any of those players. So, I definitely agree with you, Zubov is not mentioned as often as he should be.

Rumor has it that a new line of mullet commercials are about to be released for Bud Light. Are the rumors true? And do you still think you are coaching in the commercials? -- Collin, Atlanta

Melrose: Yes, the rumors are true. We're filming new Bud Light commercials in January and they'll be out during the second-half of the season. I've seen the scripts, they look very funny. I'll be coaching and playing in them. There's going to be some great ones. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Let's take it as a given that the Minnesota Wild will make the playoffs. Now, do you go against conventional wisdom and stick with the fairly successful "rotating goalie" system or do you pick the hot hand? Assuming Dwayne Roloson's and Manny Fernandez's numbers stay about as they are now -- which one would you pick? And if you do pick the hot hand, would you be quick to pull him if he goes cold knowing you have another solid goalie waiting in the wings? -- Joe Goudreu, Chanhassen, Minn.

Melrose: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If the Wild go into the playoffs with both Roloson and Fernandez playing every other night or in whatever system Jacques Lemaire has in mind, you don't change it. The team is comfortable with it, the goalies are comfortable with it. These two push each other. And the Wild have the luxury that if one of them goes in the tank, they can play the other. If this system continues the rest of the year, it will continue in the playoffs.

Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN.