Now that Alexei Kovalev is back in New York, do you think the Rangers have a good chance of turning things around and making the playoffs? I am a huge fan and it's nice having him back, but I just wonder if he is what they need to get it done? -- Jared, New Jersey

Melrose: The Rangers biggest problems has always been defense. They score enough goals to win but they don't stop enough, and the strength of Kovalev's game is not defense. He will provide offense and will make the power play better, but the Rangers still will not stop the puck enough to become a good team. He is a great player added to a cast of other great players, but I don't think this acquisition alone will be enough to get New York into the playoffs.

What is your opinion of Blue Jackets rookie Rick Nash? Could he win the Calder Trophy? -- Paula, Columbus, Ohio

Melrose: Nash is definitely one of the top contenders along with Tyler Arnason of Chicago and Jay Bouwmeester of Florida. Those are the three best rookies in the league this year in my opinion, and Nash and Bouwmeester are both just 18 years old. My guess is that it will come down to those two for the rookie of the year.

Do you agree that there should be some sort of a salary cap in the NHL? It worked wonderfully in the NFL, why not in hockey? -- Marty Lornager, Ottawa, Ontario

Melrose: There needs to be some kind of rule in place where salaries are concerned. If the players don't want to call it a salary cap that's fine. Call it a luxury tax, overpayment penalty or whatever, but there has to be something that will protect the owners from themselves. When Pittsburgh has to give away its best player for money something is wrong with the system. That is not healthy for the league and I hope something can be implemented quickly, before we get down to the last minute in the CBA negotiations.

With all the talk about contracts, salaries, and the CBA, I got to wondering about Mario Lemieux's situation in Pittsburgh? What does he get paid as a player? Does he earn a smaller salary for the good of the team's economic health? -- Ken, Phoenix, Ariz.

Melrose: Mario is really caught in the middle where all of that is concerned. He makes $5.25 million, which sound like a lot, but the guy who is arguable the best player in the league should make more than that in today's climate. He is taking a little heat from the Players Association for that, but Mario has to take something because if he played for free it would really help the team but would really rile up the NHLPA.

He is just trying to make the franchise stronger and get a new building for the Penguins, and Mario is really between a rock and a hard place in this situation.

With Marty Turco possibly on the shelf for a few weeks with an ankle injury, does Martin Brodeur become the front runner for the Vezina Trophy? -- Michael J. Bogert, Lincoln Park, N.J.

Melrose: Both of those guys have played great all season, but the goaltender I think has done the most impressive job so far this year is Toronto's Ed Belfour. The Maple Leafs are a solid playoff team despite not being a great defensive team and he is the first star in most of their victories.

Belfour has done more with less than any other goalie when you consider the defensive players in front of Turco and Brodeur. Personally, I feel Eddie has done the best job of any goaltender in the NHL.

If Steve Yzerman is not able to return this season, what would Detroit have to do in order to repeat as champions with Curtis Joseph not playing as well as in the past? - Maurice Marshall, Greensboro, N.C.

Melrose: Well, if Yzerman doesn't come back and CuJo doesn't start playing well the Red Wings won't repeat. They are in the fifth spot in the West after Wednesday's games, they are not winning consistently and no one on that team is playing particularly well right now. Unless some things change, starting in the net, there will be a new Stanley Cup champion this year.

With the playoff races getting interesting, who do you see sneaking into the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seeds in each conference? -- Ryan, Melbourne, Australia

Melrose: I think the Islandersand Canadiens will be the last two teams in in the East, and Edmonton and Anaheim in the West. The Ducks are playing good hockey right now and San Jose is just too far behind to make up enough ground.

Why do players get tossed out of the face off circle? Are there specific rules that are being broken that causes this to happen? And does a specific player (home or away team) have to have his stick on the ice first to initialize a face off? -- Marcus Dietz, Bridgman, Mich.

Melrose: When you look at a faceoff circle you will see four right angles that indicate where the players have to have their skates, and the player from the away team has to set his feet and stick first. The linesman has control of the faceoff and if he feels either player will not get set or is trying to cheat to gain an advantage he will kick that player out. And a winger leaving his spot early or cheating to get a jump on his man will also get the centerman chased from the circle.

My question relates to the review of a Colorado Avalanche goal against the Red Wings last Saturday. In a game situation where a goal is scored but not awarded until a review at the next stoppage of play, what happens if the next stoppage of play is a goal by the other team? Are both teams awarded goals or does only the first one count? -- Kevin Maragucci, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Melrose: I've seen this happen before, and it actually happened in the playoffs a few years ago. When this situation arises, the first play is reviewed and if the puck is deemed to have gone in that goal counts. Whatever time has expired is put back on the clock and the subsequent goal does not count. The game then continues from the point of the first goal as if nothing happened.

What is your opinion on a seeming lack of interference calls league-wide as compared to the start of the season. I watch two games a night and the refs seem to have put their whistles away in the last two months. Do you think it will ever change to let the skilled players perform? -- Jerry Robinson, Falls Church, Va.

Melrose: I don't agree. I think the reason you're not seeing as many penalties called is because the players have gotten wise to the rules since the beginning of the season. And the penalties that I have seen committed in games are being whistled. Interference could always be called more, but things are much better than last year at this time.

And with about 20 games to go in the season the league will again speak to the referees and ask them to remain consistent through the end of the season and all the way to the end of the playoffs. And as long as they get that reinforcement form the league the officials will continue to do so, even through the playoffs. The referees I've talked to realize that this renewed enforcement is helping speed up the game an increase scoring chances, they know it's helping hockey and they want to continue to make those calls.

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