Following the NHL All-Star break, here are the top 10 stories to watch:

	Brian Leetch could be dealt if the Rangers look to start over.

1. Brian Leetch for sale; Rangers break up
Mind you, this is nothing like "Break Up the Rangers," at least not in the usual sense. This will be a call from fans and critics for general manager Glen Sather to do what should have been done long ago -- abandoning the star search and trying to build a new foundation. This will mean Brian Leetch will become a most important chip at or near the March 11 trade deadline.

2. Colorado do or die, or Patrick is the best ever?
Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix made a curious choice in rookie coach Tony Granato and rookie assistant Rick Tocchet. Lacroix is sure to make a major move to improve the team, but the biggest man in the locker room will be goalie Patrick Roy. If not the best goalie of all time, Roy is among the best, and his improved play is likely to mean a springboard to the kind of streak that will get the Avalanche a playoff spot -- and then they will be the snake in the grass nobody wants to see in April and May.

3. A groundswell of support for more playoff teams
Sounds crazy, but not if you consider that most fans buy season tickets with the playoffs in mind, and feel cheated if the team does not get there. Look what a playoff run did for Carolina. The whispers have already begun, and they will get stronger.

4. The Sabres/Senators saga ad nauseum
No matter what the outcome, these two scenarios will haunt Gary Bettman and the NHL through the end of the season, and likely well into the playoffs with the Senators. For as long as they play games this season, the sight of the Buffalo and Ottawa logos will look more like dollar signs with a slash through them.

5. The Dean Lombardi watch in San Jose
The general manager has made several astute moves, but if the Sharks wind up at the bottom of the pool and out of the playoffs, Lombardi will be in even deeper water. The addition of Kyle McLaren gives the Sharks a very physical defense, and you can bet that Lombardi will make at least one more bold move to get the Sharks into striking position for a playoff run.

6. Alexei Kovalev sweeps
Just how much will the NHL allow a team to pay the Penguins for Kovalev? Will it allow $4 million, $5 million, as long as there are some young promising players also involved? We will find out. The Islanders are positioned as a long shot, but watch out for Isles GM Mike Milbury to make the sort of move to land Kovalev -- and then figure out how to make it work with both Kovalev and Alexei Yashin on the budget.

7. Farewells in sight for Mark Messier and Steve Yzerman
If Yzerman can make it back, this will be viewed as his last season. That might not be an official posture, but it sure will feel that way, and it might provide the emotional boost needed for the Wings in the playoffs. The same can not be said for Messier. Unless Sather can reach back in time for some magic that Messier conjured up when he was with Gretzky, expect Messier's final days to be played out in the regular season with the Rangers -- just like No. 99.

8. The Michael Peca-for-MVP bandwagon
Won't this play well in Buffalo? The Islanders looked like a team ready to sink before Christmas, and then Peca came back for real. It was Peca who demanded more attention to defensive hockey, and the Isles have regained their footing in the East.

9. Confusion at the trade deadline
The looming war at the conclusion of the CBA in 2004 will make it difficult for general managers to figure on long-term contracts. If there is really going to be a hard salary cap, can you sign more than one top-level star? Would you rather have some of the kids, and build from there? More than any recent year, the footing at the trade deadline will be treacherous for a general manager.

10. Mike Keenan back to New York?
The feeling here is that Messier will get a crack at the job, but after seeing what happened to Trottier, Messier would be smart to continue in his stance that coaching is not in the picture right now. However, if Messier has any input, watch for the Rangers to show some real interest in Keenan. Of course, this will involve either Keenan as a free agent, or an arrangement with the Panthers to talk to Keenan. And when Keenan and the Rangers are involved, everything always goes smoothly, right?

Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.