Well, hockey betting fans, it’s time for my last installment of “To trade or not to trade.” We still have five days until the deadline but, with the flurry of activity that could come early next week, chances are a trade candidate will get dealt while I’m writing about him.

The latest big name to discuss is another high-profile defender: Chris Pronger. A big, tough leader with a unique blend of shutdown skills and offensive ability, he would obviously boost the Stanley Cup odds of anyone who acquired him. Whether or not he’s a good guy to target isn’t in question at all; New Jersey or Philadelphia would make sense. But is a potential Pronger deal good from the Ducks’ perspective?

First of all, as some hockey betting pundits have already pointed out, yesterday’s Chris-Kunitz-for-Ryan-Whitney deal doesn’t necessarily increase Pronger’s chances of being moved. Because Scott Niedermayer is no guarantee to stay, the Ducks may wait until the summer to make a decision on Pronger. Online betting fans should remember, too, that Niedermayer has just as many rumors floating around him, with the Devils reportedly the strongest contender to get him. If NIedermayer left, would it be smart for the Ducks to move Pronger? Maybe they’d need to keep him for another year.

If I’m Anaheim, I think I deal both Pronger and Niedermayer next week if the offers are right. I’d never bet on it happening at the sportsbook, but I think it would be a smart move because:

- Anaheim is on the outside of the Stanley Cup betting playoff picture right now

- Even if the Ducks squeaked into the eighth spot, they can’t compete with Detroit, San Jose and Chicago this year or for the next couple of years

- They’d tank a little without Pronger and Niedermayer and secure a better draft pick

- It’s a deep draft this year and they could have multiple first-rounders if they moved the defenders

- With Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, plus whichever NHL-ready players they could land in Pronger/Niedermayer deals, plus multiple high picks in the 2009 draft, the Ducks could make a rapid turnaround and contend in the Stanley Cup odds in a couple years

…crazy? I’m not so sure. Can’t wait to see how the trade deadline shakes up NHL lines…

This may be a lost NHL betting season for Jean-Sebastien Giguere and the Anaheim Ducks. While Jiggy is far from done as an effective NHL goalie — he’s only 31 and he’s one of the top “big game” puckstoppers of the last decade — 2008-2009 looks like a write-off for him. Understandably distracted by the death of his father, he’s posted some downright ugly numbers this year (3.08 GAA). Now Jonas Hiller is pushing him hard for the starting job and appears poised to steal at least a 50/50 split for the balance of the NHL betting season.

Those who bet on NHL lines probably realize yesterday’s All-Star game likely didn’t help Jiggy, who was somehow voted in as a starter. Take a distracted,  goalie with confidence issues and put him in a glorified road hockey game in which he allows four goals in one period on national TV? Uh, yeah, that’s not exactly gonna boost his spirits.

For now, I’d avoid the Ducks in most NHL betting matchups. They’ll bounce back eventually, though — it just may not be until next season.