Well, the Dany Heatley saga is finally over, and though Ottawa Senators fans are probably wishing him good riddance at this moment, San Jose Sharks fans are preparing to welcome him with open arms. The same can be said of the management, coaching staff and his new San Jose Sharks teammates. After all, it isn't everyday that a team gets a 2-time 50 goal scorer added to their lineup.

However, the player most excited to see Dany Heatley in a San Jose Sharks jersey has to be Joe Thornton. The towering center is arguably the best passer in the game, and with a pure shooter like Heatley as his wingman he has a good shot of piling up enough assists to challenge for the Art Ross trophy in the 2009-10 season.

As for Heatley, he is no doubt looking forward to the opportunity as well. After a sub-par season last year, he is no doubt hungry to return to the form that saw him put together back to back 50 goal seasons. He has one of the best releases in the game, on par with players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Ovechkin, and with Thornton's incredible vision and passing ability Heatley can expect to get the puck in a prime shooting location on a regular basis.

However, until we see these two elite players on the ice together nothing can be taken for granted. Chemistry among superstar hockey players can be a funny thing. Throughout the history of the league there have been instances of players that seemed like they would be the perfect fit for one another, but could never find success as linemates. Combinations like Gretzky and Kurri, Trottier and Bossy, or Hull and Oates don't come along every day. Even chemistry that is there at first can often fizzle out. Look at Thornton and Cheechoo. The two were unstoppable during Thornton's first year in San Jose, and Cheechoo shocked the hockey world by winning the Rocket Richard trophy with 56 goals that season. However, in the seasons following his production took a dive as he and Thornton couldn't seem to recapture the magic they had in that first season.

That being said I think it is very unlikely that Thornton and Heatley will fail to find success together. Heatley is a far more dangerous, consistent goal-scorer than Cheechoo, and he is a big body presence that can fight for the little space he needs to unload his wicked one-timer.

Don't forget that Heatley will have something to prove when he arrives in San Jose. He took a public relations beating after his desire to leave Ottawa became public, and a lot of people around the game of hockey will be hoping for him to fail. He'll definitely be motivated to deprive them of their chance to gloat.

Last, but not least, there are the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver to consider. With the controversy surrounding Heatley, and Team Canada's depth at the center position, both Heatley and Thornton are far from locks to make the team. If they can light up the league during the first half of the season it will pretty much assure them roster spots, and there is a good chance they could find themselves playing together on one of Canada's top lines.

However it plays out it will be one of the more interesting storylines early in the upcoming NHL season, and the Sharks will find themselves the object of more scrutiny than usual among hockey fans outside of San Jose.

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Nashville's Jordin Tootoo is one tough customer, but he was definitely one the receiving end of a beatdown last night when his Predators faced the San Jose Sharks. Tootoo managed to get a couple of shots in early, but then Staubitz got in a rhythm and started feeding Tootoo a steady diet of left hands. You've got to credit Tootoo though. He stood in there and took his lumps. Still, he might want to think about playing a little defense once in a while. He came out of the fight looking pretty bruised and bloodied. Did you miss the highlight from last night? Check out the hockey fight video of Jordin Tootoo vs. Brad Staubitz below:

With 2008 officially coming to a close tonight, it is time to start looking forward to 2009, and time again for all the prognosticators to pull out their crystal balls and make their predictions on the sport of hockey, and which players and teams will be dominating the NHL in the year to come.

Over the first 35 games of the season teams like the red hot San Jose Sharks, the surprising Boston Bruins and the young, exciting Chicago Blackhawks have been grabbing the lion's share of the headlines. San Jose and Boston lead their respective conferences and are deadlocked for the lead league with 60 points. The Chicago Blackhawks, though not quite in that same class as San Jose and Boston to this point in the season, recently came off a 9 game winning streak, and young stars like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have been among the most dominant players in the league this year. All three of these teams have had the media's full attention, and with good reason, as they continue to dominate most of the league.

Overlooked, and all but forgotten in this media frenzy are the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. Being overlooked is not something the Detroit Red Wings are used to, but they are likely basking in the relative anonymity, enjoying the relief from the constant pressure that goes along with being the defending champs.

There is no reason the Red Wings should be under the radar. They currently sit 3rd in the league with 53 points, and a more than respectable 24-7-5 record. However, they almost seem to be on cruise control right now, going through the motions, and winning consistently enough to stay within striking distance of San Jose. Their record, despite their seemingly sleepy contentment to this point in the season should have their competitors very, very worried.

Yes, their goaltending remains a question mark, and their defense hasn't performed to its usual standards this season, but for my money the Detroit Red Wings are a far better bet to take home the Stanley Cup this year than San Jose, Boston, or Chicago. To find evidence of this you just need to look at their previous games against both Chicago and San Jose. Detroit may be sleepwalking their way through most of the season, but they showed they can wake up and make a statement when faced with a contender to their throne. They demolished San Jose 6-0 the last time the two clubs met, and they poured ice water on the red hot Chicago Blackhawks last night, dominating them in all facets of the game as they stopped the Hawks' 9 game winning streak with a 4-0 victory.

It will be interesting to see how Chicago responds in the Winter Classic Game tomorrow at Wrigley Field. If Detroit dominates them a second time it will be a huge psychological blow to the young Blackhawks, and Detroit will gain an immediate mental advantage should the two eventually clash in this spring's playoffs.

I believe Detroit is putting on a clinic in how to play possum, and when the playoffs roll around in April their unfortunate opponents will find out how good this team still is. With their skill, grit, and unmatched playoff experience the Wings will still be the team to beat come playoff time, no matter how far behind San Jose they may finish in the standings. They are the Stanley Cup champs until someone dethrones them, and if I were a betting man my money would be on the Detroit Red Wings to be hoisting the cup again come June. Yes, San Jose, Boston and Chicago may very well get their turns at Lord Stanley's famous mug, I just don't think it will be this season.