FanHouse Doug Wilson

It's been a couple days since Dany Heatley was shipped from Ottawa to San Jose, so we've all had a little time to take a step back and look a the trade. Today, some of the best and brightest in the two blogospheres involved have taken the time to share their views on the trade with us. I have an odd feeling that the Senators' bloggers feel a lot of relief now that the trade has been mad but, to find out, follow me through the jump.

SAN JOSE -- Patrick Marleau doesn't always pay attention to trade rumors, but Thursday night's report on ESPN that he'd been traded to the Kings was a little different because his phone started ringing non-stop.

Marleau, the Sharks' all-time leading scorer, knew there was no three-way deal with San Jose, Ottawa and Los Angeles. He has a no-trade clause and no one had asked him to waive it.

FanHouse begins its four-part preview of the upcoming NHL season. Check back every Thursday from now until opening night for the rest.

The calendar has flipped past Labor Day in the States, and that means the start of the NHL's regular season is fast approaching. We're going to take one last look back at the summer and discuss the best and worst moves -- in some cases, non-moves -- of the offseason. Who took a step in the right direction and who took a step back?

Jeremy Roenick can't wait until this time of the year is over. It drives him nuts.

"I'm just sitting around and waiting," the Sharks forward said. "I hate it when other people are playing and I'm not."

That's one indication Roenick gave FanHouse that he's leaning toward sticking around at least one more year. He's played 20 seasons already, however, and he'll be 40 in January. He's certainly given thought to retirement, much as he did two years ago.

Over at my other blogging home, The Sporting Blog at The Sporting News, I've been keeping a close eye on the return of Claude Lemieux to the NHL with the San Jose Sharks. Safe to say, no matter how one might feel about Lemieux, his comeback has been one of the more interesting stories this NHL season.

Heck, when I asked Darren McCarty about it the day before the 2009 NHL Winter Classic in Chicago, even Lemieux's old nemesis admitted he was impressed that a player that far past 40 could make it back to the NHL.

Then again, not everyone is exactly touched by Lemieux's return. One of my posts over at TSB elicited a rather heated response out of George James Malik. And coming from a Detroit fan who will more than likely carry memories of Kris Draper crashing face first into the boards to his grave, I can certainly understand.

Then again, while it's one thing to hate the player, it's quite another to knock his game. Which is what brings me to USA Today's Ted Montgomery. On Tuesday, he posted some "burning questions," concerning the second half of the NHL season, one of which concerned how much action Lemieux was likely to see with the Sharks.

Claude Lemieux's comeback attempt is almost complete, as the 43-year old forward officially signed a two-way contract with the San Jose Sharks on Monday. After a brief stint in the Asia Hockey League with the China Sharks, Lemieux signed a minor league tryout deal with San Jose in late November, allowing him to play for the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League, where he's scored two goals in 14 games.

His new deal will allow San Jose to call him up to the NHL, assuming he clears waivers by 2:00 PM ET on Tuesday, and I'm guessing he will. It remains to be seen if and when a callup will occur, as San Jose general manager Doug Wilson called the contract "the next step in the evaluation process."

Still, things are going quite well in San Jose, and I'm not sure how much of a need the Sharks currently have for a 43-year old agitator. Though, I'm guessing he would become the first player to ever play for three different teams named "Sharks" in the same season.

A couple of week ago, we told you about Claude Lemieux, one of the National Hockey League's greatest agitators, surfacing in China as a member of the China Sharks of the Asia Hockey League. Turns out, it was a relatively brief trip for him, as he's now inked a tryout contract with the San Jose Sharks, taking one more step towards his ultimate goal of completing an NHL comeback.

Lemieux will report to the Sharks American Hockey League team in Worcester sometime this week. During his two-game stint in China, he recorded no goals and one assist, with seven shots on goal and four penalty minutes.

Apparently, the 43-year old Lemiuex is a longtime friend of Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, which probably played a role in his signing with San Jose.

He last played in the NHL during the 2002-03 season with the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars, recording 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 68 games.

I'm not sure how much of an impact a 43-year old grinder is going to have for the Sharks, especially one that hasn't played in the NHL in years -- and it's not like the Sharks are in dire need of help up front. Of course, as Greg Wyshynski suggests over at Puck Daddy, perhaps the Sharks are just looking to add a little fire and brimstone to their inevitable playoff meeting with the defending champs. I hear they have quite a history with Mr. Lemieux.

The other shoe finally dropped on San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson today as the team announced that he had been dismissed and the search for a replacement would begin immediately.

I'm finding myself having a tough time saying much about this decision, as most of the hockey world knew all too well that if Wilson didn't manage to get his team -- seen as one of the most talented in all of hockey -- within striking distance of the Stanley Cup Finals this year, his tenure in the Bay Area would likely be terminated. And so it went.

In a little more than 4.5 seasons in San Jose, Wilson posted the most regular season wins (206) and the best winning percentage (.535) in team history. More importantly, however, was his 28-24 record in four playoff campaigns, never getting closer to the Cup than in 2004, when San Jose dropped the Western Conference Finals in six games to Calgary.

Imaginations are a beautiful thing. They can take us to all kinds of places and entertain us exponentially. All of us have them as kids, but many of us lose them as we enter our teenage years and adulthood. Lots of people still have them after they turn 18, but the majority of those people are usually stoned or insane. Luckily for you, I'm neither. Arguably insane, but probably not. The moral to this lead in story? Fake trade rumors are fun! Enjoy ... Oh, and feel free to create your own!

Toronto interested in the services of Maurice Richard's ghost. This is one of the oddest rumors that has been circulating this week, hell this year, but is interesting nonetheless. Are the Leafs trying to bolster their already potent offense? Or are they just trying for the ultimate jibe at their rivals? One thing is for sure, at this point in his career Richard can take a hit better than anyone in the NHL. It's almost impossible to knock him off the puck. You know, thanks to being transparent and all. This makes me wonder if Jacques Plante is next ...

Sharks attempting to rid themselves of all home dates? It's no secret that the San Jose Sharks have been an exceptional team on the road this season, and exactly the opposite on home ice. They're pulling a serious Jekyll and Hyde with a 7-9-2 record at home, followed by a stunning 16-3-2 record away from HP Pavilion. Sharks GM Doug Wilson is rumored to have been calling other Western Conference teams about the possibility of trading home dates for draft picks. The Phoenix Coyotes, who the Sharks play in the desert a week from today, have not budged on the subject. Due to slumping attendance the 'Yotes have no interest in adding home dates. On the other hand, the Edmonton Oilers are offering two picks and a jar of Mark Messier's tears. There is no word on what round the picks are at this time ...

Flyers in need of a goon? The word out of Philly at this hour is that the Flyers' brass does not believe their team is tough enough. Despite all the suspensions and antics of Steve Downie, the team is looking for another goon to shoulder the load on their second line. Unconfirmed reports have the team inquiring about the status of New York Islander Chris Simon, but talks broke down after Garth Snow reminded the Flyers about Simon's suspension. Talks about Simon pulling a Bobby Valentine have been circulating, but there is nothing concrete right now ...

That's all for today ... Stay tuned to see if Hillary Duff trades Mike Comrie for Ben Affleck and the latest on Fin and Pamela Anderson!