Let the games begin:

It's a whole new year.

After the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games to be crowned the 2007-2008 Stanley Cup Champions, many fans began to fall into professional hockey withdrawal.

Their time has come.

As the preseason comes to a close, many analysts are beginning to speculate what is to come as the 2008-2009 campaign gets underway.

NBC hockey analyst Pierre McGuire feels that there are going to be many "monster performers" in the league this year, but one stands out from the rest.

"Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Getzlaf, so many monsters, so many good moments," McGuire said. "I think my breakout monster on defense will be Mike Green of the Washington Capitals. I think that Mike is going to have an electrifying year and quite frankly I think he will be the leading point-getter for all defensemen in the National Hockey League."

While many fans expect the Chicago Blackhawks to make some noise in the Central Division this year, Eddie Olczyk from Versus feels that they are no match for their big brother in the Motor City.

"I think that Detroit is Detroit," Olczyk said. "I mean, they are the envy...of every sports franchise that there is. They do things the right way. They signed the right guys. They take some risks. They bring the players along slowly. Just everything has gone on there."

In the Eastern Conference, players such as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin take the forefront as superstars. Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry feels that Ovechkin isn't going to improve like many hope he does.

"He's not going to get any better," Cherry said. "I'd be surprised if he does as well as he did last year. [Last year], he was doing things that he shouldn't do. He was cutting into the middle. He's not going to be running around like a bull in a china shop like he did [last] year.

Another hot topic going on in the league is who is being named captians for each of the 30 organizations throughout the league. In Vancouver, goaltender Roberto Luongo was named captain while NHL rules states that he cannot wear the "C" on his jersey. While he will still be considered the team's leader, Cherry feels that the move is a bad one.

"If you're asking my opinion, making the goaltender the captain is silly," Cherry said.

NBC and CBC analyst Mike Milbury did nothing but agree with Cherry on the topic.

"Luongo is a leader," he said. "There's no question. Terrific goaltender. I don't know why they had to make this statement. It was a nice tribute to Luongo. I guess we could leave it at that."

The Buffalo Sabres, a sure-pick to win the Stanley Cup two years ago, failed to make the playoffs after the loss of key players in Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. While the Sabres have made some offseason acquisitions, Cherry feels that there is little-to-no hope for the Sabres in making the postseason for the third time in four years.

"Buffalo is going to have a tough time again," Cherry said. "Ryan Miller better be ready. Lindy Ruff is a magician; I don't know how he does it every year. He keeps them going, but I really feel they are going to have a tough time making the playoffs this year."

With the NHL's image hidden behind its big brothers in the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, Commissioner Gary Bettman is trying to think of ways to help boost the image of the organization.

This preseason, teams such as the New York Rangers have played overseas against European teams, hoping to draw an international crowd on the North American league. Many question if this is the beginning of a possible international expansion into European countries.

"I really don't know and I really don't care," Cherry said. "They don't draw very well over there. When they have the juniors, they don't draw. They don't charge anything for the prices. How are they going to charge the tickets over there? That's the way I feel about it."

The main question on the minds of many is if the Red Wings can repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. Cherry feels that there's nothing stopping them.

"I don't see anything tripping them up along the way," Cherry said. "They got richer. I see no weakness in them at all. [Goaltender Chris] Osgood is just as good as ever. [Head coach Mike] Babcock is doing a great job. There's nothing wrong with them. If you're betting, you got to bet on Detroit again this year."

On a lighter note, many hockey fans wonder if Cherry will be wearing any special outfits this year as he commentates on HNIC. Cherry, a member of CBC since 1981, is known for his outlandish style and funky wardrobe, which he shows off every Saturday.

"I have three [outfits] in the making," Cherry said. "I have so many now that I leave them for the finals. Last year, I bedazzled everybody with six new ones. If I make it, and don't get fired, I'm going to have six brand-new ones for the finals."

While many fans are hoping for their respectful team to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup next summer, Olczyk promises for a great product on the ice.

"It's a lot bigger than it was three seasons ago, that's a positive," he said. "I think we have the greatest game in the world."