Sam Gagner Swatch Card

It's been a rough couple of years for Sam Gagner, after he set an Edmonton Oilers record for most points in a single game (8, tied with Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey). He's bounced around some, first belonging to the Tampa Bay Lightning without getting to play for them, then posting a relatively disappointing 41 points in 81 games as the Phoenix Coyotes' first-line center, before spending last season splitting his time with the Philadelphia Flyers (16 points in 53 games) and their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6 points in 9 games).

That's right - the former sixth-overall pick who shares an Oilers record with The Great One spent parts of last season in the AHL.

And this summer, he signed a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets; at $650K, it's a no-risk proposition for the Jackets, but if he can't produce, it may spell the end of his NHL career, so it's high-risk for him, personally.

I wouldn't take a chance on him on my team, if I were GM, but at the same time, I wouldn't wish him any ill will either. I hope he gets his career back on track for his sake.

Here he is back when things were looking up, wearing the Oilers' classic/retro/current home uniform, on the jersey insert version of card #34 from Panini's 2012-13 Dominion set, featuring a huge matching game-worn jersey swatch:

Again, my only gripe with Dominion cards is how ridiculously thick they are, so much so that they're impossible to put in binders without ripping the plastic open. Cards don't have to be half an inch thick if the swatch they contain doesn't require that much space.