Christian Thomas Autograph Swatch Card

Earlier this week, in a game against the Edmonton Oilers, Christian Thomas scored his first NHL goal in his 15th NHL game (spread over three seasons), a top-corner wrister on Viktor Fasth.

The 40th-overall pick of the 2010 draft used to be viewed as a sure-shot NHL top-line scorer, with his size (5'9'', 175 pounds) being the only deterrent from his being chosen in the first round; I remember that year being the one when I returned to teaching young goalies locally and scouts coming by to watch the kids I was with being very high on him. For two consecutive seasons, OHL coaches voted him ''most dangerous in the goal area'' and a runner-up for best shot and hardest shot. His 94 goals over his final two seasons in Juniors were the most in the OHL, and he was part of a trade that sent John Tavares and Michael Del Zotto going the other way.

He and father (former Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks star) Steve Thomas are to this day the only father-and-son duo to each have had 50-goal seasons in the OHL.

So far, his scoring prowess hasn't exactly translated either in the AHL (20 goals and 37 points in 78 games) or in the NHL (his first goal was also his first point), but what I have seen from these past two seasons in the Montréal Canadiens organization is a tireless worker with very good speed, and the fourth line he's currently sharing duties on with Michael Bournival could eventually become a heck of a third line, seeing as both have speed and create a lot of chances; their play against Toronto tonight boxed the Leafs' first line in their own zone for a good chunk of the third period of a 1-1 tie; on the one hand, hey, it's the Leafs, but on the other, well, they're still just kids in their early 20s dominating against veteran adults, doing everything but scoring. It was really something.

Originally drafted by the New York Rangers, his only game playing for the Blueshirts was against the Habs, so every NHL game he's been involved in so far has included Montréal. He has represented Team Canada twice - at the U-17s (2009, gold medal) and U-18s (2010).

Most cards I had of his had him wearing the Rangers' uniform, so I traded for this one over the summer, showing him in the Canadiens' classic white (now-away) uniform, from Panini's 2013-14 Rookie Anthology collection (card #163, part of the Rookie Selection and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets, numbered 200/299):

Obviously, the wrinkle on top is from the penny sleeve. The card contains two red event-worn swatches but judging from the black puck-like stain on the one on top, my guess is the event was a pre-season game. It also contains a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

Alexei Emelin Autograph Card

The fifth card I got from my trade with Dave is this beautiful Alexei Emelin card from Panini's 2011-12 Rookie Anthology set (though it uses the Crown Royale design, it is an update/add-on from that set, found in Rookie Anthology, and not the only sub-set from Panini that year to cross-brand):

It shows him wearing the Montréal Canadiens' red (home) jersey and is signed on-card in blue sharpie; the only quip I have is that the font for the numbers makes it look like a self-made printed copy rather than an actual card, but what do I care, as long as it brings me one step further to completing my Habs Numbers Project!

I'm a huge fan of Emelin's (spelled ''Yemelin'' internationally to respect the Russian pronunciation of his name), the Habs' hardest-hitting defenseman who can also contribute on the offensive end, and look forward to watching him play every other night until 2018 and beyond.

He has a wealth of international experience, having played for Russia at the U-18 (gold in 2004) and World Juniors (silver in both 2005 and 2006), as well four World Championships (bronze in 2007, silver in 2010, fourth place in 2011 and gold in 2012) as well as the Sochi Olympics (2014). I believe Russia could have won its quarter-finals game had they just paired him with his Canadiens teammate Andrei Markov for the third period and used its top three lines and four defenders until they tied it.

Those Olympics gave him some confidence back, though, as he was a bit tentative in the early goings of the season after suffering a season-ending injury towards the end of 2012-13, missing the playoffs and virtually taking all of the Habs' physicality on defense with him as the team was eliminated in five easy games by the Ottawa Senators. He's looking like his old self again these days, and that's terrific news.

Blake Geoffrion Signed Swatch Card

Last week, I traded away two Adam Henrique cards I really liked (an autograph and a jersey card, plus all other Henriques I got my hands on) to someone who will have a much better use for them, and likely will treasure them much more than I ever could, Dave from Wax Stain Rookie.

In exchange, I received a dozen cards I can't keep my eyes off of, and a few Carey Price inserts. One of those I'm most happy about is this Blake Geoffrion card (sorry about the crooked scan):

It's a two-swatch (one white, one black) card that also has a blue-sharpied sticker autograph, and a clear picture of him wearing the Montréal Canadiens' red (home) uniform, which he was destined to wear. It's from Panini's 2011-12 Rookie Anthology set (card #127 of the Rookie Treasures sub-set, numbered 53/499).

I got a return from him about a year ago and was psyched to have two index cards returned to me (he seemingly kept his Nashville Predators rookie card and four 4x6 pictures I'd sent along), but I found it bizarre when other bloggers started writing about receiving their cards signed. Here I was, an honest and true fan of his, seemingly receiving ''less'' than others... it seemed odd.

But I always keep in mind that everything we do receive is, after all, a gift these players decide to send back to us. That they take time out of their busy schedules to indulge their fans in the first place is quite something. So I never felt jealousy, or disappointment, because it all evens out in the end - some veterans have even sent me way more than what I'd sent them, for instance.

And, like in real life, a trade can manifest itself, sometimes out of the blue. And it did, for this amazing card, which is far better than what I'd sent him. And, really, what do I want more, a card of him with the Preds (no offense to the team that give him his first break), or one of him wearing the Habs' bleu-blanc-rouge, and jersey #57 to boot - combining his grandfather Bernard 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion's #5 with his great-grandfather Howie Morenz' #7?

Habs, of course, all the way.

And so I can scratch his number off of my Habs Numbers Project for real this time, though I must now decide what to do with this card. I's too thick to be contained in the binder where I keep my autographed cards (and it'd be the only one of his there anyway), so I'm thinking of framing it and hanging it on my wall.