Tanner Pearson Autograph Card

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Maybe there's a lesson to be learned from Tyler Toffoli's climb atop the goal-scoring charts after signing as a free agent with the Montréal Canadiens, and perhaps the Vancouver Canucks should think twice about the option of trading the former member of the Stanley Cup-winning That 70s Line (Los Angeles Kings, 2014) right away and instead sign him to a reasonable, mid-term deal.

Further complicating things is the fact that he's set to miss four weeks of play due to a lower-body injury and that he's at nearly half the best of last season's career best goals-per-game (0.30) and points-per-game (0.63) averages as the Canucks have struggled mightily against the Habs putting them in danger of missing the playoffs.

I believe he has three more years of second-line hockey in him and at least the same number of quality third-line time before he has to think about exiting the game, which would lead him to age 35.

Here he is wearing the King's black (home) uniform on the signed insert version of card #TR-TP from Panini's 2013-14 Totally Certified set:

It features a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph and serves as his rookie card (from the Rookie Class sub-set) in the set's.

Max Reinhart Autograph And Swatch Card

Former NHL Paul Reinhart's three sons played in the NHL: Sam was a Buffalo Sabres first-round pick and still plays centre for the team; Griffin was a New York Islanders first-round pick who now patrols the blue line with the KHL's Chinese team, the Kunlun Red Star, after passing through the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights organizations; and Maxwell retired at age 25 after spending the 2017-18 season with the AHL's Belleville Senators, essentially used as their fourth-line centre.

I was under the impression that he would make a fine 'tweener, playing shut-down AHL minutes and the occasional fourth-line call-up in the NHL, but a coach told me he didn't feel like his defensive play was good enough to trust at that position.

From what I remember, though, Max had good two-way instincts and was above-average speed-wise - two of the most in-demand traits in the NHL these days; he also had a decent vision and passing skills in Juniors and at the AHL level, but maybe he lacked that split-second to keep at it in the NHL.

He holds the AHL's Abbotsford Heat record for points in a single season on the strength of 63 in 66 games.

Here he is wearing the Calgary Flames' red (now-home) uniform, on the "all-dressed" insert version of card #164 from Panini's 2013-14 Totally Certified set and Dual Rookie Class sub-set:

It features a white "event-worn" jersey swatch and blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

Jeff Zatkoff Autograph Card

How many Pittsburgh Penguins goalies can I feature in a single month? After Eric Hartzell and Johan Hedberg, it's time to look at Jeff Zatkoff again and see what he's been up to for the past couple of years.

He last played in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings in 2016-17, but his .900 save percentage and the fact that the Kings acquired Peter Budaj and Ben Bishop during the season made him more than expendable, so he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, only seeing time in 17 games with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters in 2017-18 before moving to Germany to play for the Straubing Tigers, where he's been the clear #1 ever since.

His save percentage was better last year (.910) than it is now (.900), so I'm not certain we'll be seeing the 32-year-old in the NHL again any time soon.

One thing no one can take away from him is his name on the Stanley Cup as a member of the 2016 Penguins - the year Phil Kessel should have won the Conn Smythe - appearing in 14 regular-season games and 2 post-season games, sharing in goaltending duties with Matt Murray and Marc-André Fleury.

Here he is wearing the Pens' Reebok-era black (home) uniform, on the signed insert version of card #118 from Panini's 2013-14 Dominion set and Dual Rookie Class sub-set:

It features an on-card blue-sharpied autograph and is numbered 202/299. Of note, he actually wore #37 for both the Penguins and Kings, but this was from a training camp before he was given that number, so he's wearing #36 instead.

Eric Hartzell Autograph Card

Most Hobey Baker Award winners don't have a huge NHL career, and the finalists are oftentimes career minor-leaguers. Such is the case with Eric Hartzell, who starred and had tremendous numbers for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to sign him to a one-year entry-level contract.

He only appeared as a backup once with the main team but had an excellent season with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2013-14, sharing the "Hap" Holmes Award as the league's best goalie, but it was mostly an ECHL and European thing after that magical season.

His final stint in the ECHL, with the Quad City Mallards, ended when the team folded at the end of the 2017-18 season. He never found work between the pipes after that, retiring at age 28, but I hear he may be a teacher at a hockey school in the summer.

And that's the difference between an undrafted player and one where the team feels forced to keep giving some guys chances despite pedestrian numbers on the long term - think Scott Darling, James Reimer and Carey Price - often rewarded with untradeable contracts to boot.

Here he is stopping pucks during warm-ups on the signed version of card #260 from Panini's 2013-14 Select set and Dual Rookie Class sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph and shows him wearing the Pens' then-white (away) uniform. I'd like to get some ECHL and European cards of him signed one day.

Curtis McElhinney Autographed Card

Curtis McElhinney is the epitome of a journeyman goaltender; when he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1st, the Bolts became his eighth NHL team since first suiting up in 2007-08 with the Calgary Flames.

He's also played for (in order of most recent) the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, and Anaheim Ducks.

And yet, my first thought when he signed wasn't about potential McElhinney fans and family having to shell out money for yet another jersey with his name on the back but more about how many teams missed their opportunity to improve themselves by adding him this summer.

The Coyotes and Ducks are set in nets, but the Canes could have used him again, as could the Leafs and Flames - he'd be better options than those currently slotted in the #2 spot on all three teams; he'd be a known quantity that's safer than the unknowns for both the Jackets and Sens; he'd be a better option for teams like the Montréal Canadiens, and a team like the Florida Panthers, having just moved on from both Roberto Luongo and James Reimer and signed Sergei Bobrovsky, could have left youngster Samuel Montembeault acquire some reps in the AHL instead of sitting on a NHL bench until the team's 2019 first-round draft pick Spencer Knight is himself ready to surpass him.

Why him, you might ask if you aren't of the hockey nerd brethren? Well, he just finished the playoffs with a .930 save percentage and 2.30 GAA on a Canes team that surprisingly reached the semi-final; before that, he'd posted an 11-5-1 record, .934 save percentage and 2.14 GAA in 18 games in Toronto, and save for a poor 2015-16 in Columbus, had some of the best backup stats in the entire NHL since the 2011-12 season (granted he only played two games that year).

Here he is with the Flames, on card #31 from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Rookie Boxed Set / Rookie Class set:

He was already 24 when he posed for that picture in Calgary's red (now-home) uniform. He signed the card in blue sharpie while playing for the Leafs, so between 2016 and 2018.

Anthony Peluso Autograph Card

Anthony Peluso was a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues (160th overall) in 2007. At the time, the Blues were an overachieving regular-season team that consistently failed in the playoffs when play gets tighter and more rugged, so it was thought the 6'3", 225-pound tough guy North York, Ontario would help the Blues' more talented players feel more "protected" if he were in the lineup.

However, in three full seasons with the St. Louis organization, he never suited up once for the team, instead spending the bulk of his time with the AHL's Peoria Rivermen. He was then signed by the Winnipeg Jets, with whom he was a regular on-ice contributor, mostly via fisticuffs, as his 4 goals, 10 assists and 14 points in 142 games in the 'Peg pale in comparison to his 209 penalty minutes. His presence helped alleviate, to some extent, the emotional and physical workload of players like Dustin Byfuglien, Mark Stuart and Chris Thorburn.

Prior to last season, he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Washington Capitals, although he only played in four NHL games (and 38 more for the AHL's Hershey Bears).

While he did not participate in the Caps' Stanley Cup victory, he may have a chance to do so this year with the Calgary Flames, who signed him to a similar deal last summer., because sometimes lightning does strike twice.

Here he is sporting the Jets' white (away) uniform, on the signed insert version of card #254 from Panini's 2013-14 Select set(and Dual Rookie Class sub-set):

The mostly-silver foil (but also with some gold) card features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

He will be entered as #14 in my Jets Numbers Project.

Ilya Zubov Autographed Card

Was last year's Game 7 Conference Finals finish a fluke, or are these Ottawa Senators the real deal? Oh, they're real - I even think they'll finish second in the Atlantic Division, ahead of the young Toronto Maple Leafs.

With the best defenseman in the game in Erik Karlsson and support from the likes of Dion Phaneuf, Cody Ceci, Fredrik Claesson, Chris Wideman and rookies Thomas Chabot, Colin White and Andreas Englund, as well as three potential 30-goal scorers on the wing (Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman and Bobby Ryan) and two proven 60-point 1A centers (Kyle Turris and Derick Brassard), plus a fine tandem in nets consisting of Craig Anderson and Mike Condon, Ottawa has one of the most well-balanced teams in the league.

There was a time when the Sens were looking at a young Russian center to one day replace Jason Spezza on the top line, a fourth-round (98th overall) pick at the 2005 draft called Ilya Zubov. Standing at 6' and just a little over 200 pounds, with tremendous speed and stick-handling skills, and the ability to make plays in tight spots, the Sens were convinced he had what it takes to become the next Ryan Getzlaf.

Unfortunately, he does not like playing in traffic, and the North American ice brings about more physical play than the European game, so he was never really able to make the transition right. The third time he was demoted to the AHL's Binghamton Senators to start a season, he requested a trade; the organization instead agreed to let him go back to the KHL, where he has been playing ever since.

He is currently in his third stint with Ufa Salavat Yulayev, producing at nearly a point-per-game pace (1 goal, 9 assists and 10 points in 12 games). He also played parts of five seasons with powerhouse CSKA Moscow (playing alongside the likes of Alexei Yashin and Alexander Radulov), a year and a half with Vladivostok Admiral, and two seasons with Omsk Avangard (with Vladimir Sobotka, Martin Erat, Nikita Nikitin and Alexander Perezhogin).

Here he is sporting the Sens' red (home) uniform on card #50 from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Rookie Class boxed set, which he signed in blue sharpie:

He's wearing #53, which is perfect for inclusion in my Sens Numbers Project.

Aaron Williams Autograph Card

Aaron Williams was a second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills (34th overall) in 2011, becoming a regular in his third season with the team, coinciding with a move from cornerback to (strong) safety.

However, two severe neck injuries forced him into missing 22 games in the past two years, and with the Bills changing coaches, they opted to release him last March, weeks before his 27th birthday.

His football future is now uncertain.

Here he is wearing Buffalo's white (away) uniform, on the signed insert version of card#143 from Panini's 2011 Absolute Memorabilia set and Spectrum and Rookie Class of 2011 sub-sets:

It features an on-sticker, blue-sharpied autograph.

Patric Hornqvist Autographed Card

Patric Hörnqvist was a game-time decision to suit up for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of their series against the Washington Capitals tonight, and perhaps he should have sat it out, considering he laid the game's most devastating hit... on teammate Conor Sheary.

Sitting out may also be something Pens captain Sidney Crosby might want to do for Game 4, given his past concussion issues, after accidentally getting hit by former teammate Matt Niskanen:

Sidney Crosby hurt after taking a Niskanen cross-check to the head pic.twitter.com/T8P3iGK1m8

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 1, 2017

The Pens' injuries were already an issue in the 2017 Playoffs, but losing Crosby after Kris Letang and Matt Murray might be the final nail in their coffin.

Here's Hörnqvist from his days with the Nashville Predators, on card #40 from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Rookie Class set:

He's wearing their former blue and grey home uniform; he signed the card in blue sharpie.

Shawn Lalonde Autograph Card

The Chicago Blackhawks should have read my playoff predictions so as to not be disappointed at the outcome of their playoff series against the Nashville Predators, who swept the three-time champions in what many are calling an upset.

What better time to feature Cologne Sharks defenseman Shawn Lalonde, the Hawks' 2008 third-round pick (68th overall), showing him wearing the team's white (away) uniform:

It's the Black version of the signed insert variant of card #336 from Panini's 2013-14 Prizm collection (and Dual Rookie Class sub-set), which also serves as his rookie card in the series.

He's in the mold of Mark Streit and Yannick Weber - and, to a lesser extent, Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Burns - as an offensive defenseman his NHL coach had no idea how to utilize, even spending some time as a forward. In Germany, while manning the blue line, he still gets to finish in his team's top-3 for both points and penalty minutes.

Tye McGinn Autograph Card

This entire card will not be making the NHL playoffs this year:

The Philadelphia Flyers were eliminated more than a week ago, so that took care of that. Then, Tye McGinn, now part of the Tampa Bay Lightning's depth chart - he suited up in two games last season with no points or penalty minutes and suffered a pretty bad injury in late October that compromised his AHL season - who were also eliminated, along with the New York Islanders, when the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, will also not see NHL postseason action this year.

And, of course, this is the signed insert version - a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph - of card #626 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set and Hot Rookies and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets, showing McGinn wearing the Flyers' current/retro orange (now-home) uniform... and Panini is no longer an NHL-licensed card manufacturer after the second post-lockout backroom deal cut by Upper Deck in ten years.

It should be noted that McGinn was nearly a point-per-game player upon his return, with 16 points (9 goals and 7 assists) in 19 games with the Syracuse Crunch. He had accepted a drop of salary entering the 2016-17 season, going from $625K to $550K, and I'm guessing the Bolts will not re-sign him this summer. I'm curious to see where he'll end up.

Mark Cundari Autograph Card

A year ago, I featured defenseman Mark Cundari, thinking he had a chance to enter the San Jose Sharks line-up; instead, not only did they send him to their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda, but they even went so far as to loan him to the Lake Erie Monsters, the Columbus Blue Jackets' farm club, on March 7th, near season's end, where he had 6 points (3 goals and 3 assists) in 7 games.

That wasn't enough for another crack at an NHL line-up this year, not even when Monsters head coach Jared Bednar was hired in the same capacity by the Colorado Avalanche, who had a glaring hole on D that remained gaping all year, to the extent where the Avs are dead-last in league standings, with a record far worse than laughingstock franchises Arizona Coyotes, New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.

Thus, he signed on with the German team Augsburg Panthers last summer and has 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 48 games in the DEL, who were happy to count a two-time Memorial Cup (2009 and 2010 with the Windsor Spitfires) and 2015 Spengler Cup (Team Canada) winner to provide their group with some leadership.

At 26 years old, it's not too late for Cundari to earn a permanent roster spot, be it in the NHL or abroad; heck, if Bednar can convince the Avs to give him another year, maybe he'll ask for Cundari to bolster up their defense on the cheap. He certainly cannot be much worse than the likes of Patrick Wiercioch, Fedor Tyutin, Cody Goloubef and Éric Gélinas...

Here's Cundari from his days with the Calgary Flames, on the signed insert version of card #728 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set and Hot Rookies and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets:

It features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph and shows him wearing the Flames' white (away) uniform.

Tyler Pitlick Autograph Card

Just as Tyler Pitlick had become a regular on the Edmonton Oilers' roster, with 8 goals, 3 assists and 11 points in 31 games, his season is now compromised due to a torn ACL in the left knee. The Oilers are now second in the Pacific Division, three points behind head coach Todd McLellan's former team, the San Jose Sharks.

Here he is on card #730 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set and Hot Rookies and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets:

It shows him wearing the Oilers' classic blue (now-away) uniform, and features a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph.

You may recognize the picture (used twice here), because Panini used it (twice!) on another card that year, which I featured two years ago to the day (#223 in the 2013-14 Contenders collection, part of the Rookie Ticket and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets):

I wonder if they had to pay royalties once, twice or four times on that picture...

Frank Corrado Autograph Card

All Frank Corrado wants for Christmas is a chance to show that he can play at NHL level, despite the fact that he has only suited up for 40 games so far over two full seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs - and only once this year, on November 12th.

Is it that he's not good enough to play? Not really. It's that the Leafs claimed him off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks prior to the start of last season and don't want to lose him the same way if they send him to the AHL, but he's so rusty from never suiting up that coach Mike Babcock isn't comfortable letting him play. Meanwhile, he rightfully feels his career is slowly passing him by, because every year brings a new crops of draftees from Juniors and overseas, as well as U.S. College players - hundreds of guys potentially gunning for his position.

He's 23, a defenseman about to enter his prime, and he hasn't been able to gain experience in the years where he should, i.e. the early 20s. It's poor asset management on the Leafs' part, and it's borderline cruel to the player.

Sure, he's making NHL-level money right now eating popcorn in the press box and practicing with actual NHLers, but not improving may cost him an NHL-level payday as early as next season. If he were/would have been to become a regular top-six defender, or a top-four, that's millions of dollars potentially at stake. One season at half a million for doing less than one feels like they can will never buy that back and definitely is not worth a lifetime of bad blood, resentment and bitterness.

I'm no fan of the Leafs, but this is below even what I initially thought of them. Ironically, it's not entirely below what I think GM Lou Lamoriello can do to a guy who hasn't deserved the favours he keeps handing out to his favourite guys.

I wish Corrado a new team for 2017.

Here he is on the signed insert version of card #742 from Panini's 2013-14 Score collection, part of the Dual Rookie Class and Hot Rookies sub-sets:

It features an on-sticker, blue-sharpied autograph and shows him wearing the Canucks' current blue (home) uniform.

Michael Sgarbossa Autograph Card

Michael Sgarbossa is a 24-year-old center who is now proving to be among the AHL's elite point producers, with 3 goals, 3 assists and 6 points in 7 games split between the San Diego Gulls and Springfield Thunderbirds, in addition to two points in 9 games with the Anaheim Ducks at the NHL lever this year, which explains why the Florida Panthers acquired him two weeks ago, in exchange for Logan Shaw.

Sgarbossa's no stranger to packing and unpacking, as he's currently with his fourth NHL organization, and the Thunderbirds are also his fourth AHL team. He also played for three different teams in the OHL - the Barrie Colts, Saginaw Spirit and Sudbury Wolves. He had gone undrafted, but was signed as a free agent by the San Jose Sharks, who traded his rights to the Colorado Avalanche while he was still in Juniors.

Time will tell if the Panthers made a good move by trading for his rights, as time will let us know whether GM Tom Rowe's decision to replace beloved head coach Gerard Gallant - who led the team to its best regular-season finish just last spring - was wise. This after revamping the entire blue line and while young stars Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau were injured, of course.

In the meantime, here is Sgarbossa wearing the Avs' white (away) uniform with the awful piping, on the signed insert version of card #616 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set and Dual Rookie Class and Hot Rookies sub-sets:

It features an on-sticker, blue-sharpied autograph.

Antoine Roussel Swatch Card

A month of toughness warranted a look towards Antoine Roussel, the Dallas Stars' resident pest/heavy hitter who's gaining recognition all around the NHL:

He's physical, gets up under guys skins, and can throw opposing teams off balance by creating chaos wherever he is on the ice. Even tougher to swallow for opposing fans is the fact that Roussel isn't just some goon - he can make you pay with his fists as equally as he can on the scoreboard. He's potted a half dozen game-winning goals this year alone.

He's been straddling the right side of the thin line between "right" and "wrong", as well as "legal" and "not", for the better part of two years now.

He's on pace for a 40-point season, which would be a career-high for him and would cement his role in the middle-six and as a part-time powerplay participant. So far, he's flirted with the 15-goal and 30-point marks while accumulating 209, 148 and 123 penalty minutes in three full-time NHL seasons.

I believe he would be most effective in a Milan Lucic-like (dirty power forward) role, perhaps aiming for numbers such as 20/40/100, with highs around 25/55/125.

Here he is wearing the Stars' current white (away) uniform, on card #RG-AR from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set, and Rookie Gear and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets:

It features a matching event-worn jersey swatch.

While suiting up for Team France at the 2014 World Championships - his third straight Worlds participation - he posted 11 points in just 8 games and was selected on the media's All-Star Team; he probably should have been named to Team Europe at the World Cup, with or instead of fellow countryman Pierre-Édourard Bellemare.

Ben Street Autograph Card

Today I check #38 off my Flames Numbers Project with Ben Street, a five-year member of the Wisconsin Badgers program, with whom he experienced tremendous highs (two years of a shared captaincy, the 2006 NCAA championship) and lows (a suspension for drug and alcohol abuse).

Undrafted, he signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, winning the ECHL Rookie Of The Year award in 2010-11 and being promoted to the AHL the following season.

With a logjam at the center position, however, he decided to sign with the Calgary Flames in 2012-13, suiting up for 19 games over two seasons with the Albertan club. He then moved on to the Colorado Avalanche organization, captaining the San Antonio Rampage for the 2015-16 season as their first-line center. He played in 10 games over two seasons with the actual Avs.

This summer, he was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Red Wings.

Here he is wearing the Flames' white (away) uniform, on the signed insert version of card #749 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set (and Hot Rookies and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets):

It features a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph.

Mikhail Grigorenko: Two Autographed Cards

Mikhail Grigorenko signed a one-year "show-me" contract with the Colorado Avalanche yesterday, after a season that Buffalo Sabres fans will call disappointing ("27 points in 74 games, unfit for a 12th overall pick, what a bust! Glad we got Ryan O'Reilly!"), whereas Avs fans, while unsure at the beginning of the season with the healthy scratches, under 10 minutes of ice time and looking out of shape, are happy with how he progressed throughout the year and looked worthy of a top-6 role on a very skilled team offensively.

What happened was the Sabres stalled his development, first by keeping him in the NHL but sitting him in half the games in 2012-13, then by sending him to Juniors midway through his sophomore season whist burning a year on his entry-level deal, and finally by demoting the disgruntled forward to the AHL and never really giving him a shot at showing what he can do.

This is, after all, a guy who had 70 goals and 139 points in 92 regular-season games with the LHJMQ's Québec Remparts (plus another 24 points in 22 post-season games) before even being drafted. And that time the Sabres sent him back against his will? He still put up 15 goals and 39 points in 23 games, plus 9 more in 5 playoff games.

The game that brought him to life last year - the first time he played over 15 minutes in a game in 2015-16 - was at the Bell Centre, against the Montréal Canadiens, in November, where he had a goal and two assists, which also sparked the Habs' downfall.

It was after that game that he signed these two cards in blue sharpie, first the one showing him with the Remparts, on card #100 from In The Game's 2011-12 Heroes And Prospects card (and CHL Rookie sub-set):

And a card from the dark days of the Sabres not knowing what to do with him, on card #213 from Panini's 2013-14 Prizm set and Dual Rookie Class sub-set (the regular silver version):

His second half was terrific; it was where he posted 15 of his 27 points and became a fixture on the ice, more often than not hitting the 15-minute mark, including seven games at or near the 20-minute mark.

Essentially, he should be getting second-line minutes and second-unit powerplay time next season, which should at worst get him in line to sign a long-term deal (five or six years) at $4-5M per; at best, he could become the team's second-line center if Matt Duchene becomes expendable and gets traded for a good defenseman, which the team sorely lacks behind Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson.

Alex Killorn: 2 Swatch Cards

Oh, man, did the Tampa Bay Lightning ever play with my emotions tonight! Trailing 2-0, tying the game up, the Pittsburgh Penguins going up 3-2 in the final minute of the second, the Bolts tying it near the end of the third and winning on a Tyler Johnson goal less than a minute into overtime - whew!

And the first Tampa player to score was my chouchou (positive French term for favourite, or teacher's pet), Alex Killorn, who now has 13 points in 15 playoff games this year, and 33 in 45 for his career.

When playing EA Sports' NHL 16 (or any iteration thereof, from 2014 onward), my first move as GM of the Montréal Canadiens is to trade Carey Price to Tampa Bay for Ben Bishop, Killorn and a first-rounder. And I keep winning the Stanley Cup, and those guys keep proving me right in real life time after time as well.

I usually try to trade away my doubles of jersey cards, but in this case, I couldn't. One of the reasons is that I want to start collecting Killorn more seriously, but also because Panini's 2013-14 Totally Certified cards often didn't come in the most pristine conditions, often with at least one banged corner, or - as is the case for one of these two - imperfect sides; still, it's a beautiful card, both of mine featuring blue event-worn jersey swatches:

It's card #RR-AK or the Rookie Roll Call and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets, showing him wearing the Bolts' white (away) uniform.

Nicklas Jensen Autograph Card

Nicklas Jensen was a Vancouver Canucks first-round pick (29th overall) in 2011, but a change in general managers was all it took for him to go from a projected top-six forward to a player who, at best, would be malleable enough to move up and down the lineup.

And so it wasn't really a surprise when he was traded to the New York Rangers organization in early January, along with a third-round pick for former Anaheim Ducks prospect Emerson Etem; he had decent stats with the Blueshirts' AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack post-trade, with 15 goals, 10 assists and 25 points in 41 games.

Here he is wearing the Canucks' white (away) uniform, from on card #718 of the Hot Rookies and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets of Panini's 2013-14 Score set:

He signed it in-person in blue sharpie after a game against the Ottawa Senators or Montréal Canadiens in 2013-14.

He's still just 23 years old, and usually players of his size (6'3", 190 pounds) take longer to reach their potential. He also helps me check off #46 from my Canucks Numbers Project.