Viktor Stålberg Signed Puck

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

Three years ago today, journeyman checking left winger Viktor Stålberg retired from hockey after nine NHL seasons and four more in the Swiss League (plus a 29-game stint in the KHL after his second season in Switzerland).

Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Stålberg grew up idolizing Toronto Maple Leafs star Mats Sundin, so it was a dream come true when the Leafs selected him 161st overall (in the sixth round) in 2006, after which he signed on to play with the University of Vermont Catamounts, where he was the school's first Hobey Baker finalist since Martin St-Louis. He has since rejoined his alma mater as an advisor to the coaching staff.

After just one season in Toronto, he would be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he would post a career-high 43 points (22 goals and 21 assists, both marks nearly double what he would be able to produce in any other NHL season) and win the Stanley Cup in 2013, before leaving as a free agent to join the Nashville Predators on a four-year, $12M deal that would be bought out halfway.

He would sign on with the New York Rangers for the 2015-16 season and split the following year between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Ottawa Senators, with whom he reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Throughout his NHL career, Stålberg was officially diagnosed with three concussions (one of which he barely missed a couple of games for) and a slew of shoulder, knee and rib injuries, often playing through pain and grinding out tough minutes at a rate of 13-14 per game on average.

Upon returning to Europe, free from covering the other team's top players, he finished fourth in Swill League scoring 22 goals and 50 points in 48 games, making the media's All-Star Team and being named Best Forward by the same group. His final two seasons were also productive, as he posted 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) in 46 games in 2019–20 and 29 points (13 goals and 16 assists) in just 35 games in 2020–21.

He signed this Rangers puck in thin silver sharpie while playing for the Canes in 2016:

The Rangers are currently the best team in the East and should make the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division with the Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils, and it is my impression that whoever wins between the Rangers and Devils will make it to the Stanley Cup Fiinal.

Flames Preview: Mikael Backlund Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a week, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Tyler Toffoli (RW), Milan Lucic (LW), Troy Stetcher (D), Michael Stone (D), Nick Ritchie (LW), Trevor Lewis (C), Dryden Hunt (RW), and Matthew Phillips (C).

Key Arrivals: Yegor Sherangovich (C), Jordan Oesterle (D), xxx (C/LW), xxx (C), xxx (LW), xxx (D), xxx (G)

Top prospects: Jakob Pelletier (LW, 22 years old, point-per-game player in the AHL, 26th-overall pick in 2019), Dustin Wolf (G, 22 years old, .932 save percentage in the AHL), Matt Coronato (RW, 20 years old, 13th-overall pick in 2021, point-per-game player in the NCAA), and Connor Zary (C, 22 years old, 24th pick in the 2020 draft).

The Calgary Flames are a riddle in a question in quicksand in a parallel universe in a different timeline trying to prentend they were of this worls all along. They are everything you ever thought and its exact opposite. They are a two-year-old having hissy fits in need of a new downtown arena.

What makes their odds look good:
Three-quarters of this team won its division two seasons ago, and although two 100-point players left that team, they were replaced by another division winner in Jonathan Huberdeau and Stanley Cup winner Nazem Kadri. This is a much better team than what transpired last season.

Question marks: Previous GM Brad Treliving left because the Darryl Sutter problem was getting too big - both men were eventually replaced by their direct underling. Will that really be enough to change the team's culture? Will that really get Huberdeau back to his All-Star level, or incite Elias Lindholm to re-sign?

Outlook:
This team is too good and too deep to not make the playoffs two years in a row regardless of circumstance, and with a goalie like Jacob Markstrom, once in there, they could make a serious dent into many experts' prognoses.

Prediction:
Fourth in the Pacific Division.

With news that he had been signed to a two-year contract extension, Flames utility forward Mikael Backlund was named the team's 21st captain - and first since Mark Giordano's exit at the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

Backlund is a cerebral two-way centre who can chip in offensively, able to replace on the first two lines at a whim but at this point in his career ideally situated in the 3C role where he can shut down opposing teams' top lines and pad his stats up when playing againt middle-of-the-lineup players.

After missing the playoffs by two points last season, his end-of-season presser was steeped in disappointment, and he let float the idea that he might leave as a free agent next summer or perhaps even ask for a trade, as it seemed the drama surrounding the team had put too much weight on him, but he seems to view the new admninistration in a positive light, enough to warrant sticking around for a couple of extra seasons at least and give it an honest chance. His staying means the Flames don't have to go through a rebuild regardless of Lindholm's status and that the team can contend for a playoff spot (and likely get in).

Here he is wearing the Flames' white Reebok-designed uniform on card #178 from the 2016-17 O-Pee-Chee set, manufactured under license by Upper Deck, always a favoutite of mine to get signed:

He signed it in thick black sharpie after a game against the Montréal Canadiens, probably that same year.

Sharks Preview: Mike Grier Autograph Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a week, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Erik Karlsson (D), James Reimer (G), Andrew Agozzino (LW), Noah Gregor (C), Evgeny Svechnikov (LW), Steven Lorentz (C), Derrick Pouliot (D), and Andreas Johnsson.

Key Arrivals: Mike Hoffman (LW), Mackenzie Blackwood (G), Andrej Sustr (D), Givani Smith (RW), Anthony Duclair (LW), Filip Zadina (LW), Mikael Granlund (LW), Kyle Burroughs (D), Ryan Carpenter (C), and Jan Rutta (D)

Top prospects: William Smith (C, 18 years old, fourth-overall pick in 2023), William Eklund (LW, 20 years old, seventh-overall pick on 2021, 43 points in 54 AHL games last year), Shakir Mukhamadullin (D, 21 years old, 20th overall pick in 2020, 25 points in 67 KHL games and 10 points in 12 AHL games last season), Thomas Bordeleau (C, 21 years old, 22 goals in the AHL in 2022-23), Tristen Robins (C, 21 years old, developpig into a capable two-way forward), Filip Bystedt (C, 19 years old, 20 points in 45 games in Sweden last season), Mattias Havelid (D, 19 years old, 5'9", 165 pounds, so he will need to bulk up playing against men in Sweden), xxx (D), and Alexander Chmelevski (C, 24 years old, 48 points in 65 KHL games last year).

There is talent coming up, but the next two seasons should be just as painful as the last one - perhaps even more so with the absence of Karlsson.

What makes their odds look good:
The odds are great they finish last in the NHL and get another high pick next summer, and at some point those will add up into a decent young roster like the Ottawa Senators or New Jersey Devils have. There are a lot of veterans in their final year of their contracts (Hoffman, Duclair) who could be shipped out at the trade deadline for more future assets and furthering the tank job

Question marks:
The defensive corps and the goalies will have all the trouble in the world giving up fewer than 3.5 to 4 goals per game, which is by design - will it demoralize the young talent?

Outlook:
It's the San Jose Sharks, so I cannot commit to saying their future looks bright, but there likely will be playoffs eventually, and maybe another Western Conference run in the next decade.

Prediction:
Eighth in the Pacific Division, last in the NHL.

I really feel bad for GM Mike Grier, whom I really respected and liked as a player, for inheriting Doug Wilson's mess, brought upon by a leadership void, hiring bad coaches and doubling down and signing Karlsson to a massive extension when his acquisition didn't even fill a team need (already having Brent Burns at the same position).

But Grier was a tough customer on the ice, and I'm sure he'll get to show his Detroit-born and Boston-raised roots as a manager when the time comes, and he will not get pushed around. What's cool is his brother is also a GM, for the NFL's Miami Dolphins, who are having a terrific start to their season.

Here is the hockey-playing Grier the way I remember him best, as a member of the Edmonton Oilers at the turn of the millennium, on the gold variant signature version of card #54 from In The Game's 1998-99 Be A Player set:

It shows him wearing the team's white (then-home) uniform, advancing toward the enemy's zone. He could always be counted on for 20-some goals in his prime and 10 to 15 outside of it, while providing a hard-hitting drive that didn't get called for penalties too often. He rarely made costly mistakes, which is a trait he'll be looking to bring to his new career as well.

There is a bronze medal on his mantle as a souvenir for his lone time playing on the adult mens' Team USA squad at the 2004 World Championships.

Predators Preview: Tyson Barrie Autograph Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a couple of weeks, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Matt Duchene (C), Ryan Johansen (C), Mark Borowiecki (D), Zach Sanford (LW), Rasmus Aplund (C), and Cal Foote (D).

Key Arrivals: Ryan O'Reilly (C), Gustav Nyquist (C), Luke Schenn (D), and Denis Gurianov (LW).

Top prospects: Yaroslav Asparov (G, 21 years old, generally seen as a "can't miss" prospect), Joakim Kemell (RW, 19 years old, exploded in the AHL but could benefit from a bit of seasoning), Luke Evangelista (RW, 21 years old, candidate for the All-Rookie Team), Zachary L'Heureux (LW, 20 years old, has a bit of Claude Lemieux in him), Matthew Wood (RW, 18 years old, an NCAA All-Star at age 17 last year), and Fedor Svechkov (C, 20 years old, did not get much of a chance in the KHL last season).

Former head coach Barry Trotz took over from the Nashville Predators' only other GM in team history, and the first thing he did was send away all the bad apples in the dressing room, and then he brought in guys who used to think they were franchise players but learned to win Stanley Cups by relying on their teammates - O'Reilly's pivot still got him a Selke and a Conn Smythe, while Schenn won two championships riding the third pair with the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning.

What makes their odds look good:
When you have a goalie like Juuse Saros, you have a chance. Factor in Roman Josi having another two-three years of prime hockey left in him and you have an above-average defense that can win you those 3-2 and 2-1 games.

Question marks: Is sophomore Tommy Novak really their #1 center? The offense is very below average, but responding to the right system and a few players playing above expectations would help drag the Preds to the middle of the pack.

Outlook:
They were a playoff bubble team last year and in terms of talent are about on the same level this year, except they have a new head coach in Andrew Brunette and his boss is one of the best bench strategists in NHL history, who will be able to help and give his protégé tips at any given time. Trotz and Brunette might be worth a few more wins, say 3 or 4, but that cannot be enough to bring Nashville to the postseason, which isn't the point this year anyway.

Prediction:
Sixth in the Central Division.

Trade deadline acquisition Tyson Barrie came over from the Edmonton Oilers last season having quarterbacked the best powerplay in NHL history (with the help of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to some extent, I guess). He can handle that task with the Predators as well, with help from Josi.

It hasn't always been perfect for Barrie, though. Since the last time I wrote about him, he also had a one-year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs where it simply did not work out, stepping into an immuable environment, in the midst of a run of regular-season success and spectacular playoff failure; there simply was no place for him on that team. His move to Edmonton proved that it wasn't on him, however, and that he could still be a very appreciated player, both on the ice and in the locker room.

He led all NHL defensemen in scoring during the 2020-21 season, with 48 points in just 56 games, finished 12th in All-Star voting, but did not receive a single Norris Trophy vote - the first time in history the points leader at the position is entirely snubbed for the trophy.

Here he is sporting the Colorado Avalanche's white (away) uniform on card #A-TB from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Artifacts set and Autofacts sub-set:

Barrie has suited up for Team Canada multiple times, winning silver at the 2011 World Juniors and 2017 World Championships, as well as gold at the 2015 World Championships.

Lightning Preview: Steven Stamkos Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a couple of weeks, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Ross Colton (C), Alex Killorn (LW/C), Corey Perry (RW), Ian Cole (D), Patrick Maroon (LW), Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (D), and Brian Elliott (G).

Key Arrivals: Calvin De Haan (D), Conor Sheary (LW), Josh Archibald (RW), Luke Glendening (C), Logan Brown (LW), and Jonas Johansson (G).

Top prospects: Roman Schmidt (D, 20 years old, will require a year of AHL seasoning), Gage Goncalves (C, 22 years old, will jump straight to the second line in case of injury), Jack Thompson (D, 21 years old, will likely see a handful of games this season), Cole Koepke (LW, 25 years old, a spot in the bottom-six is his to lose), Gabriel Fortier (LW, 23 years old, will likely see 5-10 games this season), Isaac Howard (LW, 19 years old, will play another couple of seasons in the NCAA, Jack Finley (C, 21 years old, will require more AHL seasoning), and Niko Huuhtanen (RW, 20 years old, will play one more season in Finland before playing in the AHL to adapt to the North American ice surface).

No other team in the NHL has seen its depth depleted like the Tampa Bay Lightning in the past three to five years; the Bolts have lost the equivalent of three top-of-the-food-chain third lines in the past two offseasons and trade deadlines, in addition to a slew of first- and second-round draft picks. You would think that would close their contending window for a while, but their elite talent is so good that it will not affect them for the next two, three or perhaps even four seasons. After all, Nikita Kucherov is fresh off a 113-point season, Brayden Point got his usual 95 and even broke the 50-goal barrier, while Steven Stamkos added yet another point-per-game season to his Hall of Fame resume. Add to that a pair of #1 defenders in Mikhail Sergachev and Victor Hedman - don't get fooled by Hedman's dipping offensive stats, he's still dominant, he just surrendered some prime producing moments like first-line powerplay time to Sergachev, but they both played nearly 24 minutes a game and had simlar plus/minus and possession stats - and a top-five goalie who still has the best legs in the game in Andrei Vasilevskiy, and there is still an All-Star team's worth of players in the middle or end of their primes as the foundation.

What makes their odds look good:
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have equivalent star forwards, but no team in the East has the type of elite defensemen the Lightning has. With support from Brandon Hagel, Sheary, Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli, there will be plenty of offense to win between 50 and 60 games this season.

Question marks: Can Tanner Jeannot step up and prove invaluable like Hagel did last year? At a cost of a first, a second and a third-round pick, or in context, a possible 2025 middle-six player, a 2026 top-six forward and a 50/50 shot at a depth player, he needs to be responsible for 2-3 wins this year and 3-5 wins next year as well as a few important playoff moments (say a couple of game-winning goals) to justify the cost of acquiring him from the Nashville Predators. Anti-vaxer Archibald lost a year and a half of play due to Covid travel restricioons while with the Edmonton Oilers and has lost a step, going from third-liner with occasional bumps to Connor McDavid's line to part-time fourth-liner. Should he make the team, he will probably love Florida.

Outlook:
Don't get me wrong: they are at the tail end of their contending window and are probably no match for the likes of the Dallas Stars or Vegas Golden Knights out West, but they can take anyone in the East (yes, including the equally depth-deprived Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as the inexperienced New Jersey Devils and coach cemetery New York Rangers), and there is no guarantee the Western finalist won't also be a team with its own issues. And this time around, for the first time in four years and just the second in six seasons, Tampa Bay has had a short postseason, getting eliminated in seven games in the first round. They are well-rested and (probably) hungry.

Prediction:
Second in the Atlantic Division.

As mentionned before, Steven Stamkos is carving himself quite the career, with little to no signs of slowing down at age 33. His days of leading the league in scoring (51 goals in 2009-10 and 60 goals in 2011-12) are probably a thing of the past in the era of McDavid, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak and Leon Draisaitl - and with Alex Ovechkin still around - but his 84 points were still 23rd in the NHL last season, which would have put him first on 17 teams.

He's been around or over the point-per-game mark every year since 2016-17 after a dip in 2014-15 (43 goals and 72 points in 82 games) and 2015-16 (36 goals and 64 points in 77 games), two seasons in which his points totals may have dipped but during which he garnered some Lady Byng consideration - and even finished fourth in right wingers for the end of season All-Star Teams and finished 11th in Hart voting in 2014-15.

He has 515 goals, 541 assists and 1056 career points in 1003 regular-season games so far, and another 45 goals, 50 assists and 95 points in 123 playoff games. The only time his playoff shooting percentage was below 10% was in 2015-16, when he played just 11:55 in a single game and did not score on his two shots taken; however, his lone 2:47 of ice time in the 2019-20 is the stuff of legends, as he scored on his only shot, despite being on the ice for just three shifts in total. The goal gave the Bolts a 2-0 lead, paving the way to a 5-2 victory.

Here he is wearing Tampa's white (away) uniform, on card #6 from Upper Deck's 2014-15 SP Game-Used Edition set and Jersey Card sub-set:

It features a matching game-worn jersey swatch.

Internationally, he has won gold medals in 2008 (World Juniors) and 2016 (World Cup) and was a silver medalist at the 2009 World Championships playing for Team Canada. He has also represented his country in 2007 (U18s and Ivan Hlinka tournaments), as well as the 2010 and 2013 World Championships.

Kraken Preview: Jared McCann Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a week, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Joonas Donskoi (RW), Daniel Sprong (RW), Carson Soucy (D), Ryan Donato (RW), Martin Jones (G), Morgan Geekie (RW), and Jesper Froden (RW/LW).

Key arrivals: Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (C), Brian Dumoulin (D), Kailer Yamamoto (RW), and Connor Carrick (D).

Top prospects: Shane Wright (C, 19 years old, went from projected first-overall pick to fourth to being sent down to Juniors to being named captain of Team Canada's World Juniors team to ending up sixth in team scoring - fourth among centres! - and a full 16 points behind Connor Bedard in seven games, still probably a future middle-six player), Ryker Evans (D, 21 years old, 44 points in 77 AHL games last season), David Goyette (C, 19 years old, a bit on the short side but dominant in the OHL), Ty Nelson (D, 19 years old, undersized speedy defenseman with nice offensive skills), Jagged Firkus (RW, 19 years old, good offensive skills but needs to add muscle to his 153-pound frame), and Eduard Sale (W, 18 years old, was named the 2022-23 Rookie Of The Year in Czechia).

I didn't have them in the playoffs last year and they ended up eliminating the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, so I'm aware I may have to eat my words at some point, but this roster is two goalies, a GM and a head coach short of making an actual permanent dent in a divisional race of the playoffs. Like the light blue on their white uniform, it's probably NHL-caliber, but... there's just something missing.

What makes their odds look good:
The Seattle Kraken have been on an upward trajectory since coming into the NHL two seasons ago, with steady progress and smart salary cap management. They had 13 players hit the double-digit mark in goals last season - six of them with 20 or more - two more at nine, and one apiece at eight and seven. As far as I remember, I have never seen this balanced an offense in practice.

Question marks: What about that goaltending, eh? Team goaltending below ,900 is simply unacceptable in today's NHL.

Outlook:
GM Ron Francis wanted depth - essentially icing four second lines - but without the elite talent that the Vegas Golden Knights have; hopefully the draft can remedy that in time. There is definitely a solid base, but Francis has not poven to be able to get to that next step as a manager, to take a very good roster and turn it into a champion, which is why he was let go in 2018 as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Prediction:
Fifth in the Pacific Division.

Jared McCann led the Kraken with 40 goals last year in what may end up proving to be a career year, but he can certainly hit 30-35 goals on a consistent basis. A former first-round pick (24th overall in 2014, Vancouver Canucks), fans expected McCann to be a top-six player right away and the fact that he wasn't seemed to have hurt his confidence.

A trade to the Florida Panthers didn't fix anything, and as the league forged an opinion that he may be at best a third-liner, the Pittsburgh Penguins offered him that role on a silver platter; not only did he excel at it, but he also showed that he still had that sparkle - so much so that the Pens were convinced the Kraken would select him in the expansion draft; to at least recoup an asset, they traded his rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who wanted to ensure Alexander Kerfoot remained with the organization; offering up McCann nearly guaranteed he would be taken, thus semi-protecting Kerfoot for the remainder of his contract with the Leafs. He signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes this summer, as the Leafs went through an organizational shift at the bottom of their roster.

In the second of a five-year deal with a cap hit of $5M, McCann will no doubt be worth his salary for the remainder of his contract. He loves being relied upon for goals and it will be at least three or four years until Seattle can develop a finisher who will be able to challenge him for his spot. This is a perfect fit for both player and team.

Here he is as a rookie with the Canucks, wearing their white (away) uniform, on card #J-JM from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Champ's set and Relics / Rookie Relics sub-sets:

It features a blue "event-worn" jersey swatch from a rookie photo shoot.

Internationally, McCann suited up for Canada at the 2019 World Championships, winning silver and finishing the tournament with 2 goals and 5 points in 10 games.

Flyers Preview: Keith Jones Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camps being set to start in a couple of weeks, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Kevin Hayes (C), Ivan Provorov (D), Kevin Connaughton (D), James Van Riemsdyk (LW), Kiefer Bellows (LW), Tony DeAngelo (D), Brendan Lemieux (LW), and Justin Braun (D).

Key Arrivals: Marc Staal (D), Sean Walker (D), Garnet Hathaway (RW), Ryan Poehling (C), Cal Petersen (G), and Victor Mete (D).

Top prospects: Matvei Michkov (RW, 18 years old, in the KHL for at least three more years), Tyson Foerster (RW, 21 years old, had 48 points in 66 games in his AHL rookie season last year), Bobby Brink (RW, 22 years old, missed most of last season due to injury), Cutter Gauthier (C/LW, 19 years old, looked like a star in the NCAA as well as the World Juniors), Emil Andrae (D, 21 years old, impressed in the Swedish league and AHL last season), and Elliot Desnoyers (LW, 21 years old, 44 points in 65 AHL games last season).

What makes their odds look good:
There is a plan in place, and GM Daniel Brière will be stockpiling young players and draft capital for the next few seasons; head coach John Tortorella will instill good habits with the help of veterans he knows well, such as Staal. There might not be another generational talent to tank for in the next three or four drafts, but what matters is drafting talented players who work hard to have a competitive team when the time is right.

Question marks: Who will be kept as part of the core among young veterans like Travis Konecny, Carter Hart and Travis Sanheim?

Outlook:
This isn't an accidental bottoming out, this is a calculated move to turn over nearly the entire roster and hopefully contend when the current veteran cream of the Metropolitan Division - your Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins - start to drop in the standings in four or five seasons, with just the New Jersey Devils remaining as a power, and even then, possibly in decline.

Prediction:
Eighth in the Metropolitan Division, bottom-five in the NHL.

The day Brière was announced as the new team GM, Keith Jones got the nod as the Philadelphia Flyers' new team President of Hockey Operations, a job for which his co-analyst on TNT NHL broadcasts, Ed Olczyk, was also up for; ultimately, as is their modus operandi, the team went with their alumnus.

A solid middle-six player with some power forward skills, Jones skated part-time with the likes of Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Eric Lindros and John LeClair in his day, and was a respected member of the dressing room. So much so that his good relations with just about everyone around the league will surely help the Flyers and Brière in their relationships with other teams.

I mostly remember Jones on the Colorado Avalanche; he was like a "clean" version of Tom Wilson, both having in common that they look like they should consistently score 30-40 goals, with neither having topped the 25-goal mark as of 2023.

Having watched Jones analyze the game and crack jokes for the past 10-15 years on TV (all within acceptable social standards), however, I am relatively confident that he can handle a front office job on one of the premiere rich organizations in the sport. I certainly wish him well.

Here he is sporting the Flyers' black (third / home) uniform on card #304 from Pacific's flagship 1999-2000 Pacific set, crashing into the New York Rangers' Mike Richter:

He signed it in blue sharpie as a guest at a card convention, back when one didn't have to pay extra on top of the entry ticket to get autographs at those events, circa 2005 or so.

Jacob Bernard-Docker: Two Autographed Cards

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

The Ottawa Senators took care of a tidy bit of business to open up July 1st with the signing of defensive prospect Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year deal worth a total of $1.61M.

The 2018 first-round draft pick (26th overall) spent three seasons with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks before turning pro in 2020-21. Despite a 7-goal, 25-point seasin in 32 games in 2019-20, he is projected more as a bottom-four, defensive prospect in the NHL, one who will spend time on the penalty kill. He is said to have decent skating ability and a good first pass, and is expected to make the jump to the NHL Sens team in a relatively permanent manner by the end of this two-year deal.

In the meantime, he has been selected to play for Team Canada at the 2020 World Juniors and 2021 World Championships, both times earning a gold medal.

Here he is sporting #5 on the white (home) version of his country's uniform, on card #27 from Upper Deck's 2020-21 Team Canada Juniors/Women set:

And here is a headshot of him wearing the red (away) jersey from the same collection, but the 2018 Draft Class sub-set:

He signed both in thin blue sharpie while playing with the AHL's Belleville Senators last season, adding his #5 at the end.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

At times, it's looked like the Vancouver Canucks' management team comprising of President Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin have been in over their heads with this team, which they took over in a different contending window from when they led the Pittsburgh Penguins to two straight Stanley Cups out of the gate, having missed out on one and now being cap-strapped with key building pieces like Thatcher Demko, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Quinn Hughes.

Former captain Bo Horvat was sent to the New York Islanders at the last trade deadline, and rumours abounded that the likes of Brock Boeser, Connor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson would eventually follow suit.

In the absence of a market for OEL's contract, however, the Canucks found themselves left with the option of terminating and buying out his contract, which brings tremendous cap relief this upcoming season and the next but will impact the team until the 2028-29 season.

I expect him to find a taker on a one-year deal around $2M to play on a team's third pair when free agency opens up on July 1st, but anything over those two thresholds would be a risk in my opinion (except for a team looking to reach the cap floor, in which case he'd probably rake in a million more as an experienced former captain for a team like the Chicago Blackhawks or Anaheim Ducks, and maybe also serve as deadline bait, as a rebuilding team would look to trade him for a mid-round (third or fourth) pick to a contender for a playoff run.

He spent his best years with the Arizona Coyotes, where he was one of very few bright spots in his eleven seasons with the franchise, twice leading them in points despite being a defenseman; he captained the team from 2018 to 2021 and represented them in the 2015 and 2018 All-Star Games. Here he is sporting their mid-2010s white (away) unifrom, on card #TS-OE from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Artifacts collection (and Treasured Swatches sub-set):

Artifacts used to be one of the two sets I most looked forward to seeing every year, with Ice.

Blaster Box Break: 2022-23 Artifacts

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

I made a series of bad decisions today at Toys 'R' Us, including purchasing my kids clearance Ghosbusters and Incredibles plush toys that they ended up wanting noting to do with, but mostly having to do with knowing I had $35-40 of expendable money to put on hockey cards or McFarlane figurines, ending up deciding between blaster boxes of two Upper Deck products: 2022-23 O-Pee-Chee and 2022-23 Artifacts, at $43 plus tax apiece (essentially $50, above my target limit).

I should have steered clear, or at the very least gone with OPC, which was sure to get me double the amount of cards, and have them be easier to get signed as well. But no, I essentially played the lottery of 7 packs of 5 cards and paid more than a buck per card, got maybe three that I might be able to get signed (I'll probably end up aiming for ten, but I'm not confident at all), and was not giddy about any of the players I pulled. No Edmonton Oilers, no Colorado Avalanche, no Montréal Canadiens, no Calgary Flames, a single Ottawa Senators player.

Let's take a look at what I did get. First off, the set's theme this year is "blue". This used to be a set that had embossed textures, Egyptian-esque themes and colours relating to lost treasure and sand, like tones of grey, beige, light/nearly pastel versions of more traditional colours, with a classy bit of white to tie it all together. Not this year. It gets tackier every second I look at it, pretend British Royal drapes and a cheap design that a high schooler would have gotten down better:

At first glance, they look alright; the style is relatively reminiscent of past editions but definitely new, and the scan doesn't do the silver foil (ARTIFACTS brand, team logo and brand name), although the scan provides a depth to the blue artwork on the sides that the eyes can't even begin to see, kind of like when Advanced Stats had Benoît Pouloit as one of the best play-drivers in the league and yet everyone except Oilers GM Craig MacTavish knew that was absolute rubbish. this is worse than that. The backs feature five years of basic statistics as well as the player's height, weight, shooting side and birthdate (but neither birthplace, hometown or nationality).

Upper Deck having been infected by the O-Pee-Chee coloured variants/parallels virus since 2006-07, I did land three "Turquoise" parallels of Moritz Seider, Patrick Kane and John Carlson:

I exaggerated the green hue and put a bit of extra brightness on the filter to show that the foil is indeed a bit greener than just 'blue", but not all-out green, as that is probably reserved for the "Emerald" parallels.

The "one true hit" I got in this box is this "Indigo" parallel of Nicklas Backstrom, numbered 2/10:

Two things: the ink bled through its spots in both zeroes of the "02/10", which makes it look dirty, and the "/10" actually looks a lot more like "/18". I also don't know of diehard Backstrom fan communities where a member would take it off my hands at a decent value. If any ready knows of one, please, send them my way, it would be a shame if I let this one get destroyed out of neglect.

The entire set is comprised of 200 cards: 100 regular base cards, 35 "stars" (#101-135; short-printed at 599 copies each), 20 goalies (#136-155; also just limited to 599 per), 15 "legends" (#156-170; also limited to 599), and 30 rookies (#171-200; of which there are 999 of each, for some reason).

Please, please, please. PLEASE. STOP WITH THE RETIRED PLAYERS, and for fuck's sake, PLEASE DO NOT REFER TO ALL OF THEM AS LEGENDS. I pulled three, cards #160, 161 and 162 in the set, conveniently:

That is Matthias Ohlund, Teemu Selanne and Bernie Nicholls.

Selanne is a no-brainer Hall Of Famer. Consistently among the elite over a couple of decades, clutch both in his prime and in his decline, a decorated Olympian and Stanley Cup champion. He truly is a Legend.

Nicholls once scored 70 goals and twice scored 40 or more, and he has a 150-point and a 100-point season to his name. His peaks were high but he was merely very good compared to his peers for more than half his career, and he had a run with each team he's played on save for the Los Angeles Kings where he looked like his offense had completely dried up. He would need his lawyer to convice a panel of hockey experts that he belongs on a list of "legends".

Ohlund was the best defenseman on a Vancouver Canucks team that was in transition between the West Coast Express and Sedin Twin years, essentially holding the baton between two perhaps better defensemen in Jyrki Lumme and Alexander Edler. He did an admirable job, but unless I'm forgetting something, he pobably would have been a second-pair defender on a contending team.

Which brings me to this: Artifacts in a 200-player set in which the stars, rookies and goalies are relatively short-printed; 1004 skaters and 119 goalies suited up in at least one NHL game last year. Why waste ANY cardboard and ink on players whose cards can be found on Ebay for under a dollar at most and more commonly in penny bins at flea markets when half the players who actually suited in an NHL game in 2021-22 will not have their likeness on a 2022-23 product?

The colours on the "Legends" cards were spot-on, though. This should have been the main set's design.

For all these reasons, this box is the most disappointing one I've opened in a very long time.

2/10.