Avalanche Preview: Martin Nečas & Nathan MacKinnon 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 days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Ross Colton (C), Jack Drury (C), Valeri Nichushkin (RW), Alex Barré-Boulet (C), Jack Ahcan (D), Ivan Ivan (C), Isak Posch (G), Chase Bradley (RW), Joel Kiviranta (LW), Nick Blankenburg (D), Jason Polin (RW)

Key Arrivals: Jaden Schwartz (LW), Zachary L'Heureux (LW), Fedor Svechkov (C), Magnus Chrona (G), Fabian Lysell (RW), Vincent Hinostroza (C), Noah Juulsen (D)

Top prospects: Egor Shilov (C, 18), Ilya Nabokov (G, 23), T.J. Hughes (C/RW, 24), Gavin Brindley (RW, 21), Mikhail Gulyayev (D, 21), Lysell (RW, 23), Sean Behrens (D, 23), Francesco Dell'Elce (D, 21)

Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon once again lead this veteran team as the cream of the NHL in what is now a changed salary landscape. This is the last year of Makar's low cap hit, which likely means the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup contention window will fade for a couple of seasons before opening up again in 2030. This franchise is led by elite talent, both on the ice and in management, as was cemented by Joe Sakic confirming he will stay on as Avs GM for the foreseeable future.

What makes their odds look good:
They dominated the NHL so much in their first 50 games last year - 35 wins, 6 regular-time losses, 9 overtime losses - that they could afford to coast to the Presidents' Trophy despite tons of injuries to key players in the second half (and the three playoff rounds). There has been a churning of the depth, but the star players remain, and they still have the best goaltending tandem in the league. It might not be as easy as last year, because head coach Jared Bednar will want his team to pace itself, but another finish at the top is a very strong possibility.

Question marks: Injuries can happen, as can fatigue with the head coach; but apart from that (and perhaps even despite it), this team should finish in the top-3 in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Outlook:
With secondary scoring like Brock Nelson (coming off his fourth 30-goal season), Martin Nečas (38 goals and 100 points last season, effectively replacing Mikko Rantanen, whom he was traded for), Nazem Kadri (still producing at 2 points per 3 games pace), Schwartz, tough third-linner Nicolas Roy, clutch playoff performer Artturi Lehkonen and captain Gabriel Landeskog, the Avs are the deepest team in the West with far less competition than the Florida Panthers have in the East. And that's without mentioning Olympian Devon Toews on the back end, helped by Brent Burns, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson and Brett Kulak.

Prediction:
1st in the NHL.

Today being my birthday, my kids and wife each gifted me a special hockey card - and this was the one my son chose for me:

That's card #T2-MR from Upper Deck's 2025-26 Artifacts collection and Tundra Teammates sub-set, featuring Nečas and MacKinnon, two 100-point superstars each with a piece of game-worn jersey, numbered 50/99. I likely never would have pulled it out of a box myself, and MacKinnon is one of my favourite players, so you can imagine how stoked I was to receive it.

Kraken Preview: Matty Beniers 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, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key Exits: Jaden Schwartz (LW), Jamie Oleksiak (D), Eeli Tolvanen (RW), Matt Murray (G)

Key Arrivals: Mackie Samoskevich (RW), Curtis Douglas (C)

Top prospects: Chase Reid (D, 18), Jake O'Brien (C, 19), Jani Nyman (RW, 22), Blake Fiddler (D, 19), Jagger Firkus (RW, 22), Oscar Fisker Molgaard (C, 21)

xxx

What makes their odds look good:
Some of their best prospects are young enough to build sustainable success around... if they break through. Samoskevich coming via trade with the Florida Panthers this summer and Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs last year show that new GM Jason Botterill may indeed be the right person to build this team up (and/or he has excellent assistants in Ricky Olczyk, Alexandra Mandrycky, and Ryan Jankowski, to which former Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin was added this summer, along with all the analytics staff).

Question marks: Will Matty Beniers fulfill the promise of his Calder Trophy-winning season and join the ranks of the All-Stars ot elite? Will Shane Wright get traded, or improve? Will Lane Lambert provide stability (i.e. a four- or five-year run) behind the Seattle Kraken bench for the first time in franchise history?

Outlook:
Like the Detroit Red Wings in yesterday's post, the Kraken seem mired in mediocrity and non-playoff futility. Unlike the Wings, however, their prospect pool includes a lot of players aged 20 or younger, especially among the highest-rated players. There is a light at the end of the tunnel even if the currect crop of players does not get to find success themselves.

Prediction:
6th in the Pacific Division.

Key among players hoping to take another step and either make the jump to the next wave instead of just bridging the gap to it is Beniers, the second-overall pick of the 2021 draft; to be fair, only Jesper Wallstedt (20th, Minnesota Wild) and Wyatt Johnston (23rd, Dallas Stars) have established themselves as top players in the first round from that draft class, with Josh Doan (37th, Arizona Coyotes), Logan Stankoven (47th, Stars), Matthew Knies (57th, Leafs), J.J. Moser (60th, Coyotes), and Jackson Blake (109th, Carolina Hurricanes) looking like steals in the later rounds.

With three 20-goal seasons under his belt, Beniers hasn't been a flop by any means, but the 24 goals, 33 assists and 57 points he registered in his rookie season remain career highs to this day:

Internationally, he has been successful in depth roles on Team USA, winning gold at the 2021 World Juniors and 2025 World Championships, as well as bronze at the 2019 World U-18s and 2025 Worlds.

Here he is on card #60 from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SP Game-Used set and Red Jersey sub-set:

It features a dark blue game-used jersey swatch.

Red Wings Preview: Lucas Raymond Banner 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, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Patrick Kane (RW), Cam Talbot (G), Travis Hamonic (D), James van Riemsdyk (LW), David Perron (RW), Erik Gustafsson (D), Sebastian Cossa (G)

Key Arrivals: Viktor Arvidsson (LW), Daniil Tarasov (G), Keegan Kolesar (RW), Jacob Bryson (D), Wilmer Skoog (LW/RW)

Top prospects: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (RW, 20), Trey Augustine (G, 21), J.P. Hurlbert (LW, 19), Carter Bear (LW, 19), Nate Danielson (C, 21), Carter Mazur (LW, 24), Max Plante (LW, 20)

GM Steve Yzerman's failed rebuild stepped down was fired moved on beyond hockey operations just too late to salvage the season at hand, leaving the team without a contract boss two weeks into free agency season, with captain Dylan Larkin requesting a trade out from his hometown team and future #2-3 defender Simon Edvinsson without a contract as a Restricted Free Agent. It is chaos. And it's not like the team was a contender to begin with.

What makes their odds look good:
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are legitimate top-flight players. Alex DeBrincat is not an accidental 40-goal scorer. I still believe in John Gibson as a 45-to-50-game starting goalie.

Question marks: What if Larkin is better suited as an elite second-line centre? Is Todd McLellan the coach that can bring an underachieving team to the playoffs, instead of underachieving in the playoffs with well-built teams (as he has in the past with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings)?

Outlook:
This is a mediocre team - in the true sense of the word, not as a metaphor for "bad"; these players are all probably among the 1,000 best in the world which, factoring in the fact that there are elite players in the Juniors circuit and that the KHL, AHL and European leagues are legitimate pro leagues where players deserve to make a living from the sport, means they are legitimate NHLers. That is not where the problem lies; most of their top prospects are in their 20s and have not broken into the league yet. Drafting, which used to be the team's bread and butter (with their owner's deep pockets), no longer finds Hall Of Famers in the late rounds - heck, they often seem to get outdrafted in the first round by later picks from other teams (which could signal to a development issue as well). While an argument can be made every year that they are on the cusp of breaking out and could finally contend for a playoff wild card spot - and they do usually hang around for nearly half the season - the recipe just isn't working, and instead of fighting to be around 15th overall, they fall closer to 30th. These players chosen by this management to be led by this coaching staff (and the last three...) do not produce a good enough result for where the team was 20-30 years ago; they look a whole lot more like the team from the 1980s, and that's what's scary about it.

Prediction:
8th in the Atlantic Division.

For the third straight season, Raymond has produced around a point per game, but he has also improved defensively, with a Fenwick For above 52% and a plus/minus line that has consistently improved as well, going from -32 to -17 to -12 to -15 to +1 in his five NHL seasons. He also took on a larger role with Team Sweden internationally, going from 4 points in 7 games (bronze medal) and 5 points in 5 games (5th place) at the 2020 and 2021 World Juniors respectively, to 8 points in 8 games (6th place) and 9 points in 10 games (bronze medal) at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, to 3 points in 3 games (3rd place) and 11 points in 10 games (bronze medal) at the 2025 4 Nations tournament and World Championships respectively, to 9 points in 5 games at the 2026 Olympics and 11 points in 8 games at the 20215 Worlds. He's one of the Detroit Red Wings' best players, in his prime, but at 24 years of age, he might not still be when the team's next solid nucleus reach their peaks.

Here he is on card #BYGS-LR from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SP Game-Used set and Banner Year sub-set:

It shows him wearing the Wings' red (home) uniform from the 2023 Global Series (as attested by the patch on his right pectoral muscle), along with a piece of decorative banner from the event:

2026-27 Upper Deck Hockey MVP Box Break

(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 couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab myself a box of the season's first set, Upper Deck's 2026-27 MVP (Retail version):

The main set has a nice futuristic, computer chip-y design that UD could have used on a more premium set (but I'm glad they didn't):

I miss when the backs had statistics from the previous five seasons, but having an anecdote for every single player is actually a pretty decent feat. The box cost me $80 (plus taxes, which amounts to $92) for 36 packs of 7 cards each - 252 in total. All told, I pulled 29 insert cards, which means I got 223 base cards.

As far as inserts go, here is how they break down: 6 Silver Scripts, a returning sub-set, of Sam Bennett, Tim Stützle, Nils Hoglander, Dylan Strome, Vincent Trocheck, and Alex Laferriere:

Now, granted, these aren't Young Guns from the flagship product, but folks are mostly chasing the Rookies cards, of which I pulled 7 (the first four of which I'm very happy to have): Nathan Gaucher, Anton Frondell, Konsta Helenius, Cole Hutson, Drew Fortescue, Avery Hayes, and Sandis Vilmanis:

Another returning sub-set is Clutch Performers, where I present you Nikita Kucherov and Carter Verhaeghe:

Paired Up features two players who at least ended the season on the same team, as seen here with Brady Tkachuk / Stützle of the Ottawa Senators and Kirill Kaprizov / Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild:

Gotta Have Hart is a good idea, but I'm on the mind that Nathan MacKinnon may have a better chance of winning it than William Nylander:

The Slot (possibly the heir to the "old" Net Crashers sub-set) sees Martin Necas and a pre-wealthy Leo Carlsson playing around the opposite goalie:

There were two Welcome Freshmen cards, of Danny Zhilkin and Angus Booth:

Another sub-set that is reminiscent of the past is Let It Rip!!!, with Boldy and Sidney Crosby:

But my very favourite sub-set this year is the (card-sized with rounded edges) Stickers. What a terrific design!

That's Josh Samanski, Vilmanis, Quinn Hughes and Necas.

Affordability and value are key issues in 2026, and the design of these cards make it a solid 8/10.

Jonathan Quick 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)

Tonight, Jonathan Quick will suit up as the starter for the New York Rangers for their final game of the season... and of his (likely) Hall of Fame career.

A two-time Vezina Trophy nominee, 2012 Conn Smythe winner and 2014 and 2018 Jennings Trophy winner, Quick is the winningest American goalie to date (he will likely be surpassed by Connor Hellebuyck at some point) with 410 regular-season and 49 playoff wins; his name is engraved three times on the Stanley Cup - in 2012 and 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, and as part of the backup options for the 2023 Vegas Golden Knights. He was also on the Team USA squad that won the 2010 silver Olympic medal.

For the better part of the 2010s, he had the fastest legs and reflexes in the game, eventually surpassed by the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy. Here is Quick in his prime, wearing the Kings' black (home) uniform, with a matching game-worn jersey swatch on card #GJ-JQ from Upper Deck's 2014-15 Series One set and Game Jersey sub-set:

Here's wishing him the best in retirement!