Simon Gagné Jersey Card

No one was happier than me to learn that Simon Gagné had received a try-out offer with the Boston Bruins next month. You can't lose a scoring touch that had two 40-goal and two other 30-goal seasons, two All-Star Games, and five Team Canada participations (including two gold medals and a World Cup).

Sure, his speed's no longer what it was, and after spending last season practicing with the LHJMQ's Québec Remparts, reflexes may take a few weeks to get back up to par - and there are health issues that come with past concussions; but you can't negate 799 regular-season NHL games' worth of experience, a Stanley Cup, 37 playoff goals, and 597 total points.

In Boston, he'll suit up for a perennial contender, likely play on the third line, and get some vital powerplay minutes with fellow Québec City phenom Patrice Bergeron. Add a bargain-basement price tag and it's not just a win-win, but a no-brainer.

I unwrapped this card of his earlier this season, from Upper Deck's 2013-14 SP Game-Used Edition (card #AF-SG of the Authentic Fabrics sub-set), featuring a black swatch and showing him wearing the Philadelphia Flyers' orange retro/home uniform:

At first glance, because the jersey he's wearing is mostly orange, it might look like a Frankencard (where the swatch is from a different uniform than the one shown or - worse - from a different team altogether), and it very well could be; but if you look at the sleeves, they're black; they could be a match.

However, all the teams Gagné's played for played in black: the Flyers, the Tampa Bay Lightning pre-current all-blue, and the Los Angeles Kings. Even his new team, the Bruins. This could be from any of them (except Boston), yet it's well done because there's no way to know for sure. Well played, UD.