Jeff Tambellini Jersey And Autograph Card

In keeping up with the "matching daily team articles on both blogs" theme, after predicting the Los Angeles Kings would finish 5th in the Pacific in 2017-18, I thought I could focus on the career on one of their former prospects, Jeff Tambellini.

Tambellini was a fine player for the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA and perhaps the best skater in his age category when the Kings made him their first-round pick (27th overall) in 2003; unfortunately, they also viewed him as soft and unreliable defensively, so despite his putting decent numbers up (56 points in 56 games) with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs, they sent him (and Denis Grebeshkov) to the New York Islanders for Brent Sopel and Mark Parrish in March 2006.

While in the Isles' organization, he developed into a fine two-way player, thanks to his speed in coming back in the defensive zone when his team lost possession of the puck. He also further developed his offensive attributes (namely his quick wrists and good, deceptive shot) with their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers (138 points in 113 games) but just couldn't stick in the NHL, accumulating 46 points in 176 games on Long Island.

In 2010-11, he tried his luck with the Vancouver Canucks, yielding similar results: 17 points in 62 games when he was up, 5 goals and 2 assists for 7 points in 7 games with the Manitoba Moose.

He then tried his hand in Europe, finding some success in the Swiss League with the Zurich Lions (45 points in 50 games in his first season there, 12 in 27 the following year), prompting a downfall that would be consistent save for two fine playoffs and another decent turn in the AHL for good measure:

Courtesy of HockeyDB

As far as I know, he is currently a free agent and would thus be eligible to suit up for Team Canada at the Olympics in February... He does have a silver medal from the 2004 World Juniors...

Here he is dating back to his days with the Kings, wearing their black-and-purple uniform on the "all dressed" version of card #241 from Fleer's 2005-06 Hot Prospects set and Prized Prospects sub-set, manufactured by Upper Deck:

It's got everything a card collector hates, from the blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph to the black swatch (they call this one a "patch" on the back of the card, though I don't see it myself) coming from a jersey used in a rookie photo shoot.

It's numbered 225/349.