(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 the regular season being set to start in a matter of days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two more star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much work left to do.
Key exits: Kirill Marchenko (RW), Miles Wood (LW), Elvis Merzlikins (G), Boone Jenner (C), Mason Marchment (LW), Danton Heinen (LW), Egor Zamula (D), Brendan Smith (D), Zach Aston-Reese (LW/RW), Brendan Gaunce (C), Ivan Fedotov (G), Dysin Mayo (D), Hunter McKown (C)
Key arrivals: Matthew Knies (LW), Steven Lorentz (C), Emil Andrae (D), Valeri Nichushkin (RW), Ryan Lomberg (LW), Colton White (D), Phoenix Copley (G), Luke Tuch (RW)
Top prospects: Jackson Smith (D, 19), Cayden Lindstrom (C, 20), Pyotr Andreyanov (G, 19), Jordan Dumais (RW, 22), Sergei Ivanov (G, 22), Oscar Hemming (LW, 18)
What makes their odds look good:
They still have the reigning Norris Trophy winner in Zach Werenski, who nixed a trade to the Dallas Stars this summer to remain in Columbus. Knies is a 23-year-old top-6 forward with untapped offensive potential. Jet Greaves looks solid in net. Adam Fantilliextended well into his prime as training camp came to a close.
Question marks:
As the Werenski and Marchenko sagas proved, players are impatient to win, and not everyone sees the Blue Jackets as a team who can be a Stanley Cup contender in a relatively short window; they are on most no-trade lists and thus must draft, develop and nurture talent to get there.
Outlook:
General Manager Don Wadell has experience assembling and running teams that aren't exactly a destination, having previously served in the same position with the Atlanta Thrashers (1998-2010) and Carolina Hurricanes (2018-2024), the latter winning the Cup with his former assistant Eric Tulsky tweaking the lineup just a few months ago. He got enough good pieces back in the Marchenko trade that he doesn't need to pivot to (another) rebuild, he just needs to make sure he has the right coaching and development staff so that as many prospects as possible reach the NHL and have an impact. For now, they are a bubble playoff team with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins all fighting for a wild-card spot.
Prediction:
5th in the Metropolitan Division.
Marchenko is a tall, heavy player (6'3", over 200 pounds) with great hands who can protect the puck, deke multiple opponents on the same play and shoot accurately. He led the Jackets in goals in the last three seasons, posting nearly a point per game in 2024-25; on a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has a shot at 40-goal and 85-to-90-point seasons. Here he is on the "Red Jersey" variant of card #18 from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SP Game-Used Edition set:
It shows him wearing the Jackets' blue (away) uniform, and carries a matching game-worn jersey swatch.
(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)
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.
(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 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:
(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 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 rebuildstepped downwas firedmoved 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:
(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.
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:
Halak made his debut with the 2006-07 Montréal Canadiens, a team that started the season with Cristobal Huet and David Aebischer between the pipes, but when Huet went down with an injury, it was the rookie Halak and not the veteran Aebischer who saved the Habs' season and brought them to Game 82 with a playoff berth on the line, with head coach Guy Carbonneau opting to play the rusty veteran Huet instead of the young gun, and the team ending up losing 6-5 to the Toronto Maple Leafs to miss the postseason. His Spring ended with a participation at the World Championships representing Team Slovakia, while the team he suited up the most often for during the season, the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, went on to win the Calder Cup with fellow rookie Carey Price filling in for Halak in net.
The following season saw Price and Huet start the season in Montréal, but the experienced French tender getting traded to the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline and Halak getting called up to finish the year in the NHL; ironically, both Huet and Price got Vezina votes that year, but Huet finished ahead despite getting traded a month and a half before season's end. Price would hold the #1 job by default as the "resident NHLer" that year but struggled mightily in the playoffs, unable to carry the weight of the position:
2008-09 was more of the same, as GM Bob Gainey tried to force Carbonneau to use Price over Halak (52 games, 2.83 goals-against average versus 34 games, 2.86 GAA) despite Halak having a far superior save percentage (.915 to .905) and eye test result. Gainey ended up firing Carbo, who had a 35-24-7 record at the top of the Northeastern division while Gainey finished the year 6-6-4 to have the Habs finish second and get swept in the first round by the Boston Bruins, with Price in net and sporting a .878 save percentage and 4.11 GAA (Halak stopped all five shots he faced).
With Jacques Martin stepping in to coach for the 2009-10 season, Price's numbers (.912, 2.77 GAA) were once again short of Halak's (.924, 2.40 GAA), but the games played were still very similar (45 for Halak, 41 for Price), as the Habs made it to the playoffs by a hair; they faced off against Presidents Trophy winners Washinton (featuring Alexander Ovechkin) in the first round, and Halak stifled them to the tune of 45 (3-2 win), 31 (6-5 loss), 10 (pulled in a 5-1 loss), 37 (in a 2-1 win), 53 (in a 4-1 win) and 41 saves (in a 2-1 nailbiter of a Game 7). This prompted some Montealers to deface the city's stop signs as a tribute:
Then it was the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins' turn, the team with future Hall Of Famers Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. And while the first game scared everyone in town (15 saves, 5 goals against in a 6-3 loss), the others fell in line with the Caps series' boxscores: 38 saves in a 3-1 win, 23 saves on 24 shots in a 2-0 loss, 33 saves in a 3-2 win, 23 saves in a 2-1 loss, 34 saves in a 4-3 win, and 37 saves in a 5-2 Game 7 clinic.
Unfortunately, the entire team had already run out of steam by the time the Philadelphia Flyers rolled around, and at that point so did Halak. Apart from a 25-save 5-1 win, the Habs lost the other four games by a 16-2 margin, getting shut out three times, ending the best postseason run by a Canadiens goalie since Patrick Roy's 1993 and 1986 Cup and Conn Smythe-winning runs.
With three straight regular seasons as the team's best goalie and an incredible playoff run, Habs management (Gainey, new GM Pierre Gauthier, and team president Pierre Boivin) opted to trade Halak over Price during that summer, thinking the former fifth-overall draft pick would eventually be the best suited to bring a Cup back to Montréal; in exchange for the Slovak, the Canadiens received third-line centre Lars Eller and a draft pick from the St. Louis Blues. This trade tree shows how Eller eventually led to the acquisition of Patrik Laine:
Some believe, however, that a trade return for Price may have landed a first-line player or a top-two defenseman instead of a third-rounder while still keeping a goalie who ended up having a similar stat line (.917 and 2.51 in 15 seasons versus .915 and 2.50 in 17 seasons, each with one Cup Final participation), and that such a return may have enabled Montréal to advance further in the playoffs more often, as acquiring offensive talent seems to have been an issue around Price's $10.5M cap hit in his final eight seasons.
In just four seasons with St. Louis, Halak won his first Jennings Trophy (alongside Brian Elliott), got Vezina votes, and managed to put up impressive statistics that show favourably among Blues alumni:
He also ranks third in save percentage, fourth in GAA, and ninth in total saves, on a list that includes Glenn Hall, Grant Fuhr, Curtis Joseph and Jordan Binnington. For a while, it also seemed he would get the first star whenever he was facing the Habs (and especially Price), cementing his reutation of excellence under pressure.
As his five-year contract was coming to an end, the Blues traded him to the Buffalo Sabres with Chris Stewart, William Carrier, a first-round pick in the 2015 draft that became Jack Roslovic and a third-round pick in the 2016 draft that became Linus Nassen, for the other best goalie of 2009-10, Ryan Miller, and Steve Ott. He wouldn't play for the Sabres but by backing up Jhonas Enroth on March 3rd, he became the 10th player in franchise history to suit up but not play a single second in a game for the team. He was quickly shipped off to Washington with a third-round pick in the 2015 draft (Robin Kovacs) for Rostislav Klesla and Michal Neuvirth, and proceeded to have a .930 save percentage and 2.30 GAA and one shutout in 12 games with the Caps, playing behind - and acting as playoff insurance for - Braden Holtby.
Hitting free agency, Halak quickly signed a four-year deal with the New York Islanders, bringing instant stability to the crease and even setting team records, notably beating Hall Of Famer Billy Smith's win records (38 vs 32) in his very first season, including posting a 1.16 GAA with a .948 save percentage during an 11-game win streak. He went 88-65-19, with a 2.69 GAA and a .913 SV% in 177 regular-season appearances for the Isles. he and goaltending partner Thomas Greiss would even remain a pair at the 2016 World Cup, suiting up for a Team Europe squad that finished second in the tournament, with Halak playing both Final games versus Team Canada, facing off against none other than Price. Price had identical 32-save performances playing for the powerhouse team that won 3-1 and 2-1 to sweep the best-of-three series, while Halak stopped 35 of 38 in the first game and 32 of 34 in the second, with Europe spending most of the final bottled in their own zone.
The Isles would pivot to Robin Lehner between the pipes for the 2018-19 season, with Barry Trotz replacing Doug Weight as head coach and with the legendary Mitch Korn taking over goaltending guru duties over Marc Champagne and Fred Brathwaite. All this movement led to Halak signing on as Tuukka Rask's backup with the Boston Bruins for three seasons, the first of which featured 40 games played, a 22-11-4 record, 4 shutouts, a .922 save percentage and 2.34 GAA, as well as a seven-game trip to the Stanley Cup Final. His 2019-20 season was even better, with an 18-6-6 record, .919 save percentage, 2.39 GAA and 3 shutouts in 31 games (and another Jennings Trophy for his mantle), as well as appearances in nine postseason games, including one in the Covid era-specific seeding round, three wins in three games versus the Carolina Hurricanes, and the entire Conference Final series against eventual Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning. His final season in Boston was bizarre, with a three-goalie rotation between Rask, Halak and Jeremy Swayman, and Dan Vladar also suiting up in 5 of the 54 games for good measure; only Swayman looked good, and by the summer Halak signed on as the Vancouver Canucks' backup, which would be followed with one season of doing the same with the New York Rangers.
All told, Halak leaves the NHL with a 295-189-69 record, 53 shutouts, franchise records, the most exciting Conference Final run in recent memory, one Cup Final, a couple of Jennings trophies, and standing up to the Canadian team in international play. Not bad for a perennial underdog who was drafted in the ninth round in 2003.
He signed the picture atop this piece while playing for the Islanders. It shows him wearing the Blues' third jersey from the 2008-16 era. I wish him the best in retirement.
It'll be easier in some regards with all the national teams at all the levels (including but not limited to the World Juniors, the World Championships, the Spengler Cup, the Canada/World Cup, the Summit Series, and the Men's and Women's Olympic teams), but I'm again at a loss for #99 (Wayne Gretzky) and likely will be for my entire life.
The plan is to stick to hockey, but who knows, maybe I'll get to add some from other sports as well; it might be my only shot at a #99.
So far, I have featured 35 players representing a total of 26 jersey numbers.
(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 Montréal Canadiens signed a former first-round draft pick to a one-year, $900K contract earlier today, a left-shot centre who should see time in the bottom-six (I would guess Jake Evans is slotted as the third-line pivot which would relegate Joe Veleno to the fourth) and will essentially replace departed free agent Christian Dvorak.
He thus becomes the third hometown kid to get repatriated over the summer, after the free agent signing of Stanley Cup (St. Louis Blues, 2019) and Calder Cup (Abbottsford Canucks, 2025) winner Sammy Blais and trade acquisition Zachary Bolduc (from the Blues, for Logan Mailloux).
At age 25, Veleno will aim to change the perception on his career trajectory, as the second member - with Sean Day - of the five-man club of players granted "exceptional status" in Juniors, i.e. players who were allowed to make their Junior hockey debuts at age 15 (one year ahead of usual phenoms) and reached their prime age without achieving "impact player" status at the NHL level; John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, and Connor McDavid have all reached stardom, while a trio of youngsters who were also given that chance - Shane Wright, Connor Bedard, and Michael Misa - have yet to reach those peaks but get a pass due to their age.
As a 16-year-old high schooler in 2016-17, he helped his Saint John Sea Dogs win the LHJMQ's league championship, with 20-year-old Matthew Highmore, 19-year-olds Mathieu Joseph, Thomas Chabot, and Jakub Zboril, and 18-year-old Julien Gauthier.
He split the next season between the Sea Dogs (6 goals, 25 assists and 31 points in 31 games, with 26 penalty minutes and a -10 rating) and Drummondville Voltigeurs (16 goals, 32 assists and 48 points in 33 games, with 22 penalty minutes and a +14 rating, plus 11 points and 10 PIMs in 10 playof games), leading the Detroit Red Wings to pick him 30th overall at the 2018 draft, ahead of Alexander Romanov (Montréal Canadiens, 38th), Ryan McLeod (Edmonton Oilers, 40th), Jack Drury (Carolina Hurricanes, 42nd), Martin Fehervary (Washington Capitals, 46th), Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets, 49th), Sean Durzi (Toronto Maple Leafs, 52nd), Jack McBain (Minnesota Wild, 63rd), Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks, 85th), and Philipp Kurashev (Chicago Blackhawks, 120th). With 306 NHL games played, Veleno currently ranks 15th in his draft class, while his 81 points place him 22nd for now.
He followed that up with 104 points (42 goals, 62 assists) in 59 games in 2018-19, with 19 penalty minutes and an astonishing +63 plus/minus rating for his final season in Juniors before turning pro. He then posted 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 54 games with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins in 2019-20, opted to play overseas with the Malmö Redhawks (20 points and 18 penalty minutes in 46 games) before finishing the season with the Griffins (3 points and 4 PIMs in 4 games) and Red Wings (1 point and 4 PIMs in 5 games). He's mostly been an NHL regular with the underwhelming Wings and Blackhawks these past three seasons. This upcoming season may well be his first true shot at a playoff berth in the NHL as the Habs look to repeat last season's success and perhaps even go deeper in the postseason.
Here is the Player of The Day sporting Team Canada's red uniform in the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where his team placed fifth, on card #70 from Upper Deck's 2017-18 Team Canada Juniors set, signed a couple of years ago in blue sharpie:
He captained the team to the championship the following season. As a matter of fact, his international record is pretty stellar, with gold medals at the 2020 World Juniors (6 points in 6 games as assistant-capitan) and 2023 World Championships (5 points in 5 games with current Habs teammates Blais and Samuel Montembeault), and fellow Quebecers Devon Levi and Pierre-Olivier Joseph).
(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)
As an Edmonton Oilers fan, I've been on John Gibson trade watch for the better part of the last three years, hoping beyond hope that a competent enough GM would be able to swing a trade with the Anaheim Ducks and make the three-time All-Star's salary work under the team's cap and propose a package that was enticing enough to Anaheim to convince them to part ways with their at-times disgruntled starter.
Earlier today at the 2025 NHL draft, the Detroit Red Wings put those dreams to rest, acquiring Gibson for a package that included an objectively less-heralded goalie in Petr Mrazek, as well as a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick. No first-rounder, no top-rated prospect, just a backup goalie, and essentially two lottery tickets, as second-rounders have a 34% of making it to the NHL, and only 7.9% of fourth-rounders end up playing in 100 NHL games.
This leads me to think it was solely the cap hit that the Oilers couldn't find their way around - or that GMs Ken Holland (2019-24) and successor Stan Bowman simply didn't like the player, because on the surface Gibson is still a top-15 or top-20 goalie in the NHL. He had a .912 save percentage in 2024-25 - albeit in only 29 games - after five straight seasons below .910, although he had started each of those seasons extremely well (twice the best goalie in the league before Christmas) before running out of steam as the Ducks accumulated the defensive zone breakdowns when the going got tougher. But we're still talking about a .910 career save percentage, two Conference Finals, gold at the World Juniors and U-18s, bronze at the World Championships for Team USA, and this stat line playing against the best available adults:
Sure, that was more than a decade ago, but he still shows flashes of that today, and at 31 years of age, he should still has three or four good years left.
I was able to grab this piece via trade a little over a year ago:
It was originally part of a larger piece (a 4x6 photo of his helmet that hadn't printed well and was pixelated), which autograph collector BG cut into a card-sized piece to facilitate moving on from it. It was signed in (fading) black sharpie.
(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 Stålbergretired 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 Swiss League scoring with 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.
(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).
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.
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.
(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.
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.
Writer, mostly, in mediums diverse and similar: musician, film-maker, poet - not the bad type, nor the pretentious type. It's more that I suck at everything except producing words and shouting ideas at people. Oh, and I'm the guy who brings you UnPop Montreal yearly, helping the little guy get a voice in this variety-deprived city.
