Sabres Preview: Corey Tropp Autograph Card

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: 2020 is a different beast and requires adaptability; in my case, it means the joint posts with my "main/personal" blog will not be in the "player here/analysis there" format but rather the entire scope of the analysis will take place here and the player will have some sort of direct connection to what's written. Caveats: at this point, despite the season being set to start in Mid-January, several impact players haven't found a team yet and quite a few teams are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

There's something about the Buffalo Sabres that makes me unable to ever take them seriously, part of it based on 42 years of watching them implode and then watching them try to turn things around with absurd decisions, like that time in the mid-2000s when they fired almost their entire scouting staff and resorted to video instead of in-person scouting, resulting in a handful of first-round picks never suiting up for even an entire NHL season's owrth of games in their entire careers, the top picks of 2005 (Marek Zagrapan, 13th overall) and 2006 (Dennis Persson, 24th) never suiting up in an NHL game at all and no one in the 2011 crop ever playing in Buffalo. Signing Jack Eichel to an overpay three years too soon, extending Jeff Skinner to be paid more than Sidney Crosby and going at it without a true #1 goalie are all desperation moves that keep a team at the bottom of the standings, at least once the season's 15 games old, when the "real" teams get their legs going. Kevyn Adams is now in the ejectable GM's seat, probably because former captain Chris Drury is happier taking a back seat with the New York Rangers and awaiting an opening that doesn't seem like total career suicide.

What makes their odds look good:
Look, I'll say it now: Eichel is no Connor McDavid, not even close. He's no Nathan MacKinnon, no Leon Draisaitl, no Crosby. But he's a very good young player who may one day hit the 50-goal and 100-point marks - perhaps the century points plateau a handful of times - and who might grow into the captain's role, but he's not there yet. As a matter of fact, for all the rumours we've been hearing and that were semi-confirmed by both the star player and management over the past three years, it seems like he's learned how to lead from Ryan O'Reilly, who skipped town when Eichel took his job. One does not lead with negativity and threats. Well, ROR does and wins Selkes, Conn Smythes and Stanley Cups that way, but he also crashes into restaurants with his car. Rasmus Dahlin has also shown nice glimpses of a #1 defenseman, but he's still a few years away from his prime. While I do not believe in the Sabres' ability to grow so much as to make the playoffs and become serious contenders yet, they do have promising pieces. And I like Ralph Krueger as a coach, I just don't feel like he'll be the person they trust when the kids are ready; I think Buffalo might be the first team to hire a woman as head coach when they are, so that she gets a path to and true opportunity for success.

Question marks:
Is Eichel ready to take a team on his shoulders, Jarome Iginla-style? Will the Taylor Hall gamble pay off for anyone other than Taylor Hall (because so far in his career, it never has)? How much does Eric Staal have left in the tank? Are the Sabres - as currently constructed - better than at least four of the following teams: Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers?

Outlook:
There are some nice key pieces seemingly in the right spots on this roster, yet so many who just aren't. And others are in the right one technically (Cody Eakin in a #3C role, for instance) but who do not seem to fit with the team. I'll be honest, I don't know much about projected second-lone winger Dylan Cozens, but if he's as good as I've read, he'll surpass a lot of prospects in the organization that just haven't shown to be where they should be at this stage of their development; the Sabres should be either at the same level of evolution as the Edmonton Oilers (challenging for a division title) or Toronto Maple Leafs (due for a retool after failing for a few seasons as an actual serious contender).

Prediction:
Seventh in the Metrpolitan/East Division.

Which brings me to Corey Tropp, the team's late third-round pick (89th overall) in 2007, ahead of Alec Martinez (4th, 95th), Art Ross winner and Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn (5th, 129th, but everyone slept on Benn), Jake Muzzin (5th, 141st), two-time Stanley Cup winner Patrick Maroon (6th, 161st), Carl Hagelin (6th, 168th), Nick Bonino (6th, 173rd), Paul Byron (6th, 179th), and Carl Gunnarsson (7th, 194th).

At 31 years of age, he may not get another crack at the NHL and his statistics in 149 games over four seasons with three teams (6 goals, 21 assists, 27 points, 133 penalty minutes and an average of 9:08 minutes payed per game) show him as a fourth-line talent, but he was nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL from 2011-12 (22 points in 29 games) until 2018-19 (40 points in 55 games), meaning he had real talent that may read well on video and in highlights reels, but perhaps an in-person check might have shown something in his temper that could have lead to the 2009 NCAA incident with Steve Kampfer and his perpetual 100-PIM seasons in the AHL.

Here he is donning #78 in the Sabres' dark blue 2010s home uniform, on card #CS-TROP from Panini's 2012-13 Certified collection and Certified Signatures sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph.

Jamie Benn Swatch Card

I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that while he isn't scoring as much as he used to and that Joe Pavelski has also assumed a large part of the Dallas Stars' leadership up-front, captain Jamie Benn is once again looking like a leader in these playoffs.

His last two regular seasons had been a disappointment to say the least - 27 goals, 26 assists and 53 points in 78 games in 2018-19 and 19 goals, 20 assists and 30 points in 69 games in 2019-20 - but he elevated his gaem in both postseasons, and this year in particular, with two three-game goal streaks this season, against noteworthy adversaries like the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, in key games, no less.

I'm not sure GM Jim Nill sees it as "worth the $9.5M cap hit" per se, but he's probably extremely happy to have him around, that's for sure. Here is the power forward in simpler times, wearing the Stars' black/dark green football-style uniform with the wordmark chest piece and number on the front of the jersey, on the swatch insert version of card #14 from Panini's 2010-11 Certified set and Certified Potential sub-set:

It features a matching game-worn jersey swatch and is numbered #88/99.

Marcus Foligno Autograph Card

Marcus Foligno is quietly having his most productive season in the NHL so far, one point behind the career-high 23 points he put up in three straight seasons from 2015 until 2018, with over 20 games left in the regular season calendar.

He's only made the playoffs once - in 2017-18 in his first season with the Minnesota Wild, with one goal in five games played and no less than 16 penalty minutes. The 6'3", 225-pound former fourth-round pick (104th overall in 2009) is usually good for three to five fights per year, standing up for his teammates at every opportunity.

He's cemented his position as a shut-down checking forward, finishing in the pluses (+5 as we speak) every year despite playing on poor teams. Relative to his teammates, he's actually a more positive force out there than more expensive options and his $2.85M cap hit is good for another year after this one.

Glad to see he's building his own path without being in the shadow of his father Mike (a former Buffalo Sabres star)  and brother Nick, captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Here he is wearing the Sabres' 2010-12 "Wordmark" blue (third) jersey on card #CS-MF from Panini's 2012-13 Certified set and Certified Signatures sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied, on-stick autograph. It's actually a very nice silver foil card, but my scanner refused to acknowledge it as such.

Jaroslav Halak Swatch Card

The Montréal Canadiens - and particularly their head coach Claude Julien and star goalie Carey Price (3.56 GAA, .886 save percentage) - are mired in a month-long funk that is seemingly without end, so facing former star goalie Jaroslav Halak - he of the near-perfect record against the Habs, especially in Montréal - was likely going to prove problematic, especially since he's in town with the rest of the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins in search of their fourth-straight win after a sub-par outing in Ottawa last week.

Wouldn't you know it, Price let in 5 goals on 11 shots while Halak stopped 36 of 37 en route to an 8-1 routing of the home team. This after Price, Julien and the Canadiens blew a 4-0 lead to lose 6-5 at the hands of the New York Rangers on home ice on Saturday.

This was Montréal's fifth-straight loss, and the masses are already speculating on who could take over behind the Canadiens' bench, the smart money betting safe on Associate-Coach Kirk Muller, Mike Babcock, Guy Boucher and current assistant Dominic Ducharme.

I believe the team will stay idle, but there are plenty of bench bosses I prefer to Julien, including Patrick Roy, Guy Carbonneau, Manitoba Moose bench boss Pascal Vincent, Syracuse Crunch head coach Benoît Groulx and - why not? - Ducharme, Boucher and Muller, in that order.

Not Babcock - he needs to sort his public image out, repent, and attempt to grow and change his ways a bit before he's given a second (fourth) chance. Furthermore, he seems like he's taking his former partners down with him - today it was Bill Peters' turn for alleged (and seemingly now-corroborated) racist behaviour, perhaps tomorrow it will be Boucher, a fellow McGill alumnus and another coach who uses mind games to motivate his players.

But back to the hero of the evening, Halak, who made news last week for his use of practice pads. He is on the last of a two-year deal with Boston that pays him $2.75M annually to play roughly the same amount of regular-season games as starter Tuukka Rask - who makes $7M - so that Rask can be rested come playoff time, a strategy that worked well enough to lead the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final last season. It's a thankless job, but he's shining in it, with a 2.39 GAA (7th in the NHL), a 5-1-3 record, a .930 save percentage (4th) and a shutout (tied for 7th). Other goalies aren't faring as well:

The Bruins are among the favourites to earn the William Jennings Trophy for fewest goals given as a team, which would mark Halak's second such win. The first time, of course, was as a member of the St. Louis Blues, as can be seen on card #FOG-HAL from Panini's 2012-13 Certified set and Fabric Of The Game sub-set:

It is numbered 101/150 and is of the "Red / Mirror" variant; the swatch lies underneath a die-cut stencil of the word "Blues", fittingly, and features a prominent blue game-worn jersey swatch.

I got it on Ebay just last week for use at a much later date, but it was (physically) the closest piece of memorabilia to feature when I opted for Halak as my subject of the day.

Bobby Ryan Swatch Card

A few days ago, Ottawa Senators winger Bobby Ryan lost his mother to cancer. To find out how much she meant for him - and to make your allergies tear your eyes up - read his piece on The Players Tribune; I don't remember a story so heart-wrenching, particularly when one knows of his family history.

Everyone has a story, and not all people can handle all situations; still, without putting down those who have and still struggle with what life brings or has brought their way, it's nice when someone gets to rise above it and succeed at what they choose to do.

He of the six 50-point seasons (with a high of 71 in 2010-11) and of the four 30-goal seasons (with a high of 35 in 2009-10 is still in his prime at 29 years old, and will be a big part of the Sens' resurgence this coming season. Guy Boucher will be the perfect head coach to help him reach a level the Senators have not gotten out of him yet.

Here he is wearing the Anaheim Ducks, white (away) uniform on card #FOG-BR from Panini's 2012-13 Certified set and Fabric Of The Game sub-set, numbered 147/299 and featuring a matching game-worn jersey swatch:

It's a thick, beautiful silver foil card that I'm extremely happy to have.

Chris VandeVelde Autographed Card

Chris VandeVelde was suspended for two games yesterday for elbowing Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. The Edmonton Oilers' fourth-round pick (97th overall) in 2005, he now suits up with the Philadelphia Flyers, who play a physical style closer to what his own skill set is.

An offensive center in the NCAA, his statistics didn't translate to the AHL, let alone the NHL, where he projects to be the kind of player Zenon Kenopka and Paul Gaustad are: physical centermen who don't make too many defensive mistakes, win a lot of faceoffs, but are mostly just huge, strong, relatively quick and can deliver punishing checks.

Not that I don't want one or two of those on my team, but they're likely not the difference between a Stanley Cup championship or a Conference Finals; heck, they're probably not the difference between a playoff and non-playoff team in these super-competitive times.

VandeVelde skated in 72 games with the Flyers last season and had appeared in 69 so far this year, registering 13 points on a playoff bubble team that got rid of Vincent Lecavalier around the Holidays.

He looks like a natural in orange, which was also a big part of the Oilers' uniform. Here he is seen wearing their current/retro blue-and-orange garbs, which checks off #54 from my Oilers Numbers Project at the same time:

It's card #CS-SV from Panini's 2012-13 Certified set and Certified Signatures sub-set, with a blue-sharpied, on-sticker autograph that seems to spell Cav-Vl, which might be his Kryptonian name (notice that it's probably pronouced Cavill). It's a beautiful silver foil card that helps the Oilers' colours stand out.

Robert Mayer Autograph Card

Possibly my favourite goalie not currently playing in the NHL, Robert Mayer could probably have done as good a job picking up the slack for injured Carey Price as Mike Condon, save perhaps the spectacular 27-save performance at the Winter Classic in his hometown of Boston.

Mayer's presently one of the best goalies in the Swiss league, having played 31 games so far for Genève-Servette Hockey Club, with a 2.50 GAA and .921 save percentage with fellow Montréal Canadiens alumnus Matt D'Agostini and Montrealer Matthew Lombardi.

The team's currently fourth in the league with a 22-11 record, and stands third for goals against (96), behind powerhouses Zurich Lions (89) and Zug EV (90).

My Mayer player collection is pretty huge, and here's another card I added via trade over a year ago, showing him with the Habs' classic bleu-blanc-rouge uniform:

It's card #176 from Panini's 2012-13 Certified collection, the signed insert version of the Freshman Signatures subset which was numbered 841/999 and was signed in blue sharpie on a sticker. I like the silver foil that gives a black-and-white feel to the background which, granted, is hard to see in the scan. It's a terrific card of a terrific guy, whom I wish the best to.

Delone Carter Swatch Card

Delone Carter was considered a top running back prospect at the 2011 NFL Draft, and yet dropped to 119th place as the Indianapolis Colts took a chance on the diminutive (5'9'') and bulky (232 pounds) tough runner.

Carter ranks third of all time in rushing with the Syracuse Orange, with 3104 yeards, and played in the NFL with the Colts for two seasons, and a few games with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year. He had been a free agent until last week, when he signed with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger -Cats, who are in a playoff race with my hometown Montréal Alouettes at the moment.

If he stays out of trouble, he could make some serious damage on the field.

I didn't know much about him when I pulled this 2011 Certified card by Panini (#274 in the set, part of the Freshman Fabric sub-set, numbered 4/50) in a multi-sports re-pack last year, but it fit right in to start the weekend:

When a card mentions ''MVP'' twice in the same paragraph, you've got some skill. Also, notice in the fine print how while they mention the swatch is from an event (NFL Rookie Premiere), they specify the exact date it was worn; I really like that about football cards, they're specific and accurate.

Derek Roy Swatch Card

The season started out ok for Derek Roy, as he recorded an assist in his first game with the Nashville Predators. The former Buffalo Sabres captain looks poised to produce at the same rate as he had with the Sabres and Dallas Stars (0.75 points per game), rather than with the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues (0.5).

When a team's general manager says his $1M contract offer is your ''last chance at getting top-6 ice time'', like David Poile did in July, one must feel at least some amount of pressure. Playing with Colin Wilson and Craig Smith gives the diminutive and skillful Roy (5'9'', 184 pounds) a playmaker and a shooter to manage and match his own skill set with, and it could very well lead to great things for him personally.

For a guy who had four straight 20-goal seasons (with a peak of 32 in 2007-08) and four straight 60-point seasons (peaking at 81 the same year), getting back into point-producing mode after a sub-par 9-28-37 season in the defensively-minded Blues' system will be a relief.

He has two silver medals playing for Team Canada internationally, one at the World Juniors, and one at the World Championships. At 31 years of age, it would require quite the rejuvenation (coupled with an early playoff exit) for him to be able to represent his country again in the future.

During his time in Buffalo, it seems like the team was changing uniforms on a yearly basis; the one depicted on this card is a decent one - except for the logo/lettering - inspired by their original 1970s/1980s garbs:

The card is from Panini's 2011-12 Certified set (card #20 of the Fabric Of The Game sub-set, numbered 74/399), and features a seemingly black swatch (at least in person), which would mean it's from the team's turn-of-the-millennium away uniform.

P.K. Subban Swatch Card

It's finally a done deal! P.K. Subban has finally signed his 8-year contract, valued at $72M (or an average and cap hit of $9M per season). This after asking for $8.5M in arbitration, and after his agent Don Meehan saving said Subban had ''not instructed (him) to make him the highest-paid defenseman in the league''.

I'm not saying Subban won't be worth that money, because he will. The 2013 Norris winner will help the team make that money back with jersey sales alone, before factoring in that he was his team's biggest point producer in a post-season that saw the Montréal Canadiens reach the Conference Finals; his presence combined to Andrei Markov's gives the Habs 15 more points (say 6 wins) than if one of them was absent, and 25 more (10 wins) than if the team was without both.

I'm also in the camp that feels this has been Subban's team for two years, and he's the guy that will ultimately lead them back to the Stanley Cup. The sooner the better, but if it takes 3 to 5 years, maybe by then Subban will have the captain's 'C' sown near his heart and will be the first to receive the prized trophy from the commissioner's hands. This deal seals it: the Habs will live and die through Subban, who now becomes the highest money earner in team history, and surely can handle the pressure that comes with it - unlike the previous two.

Even his detractors - and there are a lot of them judging by the comments sections all over the internet, although who knows how many of those are angry or jealous Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs fans - have to admit he's among the top-10 defenders in the NHL, despite his imperfections. He may not be as ''complete'' as Markov, Shea Weber and Drew Doughty, he takes more risks, but he makes hockey entertaining to watch, and succeeds far more often than he fails. He's also become a better team player in the past couple of seasons, groomed under GM Marc Bergevin and head coach Michel Therrien - and, to a lesser extent, Team Canada coach Mike Babcock. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and never once complained despite playing in just one game. He was there for his teammates, and ready to go if called upon, but he accepted his role as the 7th or 8th defenseman. After Habs games, in victory or defeat, he faces the press, and always refers to every event that happened as being a ''team effort''.

The counterpoint to that is I thought Bergevin's hand included the ''Doughty and Weber make much less'' argument, and that Subban's role on the Canadian team showed he still had room to improve; I was thinking his salary would go: 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9, 10, 10 for a total of $69M, for an 8.625 average, giving the team a bit more room to fit other players under the cap. And Subban will ''only'' be 33 by the end of the contract, which means another big payday then. And Montréal being what it is, with ample opportunities for sponsorship deals, especially considering the Habs are owned mostly by the family who owns the Molson-Coors brewery, and in part by Bell Media... But maybe that's just splitting hairs.

In any event, this gives me an opportunity to close out my Subban cards for the summer with this jersey card, from Panini's 2011-12 Certified set (card #128 in the collection, just like the regular card, but from the Mirror variant sub-set, of which it is the blue variation); the red swatch matches the home jersey shown in the picture, and the card is numbered #47/99:

Ryan O'Reilly Swatch Card

Ah, the curious case of Ryan O'Reilly. The 33rd pick of the 2009 draft, ahead of Robin Lehner (46th), Brandon Pirri (59th), Tomas Tatar (60th), Tyson Barrie (64th), David Savard (94th), Stanley Cup winner Linden Vey (96th), Gabriel Bourque (132nd), and Gabriel Dumont (139th) already has NHL hardware - he won the Lady Byng trophy this summer after notching just two penalty minutes all season, for playing with a broken stick no less - but is also entering his second contract dispute with the Colorado Avalanche in less than two years.

He signed an offer sheet with the Calgary Flames a year and a half ago, a trap if there ever was one, considering he made $1M (with a 2.5M signing bonus) the first year, and a whopping $6.5M the second, meaning as a Restricted Free Agent, the team who would own his rights (be they the Flames, the Avs or any team he would have been traded to) had at least match the final year's worth just as a qualifying offer, or lose him to Unrestricted Free Agency. Of course, since then, teams were awarded the right to bring a player to arbitration and lower their salary - which they have applied for, and both sides enter the next couple of weeks a little on edge.

And there was that thing with O'Reilly's dad, angry at the organization for not having named his son captain, his Twitter rants, and his attack on how the team views character.

Except character isn't about crying the minute you don't get what you want, it's about getting up when you're down, manning up to your shortcomings, and doing what's best for the group, not yourself. O'Reilly led the team with a lowly 55 points in 2011-12 as the Avs failed to make the playoffs, and he thought it was a good idea to get paid more than 10% of the team's cap - higher than its actual first-liners - hindering their chances at adding outside help; they finished last in their conference the following year, obviously.

To me, those are signs of a mercenary, and those guys don't deserve a letter on their jersey, least of which a "C". They are those you use while your prospects develop, then send to places where folks would rather watch NASCAR than hockey, or in a desert on an always-bankrupt team, or a teal-coloured ''perennial contender'', or in frigid Manitoba. You forget they ever existed, save for the three draft picks they got you when you set them free.

But maybe I'm just a romantic when it comes to Colorado. Maybe I've been spoiled by Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy and Milan Hejduk, and maybe I believe Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are made of the same cloth.

And yet, after saying all this, I didn't hate it when I unpacked this 2012-13 Certified card by Panini (#FOG-RO of the Fabric Of The Game sub-set, numbered /49/299), showing him in the Avs' dark (home) uniform with a white jersey swatch:

The silver foil actually looks better scanned than in real life, which is pretty rare. I wouldn't mind white swatches so much if the picture on the card at least depicted the player having some on him... not doing so just tells me they buy those because they're cheaper, which is likely because it looks bland, or else it'd be on the card. Unless three wrongs make a right...

Brian Gionta Dual-Swatch Card

One of the busiest teams during yesterday's Free Agent Frenzy that saw teams commit to over half a billion dollars (though, technically, with the option of buying out contracts, that figure could end up being just a tad over $300M) was undoubtedly the Buffalo Sabres, who traded for Josh Gorges and signed Matt Moulson, Andrej Meszaros, Cody McCormick, and the reason for my post, Brian Gionta.

Now on his third NHL team, Gionta scored 48 goals once (2005-06) and won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2002-03. Signed as a free agent by the Montréal Canadiens as part of the Centennial one-year rebuild/overhaul, he helped the team reach the Conference Finals right off the bat in 2010, and again in 2014. He captained the Habs for 4 seasons, and twice came close to scoring 30 goals while in Montréal - with 28 in 61 games in 2009-10 and 29 in 82 the following year - all while being one of the the team's best penalty killers, alongside ''frequent'' linemate Tomas Plekanec - as frequent as one could play with Plekanec, who has the double-edged-sword job of playing the most minutes of all centers on the team but mostly starting off against the opposition's best lines in his own zone, usually flanked by players who need help getting going again.

Gionta was a good captain, even better than I had originally expected. I knew he was a no-nonsense guy on the ice and in the dressing room, but the way he and his wife took to this town and gave their time to various charities, took the time to meet and greet fans and answer their mail - he signed cards for me in both 2011 and 2013 - and faced the press after each game, win or lose, patiently, it all showed a lot of heart.

When Thomas Vanek arrived at the trading deadline this season, however, it relegated him to a role on the third line, and it kind of seemed like a perfect fit for him at this point in his career, at age 35, his goals-per-game and points-per-game averages in steady decline in the past five years. The Habs would probably have liked his leadership back for two seasons, to give them enough time to decide who between P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher deserves to be the next captain, but the terms and money offered by the Sabres (3 years, $14M) were probably too good to pass up, coupled with the fact that his off-season residence is close to where they play, and that Gorges would be joining him. With possibly another captaincy role looming. And perhaps a third team with which to score a milestone goal, after scoring the first Devils goal in their new arena (Prudential Center) and the Canadiens' 20,000th NHL goal.

I anticipated this day would come when I purchased this card on Ebay a little over a month ago, though I expected he'd go back with the Devils if he were to leave the Habs; the card is from Panini's 2011-12 Certified set and is card #79 in the collection, just like the regular card, but is from the Mirror sub-set, of which it is the red variant; it contains not one but two swatches of game-used ''material'' (one white, one red) and is numbered #101/150:

It's a great card to add to my collection!

And I wish Mr. Gionta the best in Buffalo - except of course when playing against the Canadiens.

Alexandre Burrows Swatch Card

For reasons explained in an earlier post, I'll likely be digging through my backlog of older cards for the next while...

Good thing I really like some of them, like this Alexandre Burrows swatch card, from Panini's 2010-11 Certified (card #AB of the Fabric Of the Game sub-set, featuring a nice big, blue swatch, numbered 85/250):

You might get a bit of a shock looking at Burrows' statistics this season - he had not scored a single goal until March 12th (he's got 5 since), and just 9 assists, but keep in mind his linemates are also in a season-long slump, with Henrik Sedin having just 10 goals and 36 assists, and Daniel Sedin at 14 goals and 28 assists. All of Burrows' goals have come since the Sedins have been out with injuries...

Nevertheless, the four-time 25-goal scorer (with a career-high of 35 in 2009-10) is still an adept sniper who can handle pain, play injured, and lead by example. If what he needs is a change in scenery, I'll welcome him to Montréal with open arms...

Justin Dibenedetto Autograph Card

Justin Dibenedetto has always taken small steps towards improving his game, first in juniors, where his production went from 9 to 30 to 63 to two consecutive 93-point season, then for the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the New York Islanders' system, going from 14 to 30 to 41 points (including 20 goals, in 55 games).

He must have felt that was worth more than an 8-game stint in the NHL, though, because he spent the 2012-13 season in Austria, registering 44 points in 49 games. Either he's reached his level, or he's on another climb uphill which, on the verge of turning 25, is actually likely.

I found this signed rookie card of his in the dollar bin at a comic book shop last year:

It's from Panini's 2011-12 Certified set (card #184, the Freshman Signatures sub-set) and is signed in blue sharpie directly on the card, a rare feat for Panini. He's seen sporting the Isles' current home uniform, using its classic colour scheme with a more modern design of large lines rather than small ones. The rainbow colouring is a reflection of the foil on the scanner.

Nicklas Lidstrom Swatch Card

You've got to give to receive... and this trade would have sent shockwaves all around the NHL had it been done in real life: A Raymond Bourque (sporting a Colorado Avalanche uniform) swatch card for this one of Nicklas Lidstrom:

The best defenseman of each of their eras, though Lidstrom was far more dominating. The card is from Panini's 2012-13 Certified (card #FOG-NLI of the Fabric Of The Game sub-set) and has him pictured in the Detroit Red Wings' white (away) uniform, with matching swatch.

It is serial-numbered 111/299. I would have preferred number 2 (his jersey number), or 222, but the gift-horse's mouth looked pretty good nonetheless.

The first (and only) European captain of a Stanley Cup championship team and perennial Norris trophy winner will soon be a lock as a first-ballot Hall Of Famer... I'll need another card to commemorate his induction!

Brandon McMillan Swatch Card

Writing about that Brandon Sutter swatch card the other day reminded me about this one, then-Anaheim Ducks sophomore Brandon McMillan:

It too is from Panini's 2011-12 Certified set (card #3, the Fabric Of The Game sub-set), and shows a nice black swatch from the Ducks' home - or third - jersey.

McMillan was only a point-per-game player once in Juniors - in his last (fourth) season. He is a half-point per game player in the AHL, and has so far played 91 NHL games and tallied 11 goals and 15 assists. He was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes at the deadline last April so, really, who knows where he'll be playing next season - Phoenix, Portland (AHL), Seattle or Québec.

Brandon Sutter Swatch Card

I guess I was destined to acquire this card... I participated in another Ebay box break last week, and lots were sold for two teams at a time. I took the lot combining the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes and ended up with Brandon Sutter, who is now a Pen after a trade last summer with the Canes.

Many, had they known they were going to ge a guy who played for both teams, would have set their sights on Jordan Staal - not me, not at all. The Sutters are hockey royalty, and I was a big fan of the first wave - already have autographed cards of Brent Sutter and Ron Sutter - and have been following Brandon's (Brent's son) career since the day he was drafted - the ninth in the family to have that happen. I was hoping he'd land with the New York Islanders or Chicago Blackhawks (like his father), or the Calgary Flames (where the family comes from, and a team suited right for their style of balls-out play), but really, it's a dream come true to get drafted, and beggars can't be choosers.

Now, onto the swatch card:

http://amzn.to/2ouNydpIt's from Panini's 2011-12 Certified set (card #31, numbered 21/399), and features a nice black swatch, either from the team's third jersey, or the sleeve or belt line of their home (red) uniform. The Certified cards have a long, white border that the swatch doesn't come close to filling, so perhaps I'll try to have the card signed some day.

Brendon Nash Autograph Card

Just like yesterday's Steve Shutt card, this one came in the mail last Friday as part of a trade with fellow blogger and collector Brad. From Panini's 2011-12 Certified set (card #181, Freshman Signatures subset) comes this on-card autograph (in thin blue sharpie) of former Montréal Canadiens prospect Brendon Nash:

Nash went undrafted, but as many as a dozen teams were vying for his services when he came out of College. The Habs managed to convince him to sign with them, and he even re-signed with the team last summer, but they traded his rights to the Florida Panthers' AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage near the end of the lock-out.

Cam Talbot Autograph Card

Cam Talbot has spent the past 3 seasons changing leagues and jerseys more often than underwear. Undrafted, he went from the University of Alabama-Huntsville to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack when the New York Rangers signed him as a free agent. He then split the 20110-11 season between the Wolf Pack - which became the Connecticut Whale midway through the season - and the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors, earning a call-up with the Rangers but seeing no ice time.

He is currently #3 on the Rangers' depth chart in nets, after superstar Henrik Lundqvist and top backup Martin Biron. Some New York writers are having fun at his expense for always getting called up but never playing.

This beautiful foil card came in a pack of Panini's 2011-12 Certified (card #160) and is from the Freshman Signatures sub-set. It is signed on card in blue sharpie.

James Wyman Autograph Card

James Wyman is a 24-year old rookie who played 3 games for the Montréal Canadiens in 2009-10 and is currently with their AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs. He is currently listed on each AHL stat sheet as ''J.T. Wyman'' and has 2 goals and 4 assists (for 6 points) in 15 games so far.

The Habs' 4th-round pick in 2004 (100th overall) has rarely been a point-per-game player at any level past high school; as a matter of fact, the only time it happened was in 2007-08, in his fourth year playing for the  Dartmouth Big Green of the ECAC, when he went 15-15-30 in 29 games as a senior. Chances are this right-handed right winger will be a checker if and when he makes it to the NHL - and not a grinder, seeing as the season he had the most penalty minutes was 20 (yes, 20 minutes), in 2006-07. Last year, in Hamilton, he went 17-20-37 in 76 games with 12 PIMs.

That being said, this is a beautiful foil-tinted rookie card from Panini's 2010-11 Certified set; it consists of the regular card (#202 in the set), on which they put a sticker that Wyman signed in blue sharpie, which I think is a terrific idea - it saves collectors the trouble of getting the same card autographed and keeps the set's cost low because the company doesn't have to issue a small-print run of each player who signs. It's limited-edition-numbered 202/799 - which I'm not entirely sure if it means Wyman himself signed 799 of these (wouldn't make much sense) or if there are 799 total autographed cards inserted in packs (which I'm willing to believe).

I really like this card because it could be the only one he'll ever get. Ten years from now, this card will help me remember he actually suited up for 3 games last season. And who knows? Maybe with hard work, dedication and a bit of luck, he could become a reliable NHLer some day. Also, the player standing behind him in the picture is none other than Ryan O'Byrne, whom the Habs traded to the Colorado Avalanche last week for prospect Michael Bournival.