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.

Predators Preview: Tyson Barrie Autograph 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 and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Matt Duchene (C), Ryan Johansen (C), Mark Borowiecki (D), Zach Sanford (LW), Rasmus Aplund (C), and Cal Foote (D).

Key Arrivals: Ryan O'Reilly (C), Gustav Nyquist (C), Luke Schenn (D), and Denis Gurianov (LW).

Top prospects: Yaroslav Asparov (G, 21 years old, generally seen as a "can't miss" prospect), Joakim Kemell (RW, 19 years old, exploded in the AHL but could benefit from a bit of seasoning), Luke Evangelista (RW, 21 years old, candidate for the All-Rookie Team), Zachary L'Heureux (LW, 20 years old, has a bit of Claude Lemieux in him), Matthew Wood (RW, 18 years old, an NCAA All-Star at age 17 last year), and Fedor Svechkov (C, 20 years old, did not get much of a chance in the KHL last season).

Former head coach Barry Trotz took over from the Nashville Predators' only other GM in team history, and the first thing he did was send away all the bad apples in the dressing room, and then he brought in guys who used to think they were franchise players but learned to win Stanley Cups by relying on their teammates - O'Reilly's pivot still got him a Selke and a Conn Smythe, while Schenn won two championships riding the third pair with the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning.

What makes their odds look good:
When you have a goalie like Juuse Saros, you have a chance. Factor in Roman Josi having another two-three years of prime hockey left in him and you have an above-average defense that can win you those 3-2 and 2-1 games.

Question marks: Is sophomore Tommy Novak really their #1 center? The offense is very below average, but responding to the right system and a few players playing above expectations would help drag the Preds to the middle of the pack.

Outlook:
They were a playoff bubble team last year and in terms of talent are about on the same level this year, except they have a new head coach in Andrew Brunette and his boss is one of the best bench strategists in NHL history, who will be able to help and give his protégé tips at any given time. Trotz and Brunette might be worth a few more wins, say 3 or 4, but that cannot be enough to bring Nashville to the postseason, which isn't the point this year anyway.

Prediction:
Sixth in the Central Division.

Trade deadline acquisition Tyson Barrie came over from the Edmonton Oilers last season having quarterbacked the best powerplay in NHL history (with the help of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to some extent, I guess). He can handle that task with the Predators as well, with help from Josi.

It hasn't always been perfect for Barrie, though. Since the last time I wrote about him, he also had a one-year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs where it simply did not work out, stepping into an immuable environment, in the midst of a run of regular-season success and spectacular playoff failure; there simply was no place for him on that team. His move to Edmonton proved that it wasn't on him, however, and that he could still be a very appreciated player, both on the ice and in the locker room.

He led all NHL defensemen in scoring during the 2020-21 season, with 48 points in just 56 games, finished 12th in All-Star voting, but did not receive a single Norris Trophy vote - the first time in history the points leader at the position is entirely snubbed for the trophy.

Here he is sporting the Colorado Avalanche's white (away) uniform on card #A-TB from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Artifacts set and Autofacts sub-set:

Barrie has suited up for Team Canada multiple times, winning silver at the 2011 World Juniors and 2017 World Championships, as well as gold at the 2015 World Championships.

Avs Preview: Milan Hejduk Dual Jersey 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.

The biggest change the Colorado Avalanche (team links lead to Amazon sponsored pages, player links to relevant pages on my blog, and news links to their source) made this off-season is completing the switch to new uniforms from navy blue to baby blue by removing the black helmets, gloves and pants and making them blue as well. It's both gorgeous and extremely bizarre. Apart from that, GM Joe Sakic didn't overhaul his Stanley Cup-contending roster, with depth players departing (Nikita Zadorov, Vladislav Namestnikov, Colin Wilson, Mark Barberio, Kevin Connaughton and Matt Nieto), and depth players coming in (Brandon Saad, Devon Toews, Dennis Gilbert and Mikka Salomaki). After a career year at the age of 36, I also expect Sakic to obtain value for Ian Cole via trade, possibly for a high draft pick. I see him going back to a former team like the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues or Toronto Maple Leafs.

What makes their odds look good:
They have the most valuable NHL forward in Nathan MacKinnon, who is one of the three best forwards in the game yet only makes half of Connor McDavid's salary, leaving plenty of room under the cap for Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, Saad, Samuel Girard, goalies Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer and eventually star defensemen Cale Makar and Bowen Byram when they get off their ELCs. We'll see ten years from now if the Edmonton Oilers end up having as many Cups as the Avs, but my gut tells me "no" (unless they each have zero or one).

Question marks:
The Avalanche do not have question marks anywhere on their roster. Not many things stand in their way of a championship, save for Covid-19, the Vegas Golden Knights in their own division, and the Tampa Bay Lightning being the reigning champs and still the best hockey team of the past 20 years on paper, with or without MVP Nikita Kucherov.

Outlook:
Sakic has one job: to not mess around with the roster. I think he knows it. This is a contender for the next five years as is.

Prediction:
First in the West Division.

This is the second time in the team's 25-year history that they have the make-up of a dynasty; unlike the 1995-2002 team, however, they do not need to have a Patrick Roy-level legend in net to get there, partly because there is currently no one like that in the league, and also because the game itself has changed and is more methodical and chess-like at nearly every position save for a few elite game-changers. The Avalanche have MacKinnon and Makar that fit the bill, and Rantanen is just a notch below.

If the "original" Avs had two MacKinnons in the form of Hall of Famers Sakic and Peter Forsberg (there was no salary cap at the time), and their Rantanen was Milan Hejduk, no slouch himself, as The Hockey Writers have aptly shown here. In addition to matching or surpassing Sakic and Forsberg on many an occasion, he did win the Rocket Richard Trophy as the lone 50-goal scorer of the 2002-03 season and stil only got a Second Team All-Star nod at his position at the end of the year, behind Todd Bertuzzi. Talk about a clash in style and personalities...

375 goals and 805 points in the Dead Puck Era (including 98 points in the worst of it in the early 00s) is equivalent to 1200 points in the 1980s. Never forget Hejduk, he was a heck of a player.

Here he is wearing the Avs' Reebok Edge burgundy (home) uniform with the awful vertical piping on cad #AF-MH from Upper Deck's 2008-09 SP Game-Used Edition collection and Authentic Fabrics/Dual Jerseys sub-sets:

It features not one but two matching game-worn jersey swatches. These types of cards were much thinner back then, they feel thinner than many modern base cards.

Paul Stastny Swatch Card

So. Many. Questions.

Despite today marking the beginning of free agency between NHL seasons, the biggest move of the day was not a signing but a trade, one that ahd the Vegas Golden Knights sending Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets for Swedish defenceman Carl Dahlstrom and a fourth-round pick in 2022. Dahlstrom is a 25-year-old who has spent the past five years in North America, first splitting time between the NHL and AHL in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and spending all of 2019-20 with the Jets, totalling 64 NHL appearances in the process; Stastny is a 35-year-old who pretty much just had his worst statistical year ever but still delivers top-six possession numbers worthy of his $6.5M cap hit (and definitely his $5.5M actual salary), which is expiring after next season.

The Jets know Stastny, he was their second-line centre prior to signing with Vegas when they made a serious run at the Stanley Cup after the trade deadline in the 2017-18 season. He was slotted with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, who are still around - for now, as there were many rumours of Laine being shopped around for... a second-line centre of Stastny's caliber - and it's a safe assumption that's where he'd be headed next season as well, although his experience in Vegas last year switching lines every other game will come in handy should he get shuffled around the lineup again this season. It is good to note that he drove play anywhere between 56% (with Alex Tuch and Cody Glass), 60% (with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith) and 62% (on his regular line with Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty), so there is little risk in having him play anywhere despite his 2019-20 offensive output looking disappointing at first glance.

So it's clear I see this as as win for the Jets.

But I do not like the deal for the Golden Knights, the team I had been rooting for since the expansion draft. I agree with Brian Burke when he says moves like this, coupled with the abrupt firing of Coach Of The Year Gerard Gallant to replace him with a person he dislikes, to the way they treated Marc-André Fleury - the face of the franchise since it started - when acquiring Robin Lehner (pretending he would be the backup then just handing him the net instead of letting Fleury lose it himself), to the additional trades that will be required to make room under the cap for a possible Alex Pietrangelo signing when they already have a Norris-level player in his exact place in Shea Theodore, it really does feel like the human factor seems negligible there and they're very excited with their "shiny new toys" until they see another one and just jump on it and totally discard the old one that is doing just fine in its exact spot. Unless they win a Cup in the next year or two, the lack of loyalty, stability and security will become a huge factor in failing to attract free agents to Sin City. That, or if anyone of Pacioretty, Stone, Marchessault or Smith get the same treatment as Stastny, Theodore and Fleury.

There's a world of difference between how the Knights are handling their business and how the 2010 Blackhawks had to let go seven players on expensive contracts kicking in or even how the Tampa Bay Lightning will likely have to remove one current middle-six forward before next season so they can re-sign two of their RFAs; Vegas is acting like a teenager playing NHL21 on their XBox, with complete disregard to what actually consititutes a team.

In simpler times, Stastny played for the Colorado Avalanche, the franchise for whom his Hall Of Fame father Peter Stastny and uncles Marian and Anton starred before it moved to Denver - back then known as the Québec Nordiques - and he looked pretty good in the dark blue of their alternate uniform:

That's card #32 from Panini's 2011-12 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-set, featuring a matching game-worn swatch.

Semyon Varlamov Jersey Card

Semyon Varlamov is having a tremendous postseason at the expense of the Washington Capitals in Round 1 after puzzling the Florida Panthers' young stars in the play-in. Signing with the New York Islanders as a free agent in the off-season sure looks like a great move on his part, with Barry Trotz' system doing its part to help the 32-year-old reach the level that's expected from a $5M goalie, but it's a two-way street, and Varlamov is surely doing his part, with opportune saves like this one:

The former Vezina Trophy runner-up (2013-14) has slowly but surely evolved into an elite goaltending, and his international career with Team Russia shows that very well, as he had made his way to the squad at the 2005 World Juniors as an underage third-stringer, then won the silver medal the following season as the official backup to Anton Khudobin and again in 2007 as the starter (ahead of Sergei Bobovsky), and he would repeat the progression with the Men's Teams, first as the third-stringer behind Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov at the 2010 Olympics, then earning silver as the main guy at the 2010 World Championships and gold as the starter once again at the 2012 Worlds.

It's like he takes his first opportunity to assess the situation quietly, then climbs the ranks and gets successful. The same holds true of his beginnings with the Isles this season, losing his first two games - including getting pulled after surrendering four goals on 19 shots in under 29 minutes against the Edmonton Oilers; he won seven of his next eight starts - the loss coming in overtime.

When all was said and done, with the team plan originally being to platoon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss, #40 played 45 regular-season games while the 33-year-old German appeared in 31; Greiss has yet to appear in the postseason, in part because of Varlamov's staggering statistics:  6-1 record, with a 1.71 GAA and a .932 save percentage despite having not record a shutout yet.

Here he is back in his days with the Colorado Avalanche, sporting their white (away) uniform on card #GJ-SV from Upper Deck's 2014-15 Series 1 collection and UD Game Jersey sub-set:

It features a burgundy game-worn jersey swatch.

As you can perhaps tell from the picture, he has a low stance and centre of gravity in net, as he's 6'2" tall yet his "pounce" stance has his head below the crossbar, which stands at four feet high.

Cameron Gaunce Autograph Card

Cameron Gaunce knew he was a depth piece on defense when the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed him to a one-year, two-way deal at league minimum ($700K), and they knew what they were getting: a 29-year-old veteran who had very little to prove as a role/defensive player but was starting to find his offensive game in the professional ranks as well, having come off a 46-point, 65-penalty minute season in 59 games with their AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch; he'd also chipped in with a +3 rating and 7 penalty minutes at the NHL level.

This season, he's been called upon to provide more than hits and has delivered, posting 4 points in 3 games wit the Bolts so far (+2, 4 penalty minutes) to go with a 30-point output (36 PIMs, +10) in 49 games wit the Crunch.

We are starting to see the two-time OHL All-Star emerge, after he'd been drafted 50th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2008. He'd also spent time with the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations, for a total of 37 NHL games so far with the Avs (11), Stars (9), Pens (12) and Bolts (5).

He seems to have a knack for signing with one team and one of their main rivals (Dallas/Colorado; Pittsburgh/Columbus; Florida/Tampa); he's going to have to find two more teams next or try the Minnesota Wild (Colorado and Dallas rivals), Philadelphia Flyers (Pittsburgh) or Montréal Canadiens (the Florida teams) to keep with the theme.

One thing's for sure, though: he's playing on a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and earning his playing time, so his next deal might be of the $1M cap hit variety.

Here he is wearing the Avalanche's RBK Edge piping-heavy burgundy (home) jersey on a card that mentions he's now with the Stars, #SI-CG from Panini's 2013-14 Select set and Select Signatures sub-set:

It's a silver foil card and the sides are green - even if the scan shows it all black. Over his head reads "DALLAS STARS" in yellow and top-right, over his left shoulder, a note says he was traded to the Stars on "4/2/13". The card features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph that just has his initials, a typical pet peeve among autograph collectors.

His brother Brendan also plays professionally, in the Boston Bruins organization.

Nathan MacKinnon Jersey Card

There are two undeniable and irreplaceable forwards in the NHL "MVP" conversation: Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, because he's simply the best player in the world in this generation, and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, who is proving that he doesn't need his fellow stars Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen not only to produce points, but also wins for his team.

The 24-year-old has 16 goals, 23 assists and 39 points in 25 games this season, 16 of them without Rantanen, 14 without Landeskog.

The Avs currently sit third in the Central Division with 32 standing points, one behind the Winnipeg Jets with a game in hand, and tied with the Dallas Stars with two games in hand.

When he was drafted first overall, it was widely believed the Avalanche would instead opt for hometown kid Seth Jones (now a #1 defenseman in his own right and perhaps eventual Norris Trophy winner), but head coach and VP of Hockey Operations Patrick Roy - who had just coached against MacKinnon and the Halifax Mooseheads in the LHJMQ - insisted the Avalanche select MacKinnon instead; Jones fell to fourth, behind Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Drouin. Because Drouin and MacKinnon were teammates, it was widely believed they complemented one another to a point where if they were to be separated, perhaps they would be less productive.

Nowadays, not only have those fears dissipated, but most of that strong draft year's top-20 currently plays a high-profile role in the NHL, as Elias Lindholm (5th), Sean Monahan (6th), Darnell Nurse (7th), Rasmus Ristolainen (8th), Bo Horvat (9th), Max Domi (12th), Josh Morrissey (13th), Alexander Wennberg (14th), Ryan Pulock (15th), and Anthony Mantha (20th) are all top-unit players, and Nikita Zadorov (16th) plays a big part defensively on the Avs.

Drouin was the Montréal Canadiens' best forward this season before suffering an injury that will sideline him for months, and MacKinnon has been close to the 100-point plateau for three straight seasons now.

In retrospect, perhaps voters now feel Taylor Hall's 2017-18 Hart Trophy would be more at home in MacKinnon's living room (I already felt that way at the time, myself).

Here is #29 in all his splendour, sporting the Avalanche's burgundy (home) uniform on the "Gold" jersey insert version of card #55 from Upper Deck's 2018-19 SP Game-Used Edition collection:

It features a white game-worn jersey swatch from Colorado's away uniform.

Gabriel Landeskog Jersey Card

When healthy, the best line in the NHL is arguably the Colorado Avalanche's top line, featuring Hart finalist Nathan MacKinnon, young star Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog. MacKinnon might start feeling like he's on his own for a while, because Rantanen was already out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and now Landeskog joins him on LTIR with an ailment that head coach Jared Bednar describes as "longer than week to week". Ouch.

At least he'll be around to take care of his newborn baby for the next little while:

Landeskog was a leader and heart-and-soul talented middle-six player for most of his career, his point totals usually in the 50s but oscillating between 35 and 60, but playing on a line wit hRantanen and MacKinnon turned him into a point-per-game player and 30-goal scorer.

Having been drafted second overall in a 2011 class that included the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Scheifele, Jonathan Huberdeau, Sean Couturier, Mika Zibanejad, Dougie Hamilton and Vincent Trochek, Landeskog and first-overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were increasingly looking at arguments beyond points totals to justify being picked ahead of those guys - although both are making a strong case this season that they may have just bloomed a tad later and not been surrounded as well in the beginnings of their careers.

Despite those two very important losses, I feel the Avs are strong and deep enough this year to keep playing acceptable hockey and remain in the playoff race until both star players are back and rested - which might just help them come playoff time.

Here is Landeskog wearing the Avalanche's white (away) Reebok Edge-era uniform with the ugly striping cutting the captain's "C" in half, on card #GJ-GL from Upper Deck's 2017-18 Series 1 set and UD Game Jersey sub-set:

It features a bright/dark blue game-worn jersey swatch that is likely from the home or third jersey.

Mikko Rantanen Jersey Card

(As per years past, this is a twin-post with my "regular" blog, where I predicted the Colorado Avalanche would finish second in the Central Division in 2019-20).

Mikko Rantanen has signed a six-year deal worth $9.25M per season to remain with the Colorado Avalanche - and on Nathan McKinnon's wing. With captain Gabriel Landeskog, they are probably the best three-man line in hockey.

Rantanen is entering his age 23 season - a couple of years yet until his "true prime" kicks in - and already has two 80-point seasons under his belt, and having improved on his goals totals every single season he's been in the NHL, going from 20 to 29 to 31.

He may start off a little bit slower for having missed the entire training camp, but by mid-October, he should be off and running again, especially when playing alongside the most valuable player in the league in MacKinnon, not just for what he brings to his team, but also for his now-below market $6.75M per year.

You might think Rantanen's just lucky to be there, a skilled playmaker playing alongside a superstar - and you may be correct for the moment, as his shot isn't yet hard enough to warrant a 30-goal production on his own - but do not sleep on the fact that he's a 6'4", 215-pound young adult who currently plays with grace. If he ever gets tired of playing nice and starts using that body like a power forward, you might start seeing some Eric Lindros-level physical dominance and it might be MacKinnon who starts riding his larger teammates' coattails.

In any event, the Avs are blessed by the fact that they can suit both up every game; it gives them instantaneous credibility and respect, and the status of an elite team.

Here is the young forward sporting the Avs' piping-heavy burgundy (home) uniform from the Reebok Edge days, on card #RM-MR from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Series 2 collection and Rookie Materials sub-set:

It features a matching event-worn (photo shoot) jersey swatch. I traded for it last season, helping a fellow collector finish his set with missing rookie cards in exchange for a jersey card of a player I try to draft in all of my hockey pools.

J.T. Compher Jersey Card

Some of the RFA deals this summer have been reasonable, a few have been head-scratchers in terms of why they're just a tad too high, and pundits still expect those that are left to break the bank.

J.T. Compher falls in the second category now that the Colorado Avalanche have signed him to a four-year extension worth $14M in total, or $3.5M per season against the salary cap.

Avs GM Joe Sakic mentions:

J.T. has been one of our most versatile forwards over the past two years. He plays on our power play, kills penalties and has played up and down our lineup. He has scored some big goals late in games and we are counting on him to have an even more expanded role moving forward. We are excited to have him under contract for the next four seasons.

Some things are definitely true in there: Compher has, indeed, completed his second full NHL season, his third straight year in the NHL (he only suited up for 21 games in 2016-17). And he did spend 1:53 of every game killing penalties, and 3:07 on the powerplay (on a team that boasted offensive talent like Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie), and still only finished with 16 goals, 16 assists and 32 points in 66 games in 2018-19. Not on the powerplay... in total.

Granted, the 2013 second-rounder is just 24 years old, but seven players in his draft year already have 200 career points (one of them, Seth Jones, is a defenseman) while Compher has 60. But he did beat out Alex Kerfoot for the third-line centre job in Colorado, so there's that.

It's just that his output, at best, warranted a $2.5M cap hit - even if only on a two- or three-year bridge deal - not nearly double that. In terms of comparables, two players signed around roughly the same time as him: Kasperi Kapanen (23 years old) and Andreas Johnsson (24) with the Toronto Maple Leafs; Kapanen had 20 goals and 44 points last year and signed for $3.2M for three years, and Johnsson had 20 goals and 43 points, signing at $3.4M for four years. Better production, lower cap hits, in a city where they pay 10% more taxes.

Here he is sporting the Avs' white (away) uniform, on card #RM-JC from Upper Deck's 2017-18 Series 2 set and Rookie Materials sub-set:

It features a burgundy jersey swatch with unclear origins if you are just going by the back of the card:

We now know these as "event-worn", but sometimes UD uses vague language to try to trick collectors into thinking they've got something more special than it actually is.

Brian Elliott Swatch Card

This is a weird post-season for me, forcing me to cheer for teams I usually very much dislike (the Boston Bruins) or just don't care about (the St. Louis Blues) to win against teams I hate (the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks).

The Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and lost in the Final in 2013, so they've already cemented their place as a top team in the decade, and the Blues made the Final in their first three seasons in the league yet had to see fellow 1967 expansion brothers the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins savor multiple wins - and the Minnesota North Stars reach a couple of Finals themselves before winning the Cup in 1999 as the relocated Dallas Stars. And nothing guarantees St. Louis would win against Boston, the third-best team in the league in the regular season.

The Blues seems to have finally found a goalie who can thrive in their system after many years of regular-season success but year after year of post-season failures in the person of Jordan Binnington. Now, goalies are hard to predict, and it remains to be seen if he can keep it up in the long run, but so far he's posted the third-best playoff performance this year (after still-standing Tuukka Rask and the now-eliminated Ben Bishop), and it doesn't seem like he'll wear down as long as he keeps playing.

These days, I have a thought for Brian Elliott, who manned the net admirably and honestly for six seasons in the Gateway City, posting some of the best goals-against averages of the millennium in the process:

from HockeyDB

Granted, he was Jaroslav Halak's backup and was sheltered by playing fewer games and against lesser opponents, but those are fine NHL numbers regardless of how you look at them.

However, his play hasn't been as effective for the past three seasons and he was surpassed by this year's other star rookie goalie with the Flyers, Carter Hart. Then again, at $2.75M per season, Elliott was pretty much playing on a backup's salary anyway.

His contract is due this summer, and I think he still has another two-year deal in him, likely with a team that needs to play their top goalie less and doesn't have a young gun ready to challenge for the position. I can think of three such teams in the Atlantic: the Montréal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, as well as the Edmonton Oilers out West.

Here he is wearing the Blues' white (away) uniform, on card #GG-ET from Panini's 2012-13 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear subset:

The jersey swatch, however, is burgundy - from his 12 games with the Colorado Avalanche at the tail end of the 2010-11 season.

Semyon Varlamov Dual Jersey Card

Although he had a down year ahead of the 2017 Expansion Draft, Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov has really bounced back in an impressive manner in the past year and a half, even if he's statistically not on the level of his Vezina-worthy 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons:

from HockeyDB

He and the team's top line, comprised of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, have often been the sole bright spots on a team that currently sits tied for last place in its division (yet only four points behind a Wild Card spot, albeit in a gridlock with seven other teams) with 61 points (25-24-11) in 60 games.

The contrast between Varlamov and teammate Philipp Grubauer is also stark:

The two former Washington Capitals were supposed to platoon until the team feels KHL superstar Pavel Francouz is ready to join the main team, but Varlamov seems like he's running with it despite his contract being up at the end of the year.

I strongly feel like he's the Avs' best shot in nets for the next two years, so they might want to re-up him, but if they don't, chances are he'll be traded for a couple of second-rounders to a team that will either lose its own #1 to a trade (Columbus Blue Jackets) or a team (Calgary Flames) whose number one (Mike Smith) is having an inexplicably sub-par season.

I'm a pretty big fan of this card, which showcases Varlamov's NHL history as a member of both the Caps and Avs with a white jersey swatch from each one:

It's card #CL-SV from Upper Deck's 2014-15 SP Game-Used Edition set and Career Legacy sub-set.

Matt Duchene Jersey Card

Joe Sakic pulled it off and essentially traded both Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris for terrific pulls in one swift move, sending Duchene to the Ottawa Senators (for Turris, former first-rounder Shane Bowers, goalie Andrew Hammond, and the Sens' 2018 first-round pick and 2019 third-rounder), then flipping Turris to the Nashville Predators for quality defensive prospect Samuel Girard, young point-per-game AHLer Vladislav Kamenev and their 2018 second-round draft pick.

That's right - the GM who was so inept that his head coach left two weeks before training camp last season, whose players abandoned before Christmas last year, who opted to protect an injury-prone $6M goalie instead of a sure-fire starter in one or two years, and who had only three NHL defensemen under contract 48 hours before handing in his start-of-the-season 23-player list just a month ago - essentially got three quality prospects, a body in net and three high draft picks for a guy who's known he was going to be traded for the better part of the last 15 months and was straddling the line between not wanting to play and no one wanting to play with him.

In doing so, he may have accelerated his rebuild by two entire seasons and may yet have a decent team when his true current star, Nathan MacKinnon, enters his prime.

There's something to be said about being able to learn on the job, especially if you're allowed to make mistakes.

And that's something that can also apply to Duchene, too. He hasn't been the best teammate in the past couple of years, with many veterans (Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Paul Stastny, Patrick Roy, Jarome Iginla) turning their backs on him and what seemed like selfish actions. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, perhaps a lack of maturity, or perhaps they were just mistakes.

He has a chance to start anew now, on a team that clearly thinks it can contend in the near future, seeing as his contract will expire at the end of next season.

Here he is wearing the Avs' burgundy (now-home) uniform, on card #WM-DU from Upper Deck's 2013-14 SPx collection and Winning Materials sub-set:

It features two matching game-worn jersey swatches.

Semyon Varlamov Dual Jersey Card

Everything went wrong for the Colorado Avalanche last season, and I predict more of the same this year, with a second-straight last-place finish. This time, though, they will even be surpassed by the Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team that had a grand total of two players before the expansion draft in late June.

GM Joe Sakic opted to protect Semyon Varlamov instead of Calvin Pickard in a bizarre move, considering the Golden Knights were extremely unlikely to pick a 29-year-old veteran goalie with health issues who has two years left with a $5.9M cap hit when Marc-André Fleury and Petr Mrazek were also available, to say nothing of talented unproven quantities like Philipp Grubauer and Antti Raanta.

It's not like Varlamov doesn't have the tools to succeed; after all, we're talking about a former first-round draft pick (23rd overall, Washington Capitals, 2006) who once finished second in Vezina and fourth in Hart Trophy voting. And goalies using mostly a butterfly style tend to have their hips and groins act up as they enter their 30s, but with proper care can get operated on and continue playing at a high level, so there's the high probability that last season's procedure will give him five more years at elite status.

It's just that Pickard had shown to have similar potential should he find consistency and is young enough to not have had that patch of injury-related hard luck, while Varlamov had been on a four-season slide, statistically-speaking. Of course, a huge chunk of that falls on the Avs being a terrible, terrible team with no defense to speak of during the entirety of Sakic's tenure with the club - and perhaps one can qualify its depth during the Greg Sherman years as questionable as well.

That being said, I've been waiting for years to feature this beautiful card, #TS-SV from Upper Deck's 2013-14 Artifacts set and Treasured Swatches sub-set:

It shows Varlamov wearing the Avs' white (then-away) uniform in a holding position, either while play is in the offensive zone or waiting on a face-off, and features two matching game-worn jersey swatches.

David Aebischer Jersey Card

Seeing as how Peter Budaj revived his career after injuries to Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff, perhaps another former Colorado Avalanche and Montréal Canadiens goalie could pull it off next year. No, not José Theodore, I meant David Aebischer.

Then again, the Swiss goalie hasn't played since an awful stint in the second-tier Swiss League in 2014-15, where he posted a 4.72 GAA in 5 games after a few dismal seasons in the upper-echelon of hockey in Switzerland:

Courtesy of HockeyDB.com

Those are pretty bad numbers.

Nevertheless, he looks pretty cool on this card, #FF-DA from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ice set and Frozen Fabrics sub-set, wearing the Avs' old burgundy uniform:

It's a plastic card that has some see-through portions and features a matching burgundy game-worn jersey swatch.

Michael Sgarbossa Autograph Card

Michael Sgarbossa is a 24-year-old center who is now proving to be among the AHL's elite point producers, with 3 goals, 3 assists and 6 points in 7 games split between the San Diego Gulls and Springfield Thunderbirds, in addition to two points in 9 games with the Anaheim Ducks at the NHL lever this year, which explains why the Florida Panthers acquired him two weeks ago, in exchange for Logan Shaw.

Sgarbossa's no stranger to packing and unpacking, as he's currently with his fourth NHL organization, and the Thunderbirds are also his fourth AHL team. He also played for three different teams in the OHL - the Barrie Colts, Saginaw Spirit and Sudbury Wolves. He had gone undrafted, but was signed as a free agent by the San Jose Sharks, who traded his rights to the Colorado Avalanche while he was still in Juniors.

Time will tell if the Panthers made a good move by trading for his rights, as time will let us know whether GM Tom Rowe's decision to replace beloved head coach Gerard Gallant - who led the team to its best regular-season finish just last spring - was wise. This after revamping the entire blue line and while young stars Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau were injured, of course.

In the meantime, here is Sgarbossa wearing the Avs' white (away) uniform with the awful piping, on the signed insert version of card #616 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set and Dual Rookie Class and Hot Rookies sub-sets:

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

Ryan Smyth: 4 Autographed Cards

I wrote to Ryan Smyth when he announced his retirement during the 2013-14 season, adding four cards I'd hoped he'd sign for me to the package; I received all of them back today, signed in black sharpie, with his usual unique handwriting on them.

Smyth may be nicknamed Captain Canada for having, well, captained Team Canada a record six times at World Championships and for being the only player ever to lead the team to gold at all major events - Olympics (2002), World Championships (2003 and 2004), World Cup (2004), World Juniors (1995) and Spengler Cup (2012) - but he is also recognized as one of the three penultimate Edmonton Oilers, with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

He finished his storied NHL career with 386 goals, 456 assists and 842 total points in 1270 regular-season NHL games, and another 28 goals, 31 assists and 59 points in 93 playoff games, but his contributions were always about more than mere numbers anyway. He was often the hardest-working man on the ice - nay, in the league.

His leading by example and leaving everything on the ice at every game led to his wearing an "A" on his jersey for most of his career, as can be attested on the following three cards of him with the Oilers, all from Upper Deck and all showing him wearing he team's white (home) uniform from the turn of the millennium:

On top is card #82 from Fleer's 2005-06 Fleer Ultra set, where he is fighting for position with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' Niclas Havelid; the card in the middle sees him forechecking, with Ales Hemsky holding the middle behind him, on card #319 from UD's 2005-06 Series 2 collection; and the card at the bottom is from the beautiful 2006-07 SPX set.

I also included a card of his with the Colorado Avalanche, #70 in the 2007-08 SP Authentic set, showing him wearing the team's pretty awful burgundy Reebok Edge jersey:

I did so to commemorate that magical week he had upon signing with the Avs as a free agent where he put together a string of three consecutive three-point games between December 1st and 9th, 2007.

He had just come off of two straight 36-goal seasons, and the Avs were hoping he could delay the mid-thirties decline most power forwards go through, and he almost did, flirting with the point-per-game average in Denver but with injuries starting to take their toll.

The Avs traded him to the Los Angeles Kings after he posted 26 goals and 59 points in 2008-09, numbers that declined to 22 and 53 (in 67 games, mind you) to 23 and 47 (in 82 games), prompting L.A. to send him back to Edmonton, where he finished fifth in team scoring with 46 points in 2011-12, then 13 in 47 games, then 10 goals and 23 points in 72 games in his final season, in 2013-14.

Better numbers than many other players but, then again, Ryan Smyth was a better player than most. He certainly had a lot of heart. And he can't get hockey out of his mind, as can be attested by the fact that he half-ended his retirement to play in the Chinook senior league last year...

Tyson Barrie: Two Autographed Cards

Good news for Colorado Avalanche and Tyson Barrie fans: the two sides have agreed to a four-year contract that will average $5.5M, after which the then-29-year-old will be a highly sought-after (and highly-paid) free agent.

The two sides had gone to arbitration and signed their deal while awaiting the arbiter's decision between the Avs' two-year $4M per offer and Barrie's $6M one-year rebuttal. The agreement is pretty much a down-the-middle compromise in terms of salary that goes a tad on the player's side, who in turn gives away a year of UFA status.

He will therefore make slightly less than teammate Erik Johnson for the next few seasons, but will likely make a lot more four years from now, possibly in the $8-9M range, barring a career-altering injury.

Barrie won gold with Team Canada at the 2015 World Championships with then-Avs teammates Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene; O'Reilly now plays for the Buffalo Sabres, and Duchene might eventually get traded so that the Avalanche can improve their blue line, which is widely considered to be the team's Achilles heel - and the main reason why the team has failed to make the playoffs for the past two seasons after winning their division in 2013-14.

In the WHL, he had captained the Kelowna Rockets, after leading them to a Memorial Cup appearance; he set the team record for most career points, with 228 (in 256 games). Here he is wearing the Rockets' black (away) uniform, on card #128 from In The Game's 2009-10 Heroes And Prospects set:

And here is he manning the point with the Avalanche, on card #126 from Panini's 2013-14 Score set:

He signed both cards in black sharpie, adding the jersey number corresponding with each - 4 with the Rockets, 41 with the Avs, though he has switched to 4 with Colorado as well now.

Joe Sakic Jersey Card

It's been and will be an extremely busy summer for Colorado Avalanche former captain and current general manager Joe Sakic!

The biggest thing on his plate is probably re-signing RFA (restricted free agent) Tyson Barrie, one of the best young offensive defensemen in the league, who might be looking to a contract similar to that of teammate Erik Johnson, who now makes $6M per season.

In the meantime, Sakic - whose most pressing need is to improve his blue line - traded Nick Holden to the New York Rangers a week ago and signed free agents Joe Colborne - an improvement over Shawn Matthias, whom they themselves lost to free agency - as well as Patrick Wiercioch - whom the Ottawa Senators declined to make an offer to - and Fedor Tyutin, whom the Columbus Blue Jackets had just bought out.

Oh, and he traded goalie Reto Berra to the Florida Panthers in yet another puzzling move by their new GM Tom Rowe, giving way for Calvin Pickard to challenge Semyon Varlamov for ice time.

The Avs has definitely improved, but perhaps not enough to push the Minnesota Wild out of a playoff spot, and surely not enough considering both the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers also got better.

I'm also looking at one of Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog to get traded this summer... probably Duchene.

So, chances are I'll be revisiting at least some of these names over the course of the summer.

In the meantime, here is card #JT-31 from Upper Deck's 2003-04 Bee Hive set (and Game-Used Jersey sub-set), showing the Avs' all-time leading scorer in their classic white (home) uniform with a burgundy swatch inserted into its design:

Here's a quick recap of Sakic's career, all with the same Avs/Québec Nordiques organization:

• 1641 points (625 goals and 1016 assists) in 1378 regular season games.
• 188 points (84 goals and 104 assists) in 172 playoff games.
• 41 points (22 goals and 19 assists) in 48 international games for Team Canada.
• Two Stanley Cups.
• 13 All-Star Games, with a record 16 ASG assists.
• An NHL record 8 playoff overtime goals.
• 3 First Team All-Star nods.
• A Conn Smythe, a Hart, a Lady Byng, a Lester B. Pearson, and an NHL Foundation Award.
• An Olympic All-Star Team nod.
• Gold medals at the Olympics (2002), World Championships (1994), World Cup (2004), and World Juniors (1988).

That, my friends, is an accomplished career!

Brian Elliott: 2 Autographed Cards

What better time than after a shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks to feature St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott, finally getting his chance as a playoff starter - he's been waiting for it for four years, after all.

In my Round One Predictions, I stated that I was pulling for the Hawks (in 7) but made it clear that I could also see the Blues winning in 6, or even in four straight if all the games go to overtime. Well, Game 1 went to overtime, with Elliott besting Corey Crawford by just one shot that went through.

It's so hard to root against Elliott, though, who's a real feel-good story onto himself, always the underdog despite a couple of All-Star Game participations, a Jennings Trophy, and being an all-around nice guy, as can be attested by the fact that I got these cards in the mail from him just a few weeks ago, signed in blue sharpie with the correct uniform number tagged at the end.

Let's start with the oldest one, from Panini's 2010-11 Score Rookies And Traded (#576 in the set), showing him wearing the Colorado Avalanche's white (away) uniform, playing the puck behind his net:

Ironically, his 12-game stint with the Avs is the only one in which he had a GAA over 3.00 (3.83 to be exact) and a save percentage below .900 (.891) with an NHL team. He's at 2.01 and .925 over five seasons with the Blues, four of which ended in Masterton Trophy nominations, including this year.

Speaking of St. Louis, here he is jumping on the puck with cat-like reflexes, from Upper Deck's 2011-12 Series 2 set:

He'd been featured with the Avs in Series 1, so this was a means to update his status; it's card #289 in the set and shows him in the Rbk Edge blue (home) uniform.

I'll always wish Elliott the best; as a matte of fact, when Carey Price was injured, I was hoping Montréal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin would go and acquire his services to save the season; Mike Condon didn't do badly, but Elliott's a safer bet, and a much better stop-gap solution than Ben Scrivens.