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.

Jordan Eberle & Devan Dubnyk Jersey Card

Here is a card that features two players who are no longer playing with the team they are featured in on the card, the Edmonton Oilers, Jordan Eberle and Devan Dubnyk:

It's #U-DE from Fleer's 2013-14 Showcase set and Uniformity sub-set by Upper Deck, with blue game-worn jersey swatches from each player. It's the same set as this previously-featured card of Eberle's.

Indeed, Eberle was sent to the New York Islanders for prospect Ryan Strome, in what seems to be both a reaction to Eberle failing to produce in the playoffs and a move to clear up cap space for Connor McDavid's next contract, which will definitely not be a bridge deal and should make him the league's highest-paid player.

For the record, in my opinion, McDavid should be offered a two-year deal paying somewhere in the $7-9M range (per) before surpassing the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin on his next one, if only so he can have another Art Ross- and Hart-winning season to prove he is now the best forward in the league; it's not like $7-9M is bad money, either...

Eberle could very well have a 40-goal season playing alongside Isles captain John Tavares, so this move is an excellent one for GM Garth Snow, who clearly got the best player in the deal, although Strome could make Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli happy by producing alongside either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. This move ensures Snow qualifies as one of the five best GMs in the NHL in the past five years with how he's improved his team, alongside Steve Yzerman (amazing signings thanks to Florida's tax laws, and shrewd trades), Stan Bowman (the best in the league in managing the salary cap, replacing high-paid players with fine prospects and signing returning veteran free agents to cap-friendly/low-paying deals, though I think he got hosed in the Artemi Panarin trade), Jim Rutherford (sure, he was dealt a great hand by inheriting a contender with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but his cap management and the team's development program combine to take the Pens' dynasty from a "could-have-been" to a "longer-than-it-should-have"), and Dale Tallon (who, after building the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks championship team, built a division winner with the Florida Panthers, only to have it be taken apart by his successor in a single summer, now tasked with building another one a year later).

Dubnyk leaving Edmonton has to do with the team's previous administration's inability to draft or build a defense in a decade of rebuilding, leaving half a dozen goalies helpless in trying to stop odd-man rushes and looking awful in the process, so bad that Dubnyk even spent time with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs when the Montréal Canadiens acquired his rights from the Nashville Predators in an eventful 2013-14 campaign that saw him play for three separate organizations before signing on with a fourth one as a free agent - the Phoenix Coyotes - in the off-season.

Then, at the 2014-15 trade deadline, the Coyotes traded Dubnyk - their best goalie that year - to the Minnesota Wild, enabling them to make the playoffs and immediately turning them into a division-lead contender. In two of the last three seasons, Dubnyk was the second-best goalie in the league, which made him a finalist for the Vezina once (should have been twice, as Carey Price should not have been a finalist this year), finished fourth in Hart voting, and won the Bill Masterton Trophy.

Two award-winning Team Canada alumni that the Oilers had to get rid of to be the playoff team they are today - and the Cup contenders they hope to be for the next decade.

Tomas Fleischmann & Milan Hejduk Dual Jersey Card

Today's card comes from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Rookie Update set (card #237 of the Rookie Inspirations sub-set), a Dual Jersey Card featuring a rookie and a veteran that I got as an add-on in a trade roughly a year ago:

I guess Tomas Fleischmann and Milan Hejduk were paired on this card because they're both Czechs... because there was no way for UD to know they would eventually both suit up for the Colorado Avalanche in 2010-11, with Fleischmann posting 21 points in 22 games to revive his career before moving onto the Florida Panthers.

He had three other seasons where his point production averaged nearly one per game, in 2009-10 with the Washington Capitals (23 goals, 28 assists, 51 points in 69 games) and in consecutive years with the Panthers, in 2011-12 (27 goals, 34 assists, 61 points in 82 games) and 2012-13 (12 goals, 23 assists, 35 points in 48 games).

Paired with David Desharnais on an unusually strong third line with the Montréal Canadiens this season, he currently stands at 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 13 games having signed a one-year deal after attending training camp on a PTO. He had three points against the Winnipeg Jets last night in a 5-1 win.

Still, those numbers are far from Hejduk's, who won the Maurice ''Rocket'' Richard Trophy as the NHL's best goal-scorer (with 50) in 2002-03 and finished his All-Star career with 805 points (375 goals, 430 assists) in 1020 games (plus another 34-42-76 in 112 playoff games, culminating with the 2001 Stanley Cup). He surpassed the 70-point mark on five separate occasions, with a high of 98 in 2002-03.

Internationally, Fleischmann has a bronze medal from the 2002 U-18s, while Hejduk has Olympic gold (1998) and bronze (2006), as well as a bronze medal from the 1998 World Championships and a third-place finish at the 2004 World Cup. With Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek, he was the Czech Team at the turn of the millennium.

The Sedin Twins Dual Jersey Card

I'm not usually one to be happy about pulling cards depicting multiple players, because I store my good ones (personally autographed and ''hits'') in binders, alphabetically, by player. This one of the Sedin twins, however, was ideal, because I can create a sheet with both players in it, both separately and together:

It's card #WC-SS of the 2011-12 SPX set by Upper Deck, part of the Winning Combos/Dual Jersey sub-set, and refers to each's Art Ross-winning season. The incorporated game-worn jersey swatches don't match the pictures next to them, but I've gotten used to that from UD by now.

Henrik Sedin (blue jersey, #33, white swatch) won his for the 2009-10 season, after scoring 29 goals to go with his league-leading 83 assists and 112 points. He also brought home the Hart and a First All-Star Team nod that year, and also got some Lady Byng and Selke votes in the process. He also repeated as First All-Star center the following season.

Daniel Sedin (white jersey, #22, green swatch) earned his after a 41-goal, 63-assist season good for 104 points. He was the runner-up for the Hart (which went to Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks), but did earn the Lester B. Pearson Trophy (Best Player, as voted by the players themselves) with his First All-Star Team nod; he'd been voted to the Second All-Star Team the previous year, despite suiting up in just 63 games. He also routinely garners Lady Byng and Selke votes for sportmanlike conduct and two-way play, respectively.

Having played their entire professional careers together, the pair have similar international achievements with Team Sweden as well: Olympic gold (2006), World Championship gold (2013) and bronze (1999, 2001), World U-18 gold (1998) and World U-17 silver (1997).

Daniel has an extra Olympic medal, though: silver at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Henrik having to miss the event because of a rib injury after a Martin Hanzal cross-check.

As of now, having both played their entire NHL careers with the Vancouver Canucks, their statistics are fairly similar:

Henrik has 211 goals, 704 assists and 915 points in 1092 regular-season games, with another 23 goals, 55 assists and 78 points in 105 playoff games.

Daniel has 327 goals, 554 assists and 881 points in 1061 regular-season games, with another 23 goals, 44 assists and 67 points in 96 playoff games.

They are under contract for two more years, so both will likely surpass the 1000-point mark with the Canucks before then - and they'll be 36 at that point, so perhaps they won't hang 'em up right then either.

Dany Heatley & Jason Spezza Jersey Card

Pardon my absence this week, as I had way too much work and was dealing with a pretty bad case of the mumps flu.

I thought about writing a few posts, was hoping perhaps a return from last season's of this year's mailings would come in to get my spirits up, but it didn't happen. I could even have gone to the game tonight, pitting the Ottawa Senators against the Montréal Canadiens, but I'm still a bit too groggy to want to step out into the winter if I can avoid it, so I'll watch it from the comfort of my home instead. And probably nap during the second period.

Still, I figured I could talk about the Sens a bit, through this card featuring their former star sniper Dany Heatley and former captain and star playmaker Jason Spezza, from Upper Deck's 2006-07 SP Game-Used Edition set (card #AF2-SH of the Authentic Fabrics / Dual Jersey sub-set, numbered 77/100), showing both of them wearing the Sens' red uniform, Heatley with a matching red swatch, and Spezza with a black one:

Heatley was a bona fide NHL star for a while, twice scoring 50 goals, scoring 41 two other times and 39 twice as well, being voted in 5 All-Star Games and playing in four, being named the MVP in one. However, the fact that he has demanded trades from the Atlanta Thrashers (in an understandable move, considering) and the Sens (childishly, after being demoted to the second powerplay unit), then proceeded to see his goals totals plummet (26, 24, 11, 12) with the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks - finishing last season with just 28 total points in 76 games - screams ''entitlement'' and ''pouty behaviour''. He tried to revive his career with the Anaheim Ducks this season, but injuries have prevented him from doing so. Perhaps it's time for him to realize that at age 33, his body has accomplished what it had set out to, and not let his legacy be tainted by additional sub-par years.

His accomplishments even extend further than the NHL: his play for Team Canada has garnered him Olympic gold (2010), World Cup gold (2004), World Championship gold (2003 and 2004), World Championship silver (2005, 2008, and 2009) and World Juniors bronze (2000 and 2001), two World Championship MVP nods (2004 and 2008), and the record for most career goals and points on Canada's men's teams. While I think a Hockey Hall Of Fame berth is out of the question, he does have a case for the IIHF one.

Spezza, on the other hand, remains a potent offensive force in the NHL. Originally slated to be the Dallas Stars' second-line center this year, injuries and Ales Hemsky's slow start forced the team to play him as a winger on the first line, and he was in the league's top-20 for assists and points for most of the year (he remains 18th in assists as of this writing but has fallen considerably for total points in the last two weeks). He, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are probably the two lone bright spots on the Stars thus far, though.

Spezza was the best man at Heatley's wedding. And now they're both playing down South.

Tomas Vokoun Dual Jersey Card

You know how one year, all the cards you break from packs seem to be of the same player or the same team? Well, here's a card that's a lot like the last one, from Upper Deck's 2008-09 SP Game-Used Edition (card #AF-VO of the Authentic Fabrics inserts, the Dual Jerseys sub-set):

Two swatches, a black one and a really cool yellow mesh one, and an up-close picture of Tomas Vokoun's mask and Florida Panthers black (home) jersey. The back of the card states the uniform was used in a... Nashville Predators game, though (thus explaining the yellow mesh), but I appreciate the detail.

He is now with the Pittsburgh Penguins and suffered a medical issue with a blood clot earlier this season; he has apparently resumed skating, but there is no timetable for his return. He had had a spectacular post-season last year, relieving Marc-André Fleury and registering a shutout against the New York Islanders in his first playoff game in 6 years, after sharing one with Fleury the game before. He eventually went 6-5 in 11 games, with a 2.01 GAA and .933 save percentage, though Pens fans probably thought the team should have made it further.

We hope he gets well soon, of course.

Marian Hossa & Marian Gaborik Dual Jersey Card

From Upper Deck's 2010-11 Artifacts set (card #TT2-SVK - as in ''Slovakia'' - of their Tundra Tandems sub-set) comes this beautiful dual white swatch card featuring the Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa and then-member of the New York Rangers Marian Gaborik, numbered 27/125:

In my opinion, Hossa is one of the past decade's 5 best all-around players in the world, capable of point-per-game production as well as shutting down the opposition, playing both on the powerplay and shorthanded, leading or trailing by a goal. A five-time All-Star (with two goals and 11 points in the mid-season classic), two-time Stanley Cup winner (and four-time finalist, including three consecutive ones with three different teams) and three-time Olympian (with 67 career points in 71 international men's games), he is the consummate overly-talented team player.

He has seven 30-goal seasons, three of them 40-plus. He also has a 100-point (43 goals) in 2006-07 and a 92-point season (39 goals) in 2005-06, both as a member of the lowly Atlanta Thrashers.

Gaborik, on the other hand, is ''merely'' a three-time All-Star, but has been named MVP of the 2012 edition. He is a more natural goal scorer than Hossa, but less gifted as a passer and shut-down player. He has only reached the 80-point threshold twice (once each with the Minnesota Wild and Rangers), but has only played more than 70 games six times in his career. He is a two-time Olympian, with 40 points in 52 men's international games, but has one thing Hossa doesn't: a medal, bronze from the 1999 World Juniors.

He will now get to compete for a Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, where he will be counted on for secondary scoring and powerplay goals, but will not be the default go-to buy he was in Minnesota, New York and with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a role that will fall on the shoulders of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards; the Kings believe not having that pressure will free him and help them move up in the scoring standings.

Pascal Leclaire And Ty Conklin - Jersey Card

Because many players care more about ice time and making money than the city where they play in or being on a championship team, we rarely see players spend their entire careers with the same team anymore. Both goalies here are no longer with the team in which they are pictured here (Conklin himself has been on 3 other teams since), but at least the card depicts a picture, jersey and team name that all fit at the time.

Upper Deck didn't have enough of the usual brands they were producing, they absolutely needed to flood the market with one more, and that's why they came up with this (beautiful) set: 2006-07 Artifacts, with these jersey cards being part of the Tundra sub-set. This Dual Jerseys card (TT-PT) depicts Pascal Leclaire wearing the Columbus Blue Jackets' blue uniform (though the patch seems to be from a white one), and Ty Conklin, backup extraordinaire who has been to the last 3 Stanley Cup Finals, in his Edmonton Oilers white jersey (the patch being bronze coloured, like the stripes on the arms or waist). The card is numbered 120/125.