Taylor Hall Jersey Card

The speculation can end: the New Jersey Devils traded Taylor Hall (with Blake Speers) to the Arizona Coyotes for a guaranteed first-rounder, a third-rounder that could become a second- or even another first-rounder (conditions apply) and a trio of B-level prospects Nick Merkley, Nate Schnarr and Kevin Bahl. The Devils are retaining 50 percent of Hall's salary

The return is underwhelming, but the Devils see it as addition by subtraction: they got rid of a massive distraction, a player looking for a big payday that they've been courting and trying to please for three seasons who didn't want to re-sign, and all it cost them is firing a mediocre coach (John Hynes). They'll get to tank for a good first-round spot after winning two of the last three lotteries, and stockpile prospects of their own.

Don't get me wrong, Hall is an excellent first-line winger, an All-Star, but his head and next contract are overblown by the Hart Trophy that bears his name instead of the more-deserving Nathan MacKinnon two years ago. He doesn't make his linemates better and only once played in a state of grace worthy of a first-overall draft selection (2010, Edmonton Oilers) - and that year, his 93 points were 41 better than the runner-up on his team, 18-year-old rookie Nico Hischier. He didn't help anyone on his team despite being near the 100-point mark; Connor McDavid turns career nobodies into 20-goal scorers and brings Leon Draisaitl - a very talented player, one of the ten best forwards in the world - in the conversation as one of the three best players of this era. Hall's 14% shot rating in 2017-18 was also 50% higher than his career average and it was likely pure luck that it was in that year that he didn't miss 20 games to injury - two chance events happening at once.

And yet, Coyotes GM John Chayka - whom I wouldn't rate among the 10 best of his profession - made a perfect trade in acquiring his services. If he uses Hall correctly, as a rental, he'll be telling his team - currently sitting in first place in the wide-open Pacific Division - that he sees their effort and will help them go as far as they can without hurting the core and the current team spirit and simply adding an All-Star to the mix, perhaps the one player who can wake Phil Kessel up from his half-season slumber. He's thanking his veterans for their patience in those lean years where they kept failing to make the playoffs; he's showing his young guns he'll always try to give them a chance to win if they help themselves first.

He's also letting Hall look like a good team player by giving him the chance to join a club that will now be looking to contend, so he can earn a big payday elsewhere come July 1st.

With good goaltending, a decent defence and a balanced-if-unimpressive forwards corps, the Coyotes already had a shot at reaching the postseason in their division, the way Rick Tocchet has coached this year. Now they can make a dent in them, and perhaps win a round or two and build on that experience for the future.

The Yotes play in the same division as the Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights - three teams I follow and love to watch. Plus, they should have moved years ago. But it's hard not to root for this move to work.

Then again, it's Hall, so he could very well get injured for the remainder of the season soon and Arizona could miss the playoffs and end up wining the lottery.

Here's Hall wearing the Oilers' orange (then-third) uniform, on card #FF-TH from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Ice set and Frozen Fabrics sub-set:

It features a blue game-worn jersey swatch that is probably from Edmonton's home jersey.

Paul Kariya Dual Jersey Card

It turns out the St. Louis Blues will be making the playoffs after all, despite having traded defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and fired head coach Ken Hitchcock. Good for them, though they will likely face the Minnesota Wild - no small task, considering they led the league standings nearly all year.

The Blues are one of two teams - with the Colorado Avalanche - with whom Paul Kariya has not had a point-per-game season. He was, of course, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim's long-time captain, but many folks forget he also holds the Nashville Predators' team single-season marks for assists (54) and points (85), both set in 2005-06.

Kariya retired after taking the 2010-11 season off altogether while recovering from the many concussions he incurred during his career, which he ended with exactly 989 points (402 goals and 587 assists) in 989 regular-season games; it would have been nice to see him reach the 1000-point mark, but alas, like Wayne Gretzky before him, he fell victim to Gary Suter's medecine: a cross-check to the head that forced him to miss the 1998 Olympics. Gretzky had been cross-checked in the back during the 1991 Canada Cup.

Upon retiring, Kariya had some strong words towards the NHL's safety measures and correctional department. Things haven't changed all that much since - except for the fact that Kariya no longer attends games or cares about hockey.

Here he is wearing the Blues' post-lockout blue (home) uniform, on card #FF-PK from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Ice collection and Frozen Fabrics sub-set:

It features grey and white game-worn jersey swatches taken from the Preds' post-lockout uniforms.

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.

Ryan Smyth 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)

At this point, most readers are aware that Ryan Smyth was one of my favourite players of his generation; he kept the Edmonton Oilers' flame lit for his entire tenure (1994-2007, 2011-14), in addition to posting decent numbers with the New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings - though he was clearly not an ideal fit on the latter two, despite what the numbers say.

However, last night, he suffered an injury when he received an elbow to the head right after scoring a goal in the Chinook Hockey League final, as his Stony Plain Eagles are facing the Lacombe Generals for the right to represent Alberta in the Allan Cup championship, the Stanley Cup of senior-league hockey.

The Hockey News went so far as to suggest his assailant, Kyle Sheen, is a goon - not just an enforcer, but a brute and thug - who shouldn't even be on the same sheet of ice as Smyth. The video in their opinion piece does, indeed, seem to confirm just that.

Smyth isn't just the Eagles' captain or an Oiler alumnus; he's Captain Canada, for fuck's sake. Every single year his NHL teams failed to make the playoffs despite his giving every ounce of energy to attain that goal, he answered Team Canada's call for the World Championships and proudly wore the "C" atop the maple leaf, usually on his way to a gold medal.

The way Canada usually convinces young players (say a Matt Duchene, Jordan Eberle, Aaron Ekblad or Ryan O'Reilly) to join those teams after disappointing seasons is with a bit of a bribe: "come play with us, join the Hockey Canada Rolodex, and maybe we'll call on you later, such as the Olympics or something".

They didn't have to go through such lengths with Smyth, who knew he'd be passed over for the more marquee events because Canada would rather have the star power of a center such as Jeff Carter or Claude Giroux playing wing than a guy willing to get injured on the ice to prevent or even score a goal; no, Smyth just goes because of his commitment to his country and his love for the game.

The same love of the game that got him playing in a senior league at age 41, three years after having retired from the rigors of the NHL, because he couldn't not play.

Here he is wearing the Oilers' white (then-home) turn-of-the-millennium uniform with the "Oil Driller" shoulder patches and the alternate captain's "A", on card #FF-RS from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ice set and Frozen Fabrics sub-set:

It features a matching game-worn jersey swatch.

Anze Kopitar Jersey Card

I hinted last year at the sheer amount of Anze Kopitar jersey cards I own, and that I had to use pretty much any occasion to feature one so I can store it away in my Kopitar binder, but any news concerning the Los Angeles Kings has been pretty bad this year, and the team's new captain is no exception, missing his second straight game tonight due to what seems like an arm injury.

The Kings are currently down to their third goalie, Peter Budaj, after both Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff have fallen in the crease, pulling their groins. Marian Gaborik is also sidelined, although that is a more natural occurrence, as the star sniper and former Minnesota Wild captain hasn't played a full season since 2011-12.

Here is last year's Selke and Lady Byng winner wearing L.A.'s black uniform, on card #FR-AK from Upper Deck's 2009-10 Ice set and Frozen Fabrics sub-set:

It features a white game-worn jersey swatch.

Ben Scrivens Jersey Card

Halloween: candy, orange, black, masks and disguises. Ben Scrivens, dressed as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, checks off two of these (orange and mask), so what better way to celebrate the last day of October than by featuring this card of his from Upper Deck's 2014-15 Ice set:

It's card #FZF-BS of the Frozen Fabrics sub-set and shows him in the team's retro blue (home) uniform, with his mask a throwback-coloured logo and his equipment matching his jersey and, therefore, beautiful.

I was never entirely sold on Scrivens because he started out with the Toronto Maple Leafs (i.e. never believe the media hype around their players), and then when he played for the Los Angeles Kings, he was pretty much sheltered by that stingy defense.

There's an element of self-confidence that borders on bravado and ego when you're a goalie; it comes with being the last line of defense against all opponents and from even unsuccessful goalies knowing they're doing the right move more than 88% of the time. That kind of explains why this summer, as the Oilers brought Cam Talbot to the fold, Scrivens reached out to and welcomed him... then told the media he was fighting for the #1 job.

By the time training camp was over, Scrivens was sent to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors, where he is currently the backup to Laurent Brossoit, having lost his only game while giving up 5 goals (5.03 average, .848 save percentage) while Brossoit has started 5, has a 2-2-1 record, a 2.96 GAA and a .912 save percentage to go with the 2.00 GAA and .961 save percentage from his lone NHL game with the Oilers last season.

It's got to be hard on a guy, missing the good old days of playing for the Leafs...

Milan Michalek: 3 UD Ice Jersey Cards

I hadn't written about Ottawa Senators winger Milan Michalek since 2010, which is mind-boggling considering he may be the player I have the second-most insert/jersey cards of (after Anze Kopitar), and I'm a fan of his play. It's probably because I'd written him again with more cards to sign in March 2014 and was trying to pace my posts, but since I haven't heard anything in over a year, I might as well move on to these cards, all from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ice set, usually one of my favourites each year (along with Artifacts):

That's right: three different jersey cards (each with a differently-coloured swatch!) of Michalek sporting the San Jose Sharks' millennium-era white (home) uniform, all from the same set.

First, there's card #FF-MM of the Frozen Fabrics sub-set, featuring a teal game-worn swatch:

Then there's the two variants of #FI-MM, from the Fresh Ice sub-set:

These are different themselves in many ways; first, the colours are different - not just the swatches but the card itself: the top one (white swatch) is dark teal on its top half while the one on the bottom is grey with a lighter teal as the separation colour. There's also the fact that the one on top is actually made of see-through plastic (the Ice logo is completely transparent), while the bottom one is a regular cardboard card.

Much has been written about Michalek's perceived drop from a consistent 20-goal man (with a peak of 35 in 2011-12), but it hasn't been from lack of effort of lack of chances; a lot of it was just plain dumb luck, as can be attested from a particular 2-goal, 3-point night in February where he could have had four goals in the first period alone and missed an open net to finish the hat trick in the third, capping off an 11-point-in-13-games stretch, which enabled him to finish with 25 points in his last 30 games.

The 6'2'', 220-pound winger is still fast and hard to get off the puck, and drives the play forward most of the time; his 17 goals in 2013-14 were just three away from the 20-goal mark, which would have registered as a fine season; his 13 goals in 66 games last year is a fine average as well - and one that resembles his postseason output of 15 goals in 63 games; it's just that since he doesn't rack up a ton of assists, not reaching 20 goals nor 40 points looks like a letdown to some.

I don't think he'll reach the 30-goal mark again in this NHL where goals are at a premium and those numbers are reserved for top-line players nowadays, but as a second-liner, I definitely see him flirting with 20 for two or three more years, easily. He's barely 30, after all.

A former All-Star Game starter, he plays for the Czech Team internationally, which has garnered him a trio of bronze medals (at the 2002 U-18s, as well as the 2011 and 2012 World Championships). He played at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi (where his team finished sixth) and should also be part of the 2018 squad should the NHL send its players; he'll no doubt also take part in the 2016 World Cup - chances are Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias and Petr Nedved won't play, so he should be able to get first- or second-line duties on the team.

Marty Turco Jersey Card

Marty Turco's a unique figure in goaltending, where you either consider him elite or average, and just about nothing will change your mind. I'm in the latter category, mostly, though I do respect that he was a unique stickhandler and, with perhaps Martin Brodeur, may have been the top puck-moving goaltender of his era, with Rick DiPietro and José Theodore vying for third place.

He never won the Vezina Trophy but was a finalist once and in the top-5 for votes another two times despite starting his career with three of four seasons consisting of GAAs below 2.00 and the other at 2.09. Sure, he was a Second Team All-Star in 2002-03 when he compiled a .932 save percentage, but that's pretty much as far as it goes in terms of achievements at the NHL level. In his era, and particularly his peak (2000-06), Patrick Roy was still King Of The Hill, Brodeur was building his legend, Miikka Kiprusoff was dominant, and Ed Belfour, Theodore and Jean-Sébastien Giguère were solid and consistent, as were Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig, Nikolai Khabibulin and Tomas Vokoun. That didn't leave much room for the second tier of good goalies, which Turco was a part of.

Not that it's his fault with a .914 save percentage a low 2.17 in the postseason, but he never really had playoff success with the Dallas Stars, finishing with a losing record (21 wins, 26 losses) in 47 games and a bit of a reputation as a choker (which may very well be unfair); he was named the third goalie for Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics after Theodore tested positive for hair-growth product Rogaine, which can be used to mask steroids (he had a medical exemption, but chose to keep his perfect hairdo instead of watching the Games from the stands in Torino, which Turco was proud and honored to do).

I'll tell you what: I was kind of glad to see Turco have success, because it meant he got to replace Belfour, a goalie I liked even less. I'll also admit his glory years happened when I was shying away from regular-season hockey because Colorado Avalanche games were unavailable at the time in Canada, and my hometown Montréal Canadiens were a wreck that wasn't worth paying attention to; I'd also recently retired from the sport after two seasons in Juniors where I'd been a goon/third-string goalie, so I was a tad disillusioned with hockey in general, until 2002.

So, all told, perhaps I simply didn't get to witness the best that Turco had to offer.

He looked good in the Stars' ''original'' (in Dallas, at least) Star-shaped jersey, pre-golden pads:

It's card #FF-MT from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ice set (and Frozen Fabrics sub-set), always one of my favourite designs year in and year out. It features a game-worn black jersey swatch, possibly from the away (inversed colours from this picture) uniform.

Alexei Yashin Jersey Card

Ah, the much-maligned, enigmatic Alexei Yashin.

Most people remember him from the 10-year contract he signed with the New York Islanders which the team still has a year left to pay from his buyout in June 2007, with $2.204M still owed to him despite his having retired from the sport altogether after a 20-point season in the KHL in 2011-12.

But folks forget his final season with the Isles in 2006-07, though marred by a serious knee injury, had him produce 50 points (on 18 goals) in just 58 games, though he was held scoreless in five playoff games.

All told, the 2nd-overall pick of the 1992 draft (behind Roman Hamrlik) played 850 NHL games, scoring 337 goals with 444 assists for 781 points (but just 11-16-27 in 48 playoff games), finishing as the runner-up for the Hart trophy and being named to the Second All-Star Team in 1998-99.

He is the second-leading points producer of his draft year so far, though you could argue Sergei Gonchar's 797 points are worth even more, his being a defenseman and all, but the rest of the class remains hundreds behind them.

Upon retiring, he was named the general manager of Russia's women's national team, and in his first taste of competition in his official role won the bronze medal at the World Championships. They finished sixth at the Sochi Olympics, though, and Yashin could often be seen partaking in the team's practices, taking hard shots at the goalies; he did try his best to provide his team with the best chance and highest level of motivation possible, but perhaps the pressure of winning on home ice proved to be too much for a team that remains - as the rest of the countries partaking in the sport - lagging far behind Canada and the United States.

And so I've been sitting on this card for nearly a decade, from Upper Deck's (always beautiful) 2005-06 Ice collection (card #FF-AY of the Frozen Fabrics sub-set), showing him in the Islanders' blue (away) uniform from the early-to-mid-00s (and a matching swatch of a game-used jersey):

It could very well be my favourite Isles uniform, too. It has enough of the classic 1980s design but with less cheesy colours, and the sideways stripes on the shoulders look great on it, too. Then again, I didn't completely despise their ''fisherman'' uniform, so that could just be me being weird.

Simon Gagné Jersey Card

After taking the time to honour a model who's no longer with us, I now return to my trade with Kyle, with part three, this Simon Gagné swatch card:

It's from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Ice set (card #FF-SG of the Frozen Fabrics sub-set) and contains two bent corners (top-left and bottom-left) and two creases near the swatch as well as a few scratches in the middle, which Kyle says is how he got them through a re-pack.

Gagné is shown wearing the Philadelphia Flyers' then-home black uniform, with the associate captain's 'A'. He has achieved a lot as a Flyer, with two 40-goal seasons (including a career-high 47 in 2005-06) and two more 30-goal seasons, twice winning the team MVP award (the Bobby Clarke trophy) and playing in two All-Star Games.

His best playoff point-per-game average was in 2010-11 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, though, when he tallied 12 points in 15 games; he also won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2011-12 before returning to the Flyers halfway through the following season.

He was also led to believe the Flyers would sign him this summer, but that didn't happen, and all the teams he refused to sign with in the meantime have since filled their rosters with rookies and grinders while he is left to practice with his junior team, the Québec Remparts.

He has represented Team Canada five times, winning gold at the 1999 World Juniors and the 2002 Olympics, as well as the 2004 World Cup and silver at the 2005 World Championships.

He is one game short of his 800th regular-season NHL game, and stands at 288 goals, 309 assists and 597 points, plus his 59 points (37 goals) in 109 playoff games.

Chris Pronger Jersey Card

It could end tonight. The Stanley Cup could be awarded to the Chicago Blackhawks. Or the Philadelphia Flyers could keep making this a ''homers' series'' and take it to gave 7.

For that to happen, though, you'd need a monster performance by Chris Pronger, seen here wearing the Edmonton Oilers' home jersey in their Cup run the only season he played there, when they lost it to the Carolina Hurricanes partly due to an injury to Dwayne Roloson. I'm one of those who think Pronger would have won the Conn Smythe had the Oilers won; he was just that good. I had never liked him before, but wanted him on my team ever since. On the other hand, had I been on the Oilers' coaching staff, I would have had the players wear the alternate jersey at least once in the finals, to change the mood.

Pronger won the Cup the next season with the Anaheim Ducks, so he got his, but I have the sneaking suspicion that if the Flyers won it this year, he'd get Conn Smythe consideration again, as he and Claude Giroux are probably the main reasons why they have made it so far.

This card (#FF-CP) is from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ice set, the Frozen Fabrics insert sub-set. As always, the Ice set delivers beautiful cards, and this one has a game-worn piece of jersey on its front to boot; it retails between $35-50. Great stuff!