Jean-Gabriel Pageau Autographed Card

One of my favourite remaining players on the Ottawa Senators, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, was hit with his first career suspension earlier today, a one-game punishment for a hit to the back of the Vancouver Canucks' Ashton Sautner last night.

Pageau's usually a mild-mannered dependable two-way forward, but perhaps his extremely disappointing season is taking its toll on him: the Sens look like they'll finish last overall and he himself is marred in a three-year downward trajectory in terms of on-ice production, and he's posted his lowest per-game points average since becoming an NHL regular:

from FrozenTools

Then again, a career-low shooting percentage indicates this year is an outlier and, should he hit the 10% mark next year, will revert back to being a 40-point producer.

He's also playing on a defensive line with Tom Pyatt, who may very well retire after season's end if no one will hire him; his time in Ottawa looks pretty much over, especially now that head coach Guy Boucher has left/been fired.

Pageau signed this card for me last year:

It's card #49 from In The Game's 2011-12 Heroes And Prospects set, which he signed in blue sharpie; it's a much sharper signature than when he signed the same card for me back in 2015. That means I have one to trade...

Like Sean Couturier before him, I expect him to bounce back next year, as they're following a similar development curve.

Martin Réway Autographed Card

Back and forth.

Those seem like the best, nay the only words that can aptly describe Martin Réway's career for now.

The Montréal Canadiens' fourth-round pick (116th overall) in 2013, Réway had been developping in Europe, first playing for Praha (Prague) HC Sparta, then Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss League after a dispute over ice time. He led Team Slovakia to a bronze medal at the 2015 World Juniors, posting 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 7 games.

There was a school of thought that claimed he was remaining in Europe because he didn't want to develop in the AHL here, but that proved to be wrong. As a means of showing good faith, he signed his entry-level deal this summer during one of his frequent visits to Montréal, but remained in Slovakia for the training camp with an illness that attacked his heart.

It is now believed he will miss the entire season; some actually think his career is compromised.

He actually signed this card for me during said 2015 World Juniors, as the Slovaks played most of their games in Montréal:

It's card #76 from In The Game's 2013-14 Heroes And Prospects set; it shows him wearing #98 with the Gatineau Olympiques.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau Autographed Card

There were three heroes for the Ottawa Senators tonight, as they beat the Montréal Canadiens in overtime at the Bell Centre - and I got two of them to sign for me tonight. (And I still have two cards I haven't posted from the other one from last year's playoffs in the pipeline).

It was hard to decide who I should feature first, but I decided to go with the player who scored the Sens' first goal of the evening on a shorthanded breakaway, Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Pageau, who will turn 23 next week, is currently in his first full-time NHL season, but if the Sens played the Habs more often, he'd already be a 50-point player despite playing on Ottawa's third line more often than not. He already has 6 points in 8 regular-season career games against Montréal - including an identical shorthanded goal less than a month ago - and 11 points in 18 games factoring in the playoffs (including a hat trick).

He reached the point-per-game level in both the LHJMQ and AHL, so it's safe to predict he will start hitting the 40-to-60-point soon enough in the NHL as well. As it stands, though, he's a penalty-killing machine who hopes to become the next Daniel Brière.

Here he is with the Gatineau Olympiques, from In The Game's 2011-12 Heroes And Prospects set (card #49 in the collection), which he signed in (dying) blue sharpie:

The Sens are in good hands with Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad and Pageau at center. And I'm glad to officially start a player collection of his.

Claude Giroux: 3 Autographed Cards

I sent Claude Giroux the five cards picture above on March 30th and got all of them back on May 13th. These two were returned unsigned:

I guess he wanted to preserve the sanctity of his rookie card and didn't want to think back to last year's playoffs...

I'd been following his career closely since his days in Juniors, after he got drafted; I even took two trips to Hull/Gatineau to watch him play, which is where I purchased these cards (unsigned - he signed them in blue sharpie in the mailing):

They are both from In The Game. The card on top is from the 2007-08 Heroes And Prospects collection (card # 45) while the one on the bottom is from the 2008-09 Heroes And Prospects set (card #85). I'm not usually a fan of the colour orange on clothing, but the Gatineau Olympiques pull it off rather well, I think.

He also took the time to sign one of his Philadelphia Flyers cards, from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Victory set (card #141):

Maybe I'll send him the other two back in a few years to try to complete my ''different jerseys'' collection, but I'm the meantime I'm quite satisfied that this up-and-comer took the time to sign these three cards. He is becoming so productive that the Flyers can now afford to seriously consider letting go either Mike Richards or Jeff Carter to land a top-notch goalie to get them to the Cup. And should they get there, Giroux is clutch enough to land the Conn Smythe trophy.