Brian Lashoff Autograph Card

I have a fairly busy day today, so I can't do one of my usual weekend deep dives into someone's career, but I do have a few I'm eyeing for the future - including one in baseball. For now, however, let's talk about the Detroit Red Wings' ninth defenseman, Brian Lashoff.

Currently playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins - with whom he won the Calder Cup in 2013 (under head coach Jeff Blashill) and 2017 (under Todd Nelson) - for the 11th season, Lashoff only played one full year in the NHL, in 2013-14, under Mike Babcock, averaging 14:26 and posting six points (one goal, five assists), a -2 rating and 36 penalty minutes. The Wings made the playoffs that year.

Despite Detroit having replaced GM Ken Holland with Steve Yzerman, it seems they still value hard work, dedication and loyalty, as they rewarded the 29-year-old for his time in the organization with a two-year, two-way deal that pays him $700K in the NHL (they're tight against the cap) and $275K in the AHL but with a $325K minimum guaranteed salary, meaning even if he remains in Grand Rapids all year, he'll earn $50K extra as if he'd been called up for a month or so.

It's a fair deal, because, honestly, he doesn't look out of place on a third pairing, has experience winning - he has a gold medal from the 2010 World Juniors with Team USA in addition to his two Calder Cups - and can share his experience of bouncing around between first-class air travel and riding buses for entire nights at a time to young up-and-comers.

He's the type of guy who is good enough and has seen enough to be an AHL captain.

Here he is wearing the winged wheel red (now-home) uniform, on card #I-BLA from Panini's 2013-14 Contenders set and NHL Ink sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

Robin Lehner Autograph Card

Earlier today, one of the ten best goalies in the NHL this year shut out the Vezina frontrunner's team, as the New York Islanders' Robin Lehner blanked John Gibson's Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Gibson's having a season for the ages, where he is solely responsible for 90% of the Ducks' cumulative points this year, but Lehner currently ranks second in both GAA (2.02, behind Laurent Brossoit's 2.01) and save percentage (.930, behind Jack Campbell's .931). Yes, only a pair of backups are ahead of Lehner, mostly because he has played more games than both of them combined.

Rounding out the "best goalie" conversation are Ben Bishop (2.37 and .921 on a Dallas Stars team that has trouble scoring two goals per game), Marc-André Fleury (2.49 and .911, to go along with a league-leading 27 wins), the two-headed Boston Bruins monster comprised of Tuukka Rask (2.43, .919) and Jaroslav Halak (2.47, .919), Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.50 and .925 playing for the league-leading and nearly flawless Tampa Bay Lightning), surprising Calgary Flames sophomore David Rittich (2.49 and .917), last year's winner Pekka Rinne (2.51 and .913) and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Frederik Andersen (2.54 and .922).

One thing that sets Lehner apart is his own admission of being ten-months sober from alcohol and sleeping pills right before the regular season started, as well as bouts fighting bipolar disease and depression.

It took major balls to look deep inside himself and tell the world that while we could all see his level of talent and competitiveness, the reason why he was let go by the Buffalo Sabres was himself, and the reasons why he lost the #1 goalie job on a team that's poised to make a huge bounce in the standing in the next few years come from within.

He's now seemingly dealt with his demons and gotten his career back on track, and now all he needs to do is keep walking that line and forging ahead. Should he not win the Vezina, he'll likely get strong Masterton Trophy consideration and a new, more lucrative deal for the future, two more reasons to keep at it.

Here he is at the beginning of his NHL career, on card #39 of the NHL Ink sub-set from Panini's 2011-12 Contenders set:

It is a beautiful, relatively thick, sleek and clean card, with lots of blank space for him to sign in blue sharpie. It shows him sporting the Ottawa Senators' very best jersey, the black "O" throwback uniform, stopping a puck behind his net.

Philippe Cornet Autograph Card

After years toiling in the ECHL and AHL, Philippe Cornet opted to take his game to Norway in 2015-16 and Finland last year, where his game evolved from a pass-first mentality in the LHJMQ in Juniors to becoming a legitimate goal-scoring threat; indeed, his 12 goals with Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) ranked second on the team, which placed fifth in the overall standings (out of 15).

At 27, the 6'0", 200-pound winger may get an invitation to participate in the upcoming Olympics with Team Canada, since the NHL will not be represented. Speaking of which, here he is from his Edmonton Oilers days, on card #I-PCO from Panini's 2013-14 Contenders collection and NHL Ink sub-set:

It shows him wearing Reebok's ugly post-lockout blue (home) uniform and features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

Mikael Backlund Autograph Card

With three points and a +4 showing in his last 4 games, Mikael Backlund is on a hot streak that coincides with that of the Calgary Flames as a whole, with an 8-2-0 showing in their last 10 games. He's getting some ice time with Johnny Gaudreau and is usually playing in the final minute when the other team takes their goalie out of their net, which shows coach Bob Hartley's trust in his defensive game.

Now having to contend with minutes in the middle with the likes of Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett, the play-making genius from Vasteras, Sweden has seemingly found a way to maximize his ice time and contribute on a regular basis, though perhaps not at the level that people such as myself once envisioned - I thought he would hover between 45 and 60 points per season, but his best year so far saw him post 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 76 games in 2013-14.

Then again, it's a different NHL, where the Art Ross winner didn't get 90 points last year, Alex Ovechkin is the only player who is able to score 50 goals, and first-liners and elite players such as Jonathan Toews reached the 70-point mark just once, let alone the point-per-game average. These are unique times in pro hockey in general, with the KHL also being really tough to score in (and where goalies usually have a GAA below 2.00).

That being said, I still traded for this card showing him in the Flames' red uniform, though I'm now looking for one of his with the throwback jersey:

It's card #I-MBA from Panini's 2013-14 Contenders collection (and more specifically, the NHL Ink sub-set). It's signed on-card in thin blue sharpie.

Gabriel Dumont Autograph Card

Gabriel Dumont is at a crossroads of sorts, as he is currently in his third NHL contract, a one-year pact that will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent if he fails to suit up in 59 games (and a restricted one if he does).

He has yet to translate his two-way play to the NHL but has proven to be an efficient shut-down fourth-line center at the top level, playing with speed and grit - it's just that the offense hasn't made the leap from the AHL with him.

However, the Montréal Canadiens do see value in his leadership skills, as he will serve as the St. John's IceCaps' captain this year, after serving in the same capacity last season when the team's AHL affiliate was called the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Like the Habs, the IceCaps lead their division so far with a 7-3-2 record, led offensively by Bud Holloway and Daniel Carr, with help from Michael McCarron, Charles Hudon, Christian Thomas, Sven Andrighetto and Mark Barberio. Holloway (originally a Los Angeles Kings draft pick) and Barberio (a Montrealer from the Tampa Bay Lightning system) serve as alternate captains.

Here is a card from Panini's 2013-14 Contenders set (#I-GD of the NHL Ink sub-set), which he signed on-card in blue sharpie:

It's a nice action shot that shows just enough of the Habs' classic red jersey.