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.

Dustin Byfuglien Swatch Card

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

It's looking more an more like Dustin Byfuglien is at the very least pulling a Mike Fisher and taking a break until the trade deadline, if not full-on retiring. After the losses of Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot, losing Byfuglien would possibly be the final blow into the Winnipeg Jets' unlikely implosion.

They still have a very dependable goalie who is just entering his prime and one of the best offenses in the league, but losing two-thirds of a blue line is an impossible hurdle to overcome without a magic trick or a major trade up one's sleeve.

And Byfuglien is no ordinary defenseman; he's one of a handful of game-changers/game-breakers at his position in the entire league (with Brent Burns, Victor Hedman, P.K. Subban and Erik Karlsson) who can take control of a game by himself with crushing hits, end-to-end rushes, an opportune goal - many times all at once.

There's a reason why the Chicago Blackhawks used to have him play forward on powerplays and when they needed to come from behind: he has the ability to be unstoppable.

He's also a very valuable leader on that Jets team, one with the Stanley Cup-winning experience the team needs to go further in the postseason.

He technically has a contract that is still valid until the end of next season, so if he rediscovers a flame for the game, it's likely Winnipeg will take him back right away, despite having been forced to suspend him for administrative reasons (so his salary doesn't count against the salary cap).

Here he is wearing the Jets' white (away) uniform, on card #GG-DBY from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-set:

It features a beautiful dark blue jersey swatch that could be from the home or away uniform.

Rob Blake Swatch Card

(As per years past, this is a twin-post with my "regular" blog, where I predicted the Los Angeles Kings would finish last in the NHL in 2019-20).

Rob Blake is many things: a Hall of Famer, a Stanley Cup winner (Colorado Avalanche, 2001), the 11th member of the Triple Gold Club, a former captain of two NHL teams (Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks), a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman (1998), and a current General Manager, a position he has occupied since April 10, 2017 and has yet to make any significant impact in.

With his Kings finishing in last place in the West last season, he opted to make the following roster moves at the trade deadline and over the summer:

• Traded Carl Hagelin, who had played only 22 games with the team after being acquired for Tanner Pearson, to the Washington Capitals for two mid-round draft picks
• Traded Nate Thompson, who had played only 79 games with the team, to the Montreal Canadiens for a fourth-round draft pick
• Traded Oscar Fantenberg, who had played only 74 games with the team, to the Calgary Flames for a conditional pick in 2020.
• Bought out the final two years of Dion Phaneuf’s contract
• Signed Joakim Ryan to a one-year deal in free agency

What the actual fuck.

He's spending $11M annually until 2025 on Drew Doughty, a defenseman who has been alternating good and bad seasons since 2009-10 - and last year's 8 goals, 44 points and -34 rating in 82 games is the worst among everyone making over $7M a year - and the same can be said for $10M captain (until 2024) Anze Kopitar, who's been on and off since 2013-14.

That's saying nothing of former captain Dustin Brown's annual salary of $5.75M until 2022, who seems to have maxed out at some 20 goals per season after five straight seasons below that threshold.

And, instead of trying to help Russian superstar Ilya Kovalchuk regain his mojo, Blake stayed with head coach Willie Desjardins until the end of the season, despite Slick Willie being unable to get his team to win or even want to play.

So many bad decisions followed by so much inaction - yet so much dead wood to get rid of.

Unless he's tanking for the benefit of his successor, Blake actually seems to be on a mission to waste his boss' money with absolutely nothing to show for it on the ice, performing a reverse-Wayne Gretzky and trying to kill off hockey in California.

It seems like the only logical explanation.

Here he is wearing the King's white (then-home) uniform from the 1998-2008 era, sporting the captain's "C", on card #GG-RBL from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-set:

It features a black game-worn jersey swatch from the team's black (away/third) uniform of the same era.

James Neal Swatch Card

It's now official: the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers have swapped problematic contracts, with James Neal going to the Oilers and Milan Lucic headed to Calgary. Both power forwards on the decline have close to $6M left per year until the end of the 2022-23 season, although Lucic's contract is considered buyout-proof, what with being essentially a minimum-salary deal with signing bonuses while Neal's is a straight $5.75M per year in salary.

This is Neal's fourth team in four seasons, and while the optics on that aren't great, especially considering his reputation as a bad teammate (he may have told goalie Mike Smith to "stop the fucking puck once in a while" last season), one has to keep in mind the actual facts in his case: two of those teams - the perennial division-winning Nashville Predators and first-year expansion team Vegas Golden Knights - both reached the Stanley Cup Final with him in tow. The Flames, for their part, won their division with him last year with a six-point cushion over the San Jose Sharks.

Also, last year was the first time in his 11-year NHL career that he failed to reach the 20-goal mark - and that includes the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

Here's what you get when you acquire Neal: a 6'3", 215-pound guy who can skate, has a very good shot (not "great", not "elite", but just below that, still in the 85-89th percentile) and a terrible temper. Enough that most players won't try to get on his nerves to draw a penalty, because he's mean enough to go so hard that he'll earn a suspension. Some call him the dirtiest player in the NHL, although I wouldn't go so far because the league still employs the likes of Brad Marchand, Corey Perry, Radko Gudas, Ryan Kesler (technically), Lucic and Nazem Kadri, but he's definitely Philadelphia Flyers/Boston Bruins/Anaheim Ducks material...

In the off-season, Neal usually trains with... Connor McDavid. The thing with Edmonton is they technically have three top-line centers in McDavid (the best player in the world), Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. All three possess all-world skill and speed, although Nuge is less bulky and, thus, more fragile. Still, any one of those guys can put up point-per-game statistics with a 25-goal scorer by their side, a number Neal's reached five times in his career (with a high of 40 in 2011-12), including in 2017-18 on the Golden Knight's second line.

Here he is from his 40-goal days, sporting the Pittsburgh Penguins' white (away) uniform on card #GG-JN from Panini's 2012-13 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-set:

It features a black game-worn jersey swatch that I assume must be from his days in Pittsburgh but could also have come from his time with the Dallas Stars.

He also has international experience, having won a gold medal at the 2007 World Juniors and silver at the 2009 World Championships with Team Canada.

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.

Vincent Lecavalier Swatch 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)

Vincent Lecavalier's name is all over the Tampa Bay Lightning's record book: most career goals (383), second in career assists (491) and points (874), the team's longest-serving captain (6 seasons) and up until tonight, its single-season points leader (108).

Nikita Kucherov's season for the ages, however, has now put the latter in the past, as he's now at 110 points with 13 more games to go in the regular season. This marks Kucherov's second-consecutive 100-point season, and he's been so impressive that he's rendered offensive stars like Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point mere afterthoughts.

Then again, Tampa's so strong this season that both of its goalies - Andrei Vasilevskiy and Louis Domingue - have each had 10-game winning streaks this year. Of course, they're playing behind what is by far the best defense in the league in Norris winner Victor Hedman, All-Star Ryan McDonagh, potential future Norris winner Mikhail Sergachev, Anton Stralman, Braydon Coburn, and Dan Girardi. Any of the first four could be a first-unit player on any other team.

The Bolts are even more balanced than in Lecavalier's heyday, when he was surrounded by the likes of Hall of Famers Martin St-Louis and Dave Andreychuk, Brad Richards, Fredrik Modin, Cory Stillman, and Ruslan Fedotenko up front, Dan Boyle, Pavel Kubina, Cory Sarich and Jassen Cullimore out back, and "The Bulin Wall" Nikolai Khabibulin in nets. Some of those guys were extremely talented, and they did win the 2004 Stanley Cup, but they don't stack up against the All-World talent on this year's team, which was the fourth-fastest of all time to reach 100 points (although, of course, this warrants the asterisk for happening in the shootout era where there are no longer tied games).

Here is Lecavalier, sporting the captain's "C" on the Bolts' alternate jersey from last decade, on card #1 from Panini's 2011-12 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-set:

It features a black swatch that is more likely to be from the Lightning's black (away) uniform. I'd like to note that I like this jersey a lot better than the team's current alternate, the "Black Ice" uniform:

Urgh. Tampa Bay's batting average for jerseys is among the worst in the league with the Buffalo Sabres.

Colton Teubert Autograph Card

My (remaining) childhood team - the Edmonton Oilers - has eliminated last year's Western Conference finalist San Jose Sharks in a tiring, tight but predictable series and will now face the tougher, bigger, faster and meaner Anaheim Ducks.

The Oilers' defense has not looked this good in at least an entire decade, and team chemistry is at its most cohesive since the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Final run. Even the Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson trade is looking great (addition by subtraction in team spirit and cleaning up the air, adding a quality defensive defenseman, and making room to sign a more physical top-six left winger in Milan Lucic are three huge victory points for Edmonton).

Such a trade would not have been necessary, however, had Colton Teubert panned out as the team expected him to when they traded for him with the Los Angeles Kings (along with first-round and second-round picks, for Dustin Penner). The Oilers took a chance on the 6'4", 210-pound former first round pick (13th overall in 2008) because he'd previously been teammates with Jordan Eberle with the WHL's Regina Pats, making the All-Star Game and having Regina mayor Pat Fiacco proclaim January 8, 2010 as "Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert Day". Yeah, that happened.

However, the Oilers were pretty bad, and their AHL affiliate Oklahoma City Barons weren't great either, and his development stagnated; he fell into the minuses, took a lot of penalties, and ultimately was forced to sign in Germany to pursue his dream of playing professional hockey. And he's actually doing fine there:

from HockeyDB.com

He has won gold (2008 World U-18 Championships and 2009 World Juniors) and silver (2010 World Juniors) medals playing for Team Canada and, at age 27, seems to have found his groove.

Here he is as a tough Oilers prospect, wearing the classic blue (now-home) uniform on the Bronze variant of card #MM-30 from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set and Metallic Marks sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

Clarke MacArthur Autographed Card

Sad news today, as it was learned that Ottawa Senators power forward Clarke MacArthur was shut down for the entire season because of a concussion suffered during the preseason, his fourth in 19 months.

A veteran who has suited up for four different NHL teams - he'd been a Buffalo Sabres draft pick (74th overall), was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers and signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs when the Thrashers declined to accept his arbitration salary - he had found his niche in Ottawa as a 25-goal, 55-point second-liner who wasn't afraid to throw his 195 pounds around to make room for himself in the offensive zone.

This doesn't bode well for the remainder of his career, but I wish him the best - and a complete recovery. We'll see about his career later, but he won't have to worry about his future, with three more seasons after this one in which he will receive $4.75M apiece (and account for $4.65M on the salary cap).

Here he is wearing the Sens' red (home) uniform, on card #14 from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set, the first regular-issue card from that set I ever got signed:

It's a beautiful silver foil card that he signed in blue sharpie that he signed during the 2014-15 playoffs, which the Sens lost to my hometown Montréal Canadiens.

Marc-Édouard Vlasic Swatch Card

Marc-Édouard Vlasic is seemingly doing better after getting struck in the face by a Shane Gostisbehere slap shot when the San Jose Sharks faced the Philadelphia Flyers on December 30th.

The Team Canada shut-down defenseman - one of the best in the entire NHL - is one of the reasons why the Sharks went to the Stanley Cup Final last year and are leading the Pacific Division so far this year.

After performing very well offensively with Patrick Roy as his head coach with the LHJMQ's Québec Remparts, "Pickles", a 2005 second-round draft pick (35th overall), has two 30-point seasons to his name: 39 last season in just 67 games as he's evolved into one of the game's premier two-way defenders, and his third season with the team, in 2008-09, when he had 36 points, learning the game from Stanley Cup winners Rob Blake and Dan Boyle while Douglas Murray took care of the back end.

I know two things: First, it's better to get injured in January than in June. Second, the Sharks don't stand a chance without Vlasic, an Olympic gold medalist, a World Cup champion and a World Championship silver medalist. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau aren't the type of leaders that guarantee a win, and Logan Couture and Brent Burns can't do it all on their own.

So here's Vlasic, sporting one of the team's ugly and too-basic black uniforms, on card #GG-MEV from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-sets:

It features a teal game-worn jersey (?) swatch. That patch in the picture, GGIII, was in honor of the team's co-founder, George Gund III, who you may recall also owned the California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons and Minnesota North Stars at some point; he passed away in 2013.

Jay Bouwmeester Swatch Card

St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester dressed for his 1000th NHL game tonight, most of which he was an impactful player in. Unfortunately, the Blues lost 5-0 against the New York Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist was phenomenal in netting the shutout.

J-Bo made the news late this summer when he replaced Duncan Keith on Team Canada's World Cup roster, ahead of the likes of Mark Giordano, P.K. Subban and Kristopher Letang; however, the former third-overall draft pick (2002, Florida Panthers) and usual defensive partner of Alex Pietrangelo did fine, winning a fifth title with his national team, which now reads like a Hall Of Famer's checklist: World Championship gold (2003 and 2004), Olympic gold (2014) and World Cup (2004 and 2016). Oh, and World Championship silver (2008), and three World Juniors medals (silver in 2000 and 2001, bronze in 2002).

Sure, he could have been a more physical player and reached elite status and won a Norris trophy like Chris Pronger, but he may not have played in 737 consecutive games had he done so - and may even be permanently concussed like Pronger is instead of playing in his 1000th game.

The only thing he needs now is playoff success; he hadn't played a single postseason game until 2013, and has barely suited up for 38 in total. The main reason for that is he played on disappointing, low-level teams such as the early-00s Panthers and the post-Cup run Calgary Flames.

Speaking of which, here he is wearing the Flames' white (away) uniform, on card #96 from Panini's 2011-12 Titanium set and Game-Worn Gear sub-set:

It features a beautiful black game-worn swatch.

Antoine Roussel Swatch Card

A month of toughness warranted a look towards Antoine Roussel, the Dallas Stars' resident pest/heavy hitter who's gaining recognition all around the NHL:

He's physical, gets up under guys skins, and can throw opposing teams off balance by creating chaos wherever he is on the ice. Even tougher to swallow for opposing fans is the fact that Roussel isn't just some goon - he can make you pay with his fists as equally as he can on the scoreboard. He's potted a half dozen game-winning goals this year alone.

He's been straddling the right side of the thin line between "right" and "wrong", as well as "legal" and "not", for the better part of two years now.

He's on pace for a 40-point season, which would be a career-high for him and would cement his role in the middle-six and as a part-time powerplay participant. So far, he's flirted with the 15-goal and 30-point marks while accumulating 209, 148 and 123 penalty minutes in three full-time NHL seasons.

I believe he would be most effective in a Milan Lucic-like (dirty power forward) role, perhaps aiming for numbers such as 20/40/100, with highs around 25/55/125.

Here he is wearing the Stars' current white (away) uniform, on card #RG-AR from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set, and Rookie Gear and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets:

It features a matching event-worn jersey swatch.

While suiting up for Team France at the 2014 World Championships - his third straight Worlds participation - he posted 11 points in just 8 games and was selected on the media's All-Star Team; he probably should have been named to Team Europe at the World Cup, with or instead of fellow countryman Pierre-Édourard Bellemare.

Vincent Damphousse Jersey Card

Eric Lindros entering the Hockey Hall of Fame definitely put the final coffin on how dominant a player must be and cemented its reputation as the Hall of Very Good Players. The institution, already a bit of a joke for not being located within the walls of the old Montréal Forum, now has to include everyone who's played in All-Star Games, won just one piece of hardware, and/or had two or three terrific seasons - especially those who "might have been even better" had they not gotten injured.

That means Jose Theodore - he of a Vezina and a Hart - is a shoe-in when it should've been a five-year debate; that means Chris Osgood gets a realistic shot, what with his three Stanley Cup wins; that means 1000-point players (of which Lindros was not) now must be included, notably Pierre Turgeon and Vincent Damphousse.

I mean, hey: Damphousse got to 1205 regular-season points (46th all-time), 432 of them goals (68th) and 773 assists (37th), despite never reaching the 100-point single-season mark, though he surpassed 90 four times. He's won a Stanley Cup and captained the most decorated team in hockey - the Montréal Canadiens.

He has 41 playoff goals and 104 playoff points.

Not only was he selected to play in four All-Star Games, he was its MVP in 1991 on the strength of an NHL-record 4 goals.

I wasn't a big fan; I particularly didn't like how he would hit opponents' wrists with his stick when defending against and trailing them, despite the fact that it earned him a fourth-place finish in Selke voting while playing for my hometown Habs. The fact that he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks was also too dark a mark to be evened out by playing for the Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.

Speaking of the Sharks, here is, wearing their teal (then-away) end-of-the-90s uniform, on card #91 from Private Stock's 2000-01 Titanium Draft Day set (the Authentic Game-Worn Jerseys sub-set), manufactured by Pacific:

It features a red game-worn jersey swatch from his days in Montréal; the back of the card specifies that it's from a home jersey (which was white at the time), which would make this either part of the shoulders, wrists or waist parts of the jersey.

Kyle Okposo Swatch Card

The New York Islanders eliminated the Florida Panthers this weekend, and much was said about the clutch performances of John Tavares and Thomas Greiss, and deservedly so. But second on the team in scoring was Kyle Okposo, with 6 points in 6 games against the Cats.

The seventh-overall pick of the 2006 draft and upcoming free agent has been a consistent force for the past three seasons, with 184 points in 210 games, 67 of them goals. He's not the biggest at 6'1" and 200 pounds but he's hard to knock off the puck and wins most of his battles along the boards.

He'll be relied upon even more evidently to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the next round.

Here is a nice close-up of him in the Isles' almost-retro/current blue (home) uniform, from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set (and Game-Worn Gear) sub-set, card #GG-KO in the series), with the alternate captain's "A" and featuring a white game-worn jersey swatch:

He complained about the ice at Barclays Center last month; here's hoping an upcoming heat wave doesn't make it worse.

Brandon Bollig Autograph Card

Brandon Bollig is a Stanley Cup champion; he won it while with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13, and went on to have a 7-goal, 14-point season with the team in 2013-14, which prompted the Calgary Flames to acquire him over the summer to solidify their bottom-six.

While the Flames were likely hoping he'd be a third-liner more than "just" an enforcer (off his previous season's expanded role in Chicago), he's done an honest job on the fourth line, and his leadership helped the team's young players reach the playoffs last year, though most are feeling the sting of failing to repeat this time around.

He's exactly what Flames President Brian Burke used to look for in a player when he was GM: American-born, big (6'2", 223 pounds), rugged, tough, and a winner.

This is what he looked like in the Hawks' white (now-away) uniform:

It's card #SS-BO from the Social Signatures insert sub-set that spanned many Panini products; it came from a pack of 2013-14 Titanium. It was signed on-card in blue sharpie and includes both his uniform number (52) and Twitter handle.

Maxwell Reinhart Autograph Card

Maxwell Reinhart was once viewed as a top Calgary Flames prospect, a third-round pick (64th overall) in 2010, but after being surpassed on the depth chart by the likes of Josh Jooris, Markus Granlund and Bill Arnold, he was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2016.

In 42 games with their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals so far this year, he has 20 points (11 goals, 9 assists); he had 39 points in 69 games last year with the Adirondack Flames, good for third on the team, four points behind team leader Kenneth Agostino.

He and brothers Griffin (currently in the Edmonton Oilers' system) and Sam (with the Buffalo Sabres) are the three professional hockey-playing sons of former Flame Paul Reinhart.

The 6'1'', 200-pound two-way center will likely eventually stick in the NHL as a third-line checker, and in the meantime will serve as #59 in my Flames Numbers Project, with card #TR-MXR from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium collection and Titanium Reserve sub-set:

It shows him wearing the Flames' white (away) jersey, and has a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph on the front.

Andrei Markov Swatch Card

Andrei Markov had a tremendous start to his season, but he's taken a bit of heat from Montréal Canadiens fans for sub-par play more or less since the new year, with a few boos being heard in the Bell Centre and some internet chatter requesting GM Marc Bergevin trade him for draft picks in a tanking effort.

Regular readers know I won't be one of those. Markov's play this past decade warrants him retiring with the team, and he will not be overpaid next year with his $5.75M cap hit in his (hopefully) final season for the sole reason that he's played at around the same salary for the past five years and played better than anyone else making that much in the NHL, so one season below value balances out four that he played well over.

He was the best player on the team for the better part of his tenure, equaled here and there for short stints by the likes of Jaroslav Halak, Michael Cammalleri, and Saku Koivu which, you'll agree, is relatively sad for a legendary franchise.

So, should his minutes be cut down to plateau around 20 minutes per game? Probably. And, hey, 20 minutes per game is still top-two minutes, which he likely still is. Retiring at that level (assuming he retires when his contract ends in 2016-17) would put him close to the Nicklas Lidstrom category, therefore above that of a Zdeno Chara, which is also where I see his legacy falling into.

That is to say, I was probably the best person to fall on this two-colour swatch card of his from Panini's 2012-13 Titanium set (and Game-Worn Gear sub-set):

It's card #GG-AN in the series and is numbered 39/50, and shows him in the Habs' white (away) uniform, with the alternate captain's "A" that defined his career.

Michael Leighton Swatch Card

You might recall my deep respect for journeyman goaltender Michael Leighton from my post in 2012, but I was also moved last October when ESPN ran this story showcasing what a player of his ilk goes through with his family, particularly in cases where there are health concerns as there were with his son back then.

Drafted 165th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, he came back into the organization last year as the Rockford IceHogs' #1 goalie, and the 2008 Baz Bastien winner as the AHL's best goalie did have the statistics to contend for that honor once more, going 22-13-4 with a 2.26 GAA, .920 save percentage, 5 shutouts and 2 assists after an equally stunning season with the KHL's Donbass HC (20-15-6, 1.74 GAA and .933 save percentage with 6 shutouts in 42 games).

He's at it again this year, with an astonishing 20-4-4 record, 2.19 GAA, .928 save percentage, and 2 shutouts in 29 games. As I mentioned in 2012, he's too good for the AHL. We are, after all, talking about a guy who stopped 98 shots in a single, five-period game in 2008.

Here he is featured as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set (card #GG-LEI of the Game-Worn Gear sub-set), featuring a white game-worn jersey swatch:

The irony of it is that while he did spend a quarter of a season with the Jackets, he did not see a single minute of ice time, serving as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup, a task he had also accomplished in his time with the Philadelphia Fyers. Funnier still, this wasn't the first time he was on an NHL roster yet didn't play with the team holding his rights, as the Montréal Canadiens had once claimed him on waivers during an injury to Cristobal Huet, but Jaroslav Halak and David Aebischer were the ones who saw ice time instead.

Joe Thornton Swatch Card

The San Jose Sharks are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, so does that mean they're back on track? Or is this just another lull in a potentially awful season?

Who knows, really?

They're still the team run by GM Doug Wilson, who dresses three players who have been the team's captain (current one Joe Pavelski, as well as Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton) on a nightly basis, and whose #1 goalie is Martin Jones, the 26-year-old unproven commodity who came over from the Los Angeles Kings by way of the Boston Bruins last summer.

The one thing the Sharks seem to change more often than captains and goalies (at least since Evgeni Nabokov) is their uniforms. Their initial one was okay, but their best one was this one, save for the jersey numbers on the front, which make it too busy, though the amount of black, orange and white is perfect in contrast to the teal:

It's card #GG-JO from Panini's 2012-13 Titanium set (and Game-Worn Gear sub-set), which I got as a "hit" in a pack of various repackaged in 2014 or 2015. It features none other than the much-maligned Thornton, who was recently voted onto San Jose's 25th Anniversary Team (other notable centers in Sharks history include Mike Ricci, Vincent Damphousse and Jeff Friesen, so it was a no-brainer to vote former the Art Ross winner onto it).

Regular readers know I never trust the Sharks to win, or even make the right moves; they are the Western Conference's Toronto Maple Leafs without the continuous embarrassment of finishing in the bottom-5 but with the added weight of always choking in the playoffs when viewed as contenders. Oh, and no Stanley Cups. Ever.

Matt Duchene Swatch Card

So... Matt Duchene.

Calder Trophy candidate in 2009-10, after being drafted third overall the previous summer by the Colorado Avalanche, the team he rooted for as a kid and whose captain was Joe Sakic, his childhood hero - now his general manager.

He followed his rookie season with a 27-goal, 67-point effort in 2010-11 before a serious injury detailed his third season, leaving him with merely 28 points in 58 games.

His next two seasons were excellent: 43 points in 47 games in the locked-out 2012-13 season, and 70 points (on 23 goals) in 71 games in 2013-14, and three assists in two playoff games. But he had another sub-par season last year, with 21 goals but just 55 total points in 82 games, and is off to an awful start this year with a lone goal (no assists) in 6 games so far.

Which brings the question: which is the real Matt Duchene? And with Nathan MacKinnon playing wing when he could be the team's #1 center, is it time to either slot Duchene in another role or - gasp! - consider trading him?

Reasons to keep him include his wealth of gold medals: 2008 U-17 Worlds, 2008 U-18 World Championships, 2008 Ivan Hlinka Tournament, 2012 Spengler Cup, 2014 Olympics, 2015 World Championships; most of which he was part of a support group on strong editions of Team Canada rather than the centerpiece.

Three seasons where he was close to a point-per-game pace; and yet, two very underwhelming ones as well.

At 5'11'' and 200 pounds, he's a little undersized in the Western Conference, which he would need to make up for with added intensity.

You could argue that he's perhaps just a little snake-bitten, as can be attested by Cam Ward's save from last night.

I haven't completely lost faith in him yet, but my patience is wearing a little thin. On a team with MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog as youthful building blocks and solid veterans like Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla, offense shouldn't be an issue. (Then again, a deeper defense corps who can make good passes would go a long way in helping the forwards keep the play in the offensive zone).

That being said, he's still just 24 years old. And here he is wearing the Avs' white (away) uniform, with a matching game-worn swatch, from Panini's 2011-12 Titanium set (card #49 of the Game-Worn Gear sub-set):

Can't wait to find out where this leads.

Derek Grant Autograph Card

It's time to check #57 off my list for my Sens Numbers Project with young prospect Derek Grant, the Ottawa Senators' fourth-round pick (119th overall) in 2008.

In 25 games spread over five seasons in the Sens organization, he merely posted 2 assists and 4 penalty minutes, but was mostly used in a limited role, playing an average of 9:23 per game, mostly under coaches who were trying to save their own asses and thus relied on veteran players almost exclusively. The Calgary Flames signed him as a free agent over the summer, and GM Brad Treliving had this to say about him:

He’s a big body. He plays a real NHL-, pro-style game. He’s versatile - plays the wing, can play centre. Smart. Intelligent. He’s coming here, and he’s going to battle for an opportunity. I think he gives us more depth, which you can never have enough of.

When we do our organizational assessments of each team, this is a player our scouts wanted to acquire for a long time. So to be able to get him (Wednesday), it was a happy group.

To make room for him, the Flames parted way with such prospects as second-round pick Sam Reinhart and first-rounder Sven Baertschi. Granted, they had been drafted under a previous regime, but they were nonetheless considered the cornerstones of the team's future at that point, perhaps their lone bright spots.

This season, Grant has started the season in the AHL, playing with the Flames' new affiliate Stockton Heat; he currently has scored 3 goals in his first 2 games.

Here he is wearing the Sens' red (home) uniform, from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set (on card #TR-DGR of the Titanium Reserve and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets):

It features a blue-sharpied sticker autograph.