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.

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.

Ryan Hamilton Autograph Card

There's a story involving the Edmonton Oilers and the city that shares Ryan Hamilton's last name making the rounds these days, as it's rumoured the team's owner, Darryl Katz, tried to purchase an OHL team to relocate it to the city of Hamilton and take over that arena's lease... as a threat to the city of Edmonton should they not build the Oilers a new arena. It's a fine, in-depth piece of ''actual'' journalism, I suggest you read it.

But back to the original intent of the post: Ryan Hamilton, the hockey player. I won't pretend I knew who he was before I got this card last year, but when I did, I was intrigued and did a bit of research. He went undrafted and was signed by the Minnesota Wild, although he never played a game with them, instead getting traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, where he was one of Dallas Eakins' favourite players on their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, which meant he got frequent call-ups (2 games in 2011-12 and 10 in 2012-13) and served as their captain, playing with the Marlies for parts of 5 seasons.

When he became a free agent, Eakins convinced the Oilers to sign him, and he played two games with them last season, spending most of his time with the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons. His 16 points in 30 games with the Barons last year weren't much to write home about, but he has emerged a consistent producer this year, with 14 goals and 25 points in 30 games so far this year under Todd Nelson... who now coaches the main club, so there is a chance that Hamilton might join him there before the end of the season.

At age 29, the 6'2'', 220-pound left winger may not have a ton of chances left to impress the head honchos around the league, but if he can show he's an affordable third-liner who can finish once in a while, he might get a shot at being there for the actual ''building'' part of the Oilers' 8-year ''rebuilding process''. All teams need grinders, leaders and undrafted guys who've had it hard; he has a chance at being all three.

In the meantime, he takes #48 off my Oilers Numbers Project list with this card from Panini's 2013-14 Titanium set(#TR-RH of the Titanium Reserve autographed insert sub-set, signed on-sticker in thin blue sharpie):

It shows him wearing the Oilers' classic blue (now-home) uniform.