David Honzik Autographed Card

David Honzik came just a little too late to make it with his frame and skill-set, which mostly consisted of his dropping to his knees in the butterfly style, trying to cover as much of the net as possible and shifting quickly from side to side to be in good position in the event of a pass.

Many of the people who accompanied me when I watched him play - be it live during his days in the "Q" or on TV in the Czech system - likened his style to that of Carey Price, but couldn't put their finger on why Price stopped more shots than Honzik did; sometimes, an inch makes a world of difference, and while they weigh nearly the same (214 pounds vs 217), Price's listed height at 6'3" or 6'4" depending on the source does cover a little more net than Honzik's 6'2", not-quite-6'3". I'm at that height myself and felt my eyes came up a little higher than his when I crossed his path, so maybe even that may have been slightly exaggerated.

Honzik was selected 71st overall (third round) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 211 draft, ahead of Jordan Binnington (88th), Laurent Brossoit (164th), Anton Forsberg (188th), and Garrett Sparks (190th) - all goalies who have appeared in over 35 NHL games, while he has suited up for none.

I'll admit his Czech League regular-season stats look pedestrian while his Second Division numbers are excellent (which in North American terms would be viewed as "tweener", i.e. too good for the AHL, borderline player in the NHL), but his playoff statistics are generally terrific, telling me he's learned to perform well under pressure:

from EliteProspects

He's now 26 years old, about to enter his prime years. It might be time for a team to take a chance on him during meaningful regular-season games.

He's played a bit in North America, suited up for àthree seasons of Juniors hockey in the LHJMQ, two with the Victoriaville Tigres and one with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles; he fared much better with the former, and this is what he looked like wearing their yellow (home) uniform:

That's card #46 from In The Game's 2011-12 Heroes And Prospects set, which he signed in blue sharpie. I actually traded for this one, and the person who had it signed had not erased the gloss off the card before handing him the sharpie, which is why it's a tad smudged.

Antoine Vermette Autographed Card

Just a few hours ago, Antoine Vermette announced his retirement from the NHL, having been unable to find a suitor, as he was looking for a job as a checking center on a contending team.

Having already had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup thanks to a short stint with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014-15 (19 regular-season games, 20 playoff games); his postseason run was memorable, as he tallied 4 goals, 3 assists and seven points, with three of his goals being game-winners, two of them coming in the Cup Final. His 58.9% playoff faceoff wins percentage was also dominant, although it may have ironically cemented his transition from the top-line center he was with the Arizona Coyotes to the defensive specialist he ended his career as.

I mention the Coyotes because he was often among the team leader in points in the parts of five seasons he spent in the desert, but statistically speaking, his best seasons came with the Columbus Blue Jackets (27 goals and 65 points in 2009-10) and Ottawa Senators (24 goals and 53 points in 2007-08), but those teams had better rosters than the Yotes.

At his best, he was one of the very good #2Cs in the NHL, but he didn't necessarily have the #1C prerequisite star power. He was instead better left in the shadows, accumulating Selke Trophy votes in four separate seasons and Lady Byng consideration in 2009-10. He was dependable on both sides of the puck and finished with the ninth-highest career faceoff percentage since the league started keeping tack of such things in 1997.

His worth can certainly be felt in the returns teams got for him in trades: the Sens got a #1 goalie (Pascal Leclaire) and second-round pick from the Jackets for his services in 2009; the Jackets got Curtis McElhinney, a second-rounder and a fourth-round pick from the Coyotes for him in 2012; and the Hawks gave away a defensive prospect and a first-rounder to secure his services for that Cup run in 2015.

I actually met him earlier this winter, and he signed a couple of cards for me, but today, I wanted to showcase an old card that reminds me of when it all started to come together for him, on card #83 from Upper Deck's 2000-01 Upper Deck Prospects set, which he signed in blue sharpie in 2013-14:

It shows him wearing the Victoriaville Tigres' white (home) uniform, sporting the alternate captain's "A" that he would also inherit in Columbus and Arizona. He'd scored 30 goals with 41 assists for 71 points in 71 games the previous season and had just been drafted 55th overall (second round) by the Sens, making the LHJMQ's Mike Bossy Trophy as best prospect.

Phillip Danault Autographed Card

Following an off-season hip surgery, Phillip Danault was recalled by the Chicago Blackhawks last weekend and earned his first NHL point (an assist on an Andrew Shaw goal) against the San Jose Sharks on December 20th.

Chosen 26th overall by the Hawks at the 2011 draft, Danault is projected to become a two-way playmaking centre who will play on the second (at best, on a mid-level team) or third line - in the mold of captain Jonathan Toews, with less offensive upside. He's seen as Marcus Kruger's eventual replacement, and it was Kruger's injury that prompted the Hawks to choose him as their call-up despite having only played in 6 AHL games this season.

The Toews comparison is particularly striking because Danault captained his hometown Victoriaville Tigres in the LHJMQ for three seasons before getting traded to the Moncton Wildcats, who were attempting a Memorial Cup run in 2012-13 (the Halifax Mooseheads instead got out of the ''Q'' and ultimately won the championship).

He had a very god season with the Rockford IceHogs last year, finishing fourth in points with 38 and leading the team in goals in the post-season (with 3); he was also a +20 during the season an a team-leading +8 in the playoffs. He didn't win the Guy Carbonneau Award in the LHJMQ without reason...

Here he is wearing the Tigres' white (home) uniform, with the captain's ''C'' visible on his jersey:

It's card #113 from In The Game's 2012-13 Heroes And Prospects set, which he signed in blue sharpie in 2014 after a game against the Hamilton Bulldogs.