Cristobal Huet Autographed Card

Because of their usual lack of offensive firepower since the days of Alexei Kovalev Saku Koivu Vincent Damphousse Stéphane Richer Bobby Smith Guy Lafleur, the focus and props for Montréal Canadiens results usually go to the starting goalie, while the blame usually goes to the head coach or GM.

This explains why the Molson Cup, given annually to the player who received most "Three Stars" votes since 1972-73 usually goes to the netminder regardless of star status. As a matter of fact, here is the complete list of winners and number of times the award's been given out:

1. Carey Price (Goalie, 8 times)
2. Guy Lafleur (Left Wing, 7 times including a record six consecutive)
3. Patrick Roy (Goalie, 4 times)
    José Theodore (Goalie, 4 times)
4. Jeff Hackett (Goalie, 2 times)
    Stéphane Richer (Right Wing, 2 times)
    Mats Naslund (Left Wing, 2 times)
    Mark Recchi (Right Wing, 2 times)

And all the following players have each won it once: Ken Dryden (Goalie), Larry Robinson (Defense), Mario Tremblay (Right Wing), Steve Penney (Goalie), Guy Carbonneau (Centre), Russ Courtnall (Right Wing), Kirk Muller (Centre), Pierre Turgeon (Centre), Saku Koivu (Centre), Alexei Kovalev (Right Wing), Cristobal Huet (Goalie), Jaroslav Halak (Goalie), Alex Galchenyuk (Centre/Left Wing), Brendan Gallagher (Right Wing).

Of course, those results are rigged, because Price got First Star of games in which he let in 4 goals or when the other option would have been to give all three stars to opposing players on home ice, so Koivu probably should have at least one more and Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov should also have at least one each, but the fact of the matter is that ever since Jacques Lemaire instilled a defense-first system in 1984 that every head coach except Carbonneau has followed to a T, the goalie has been the focus and recipient of all the attention, warranted or not.

Speaking of Carbonneau's system, Huet's win came in 2006-07, when the Habs finished fourth in their division and narrowly missed the playoffs, by a single game, with Halak carrying the team on his shoulders down the stretch but Huet insisting on playing the final game after returning from injury and getting blown out and letting six Toronto Maple Leafs goals go past him on 35 total shots; the team made up for lost ground the following season by winning their division. This signalled the end of his tenure in Montréal and he was traded to the Washington Capitals the following season.

While he received end-of-season All-Star Team votes during his tenure with the Canadiens, it was his season split between the Habs and Caps that got him some Vezina Trophy votes, five in total, including one for second-place and a third-place vote from the NHL's 30 GMs. In a controversial move, Martin Brodeur won it that year when it clearly should have gone to Jean-Sébastien Giguère (2.12 GAA and .922 save percentage) ahead of Henrik Lundqvist, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeni Nabokov, Roberto Luongo, Tim Thomas and Huet.

Huet would sign with the Chicago Blackhawks the following summer and go on to win the Stanley Cup platooning with Antti Niemi in his second and final season with the team before returning to Europe. In 2014-15, he was clearly the best goalie in Europe, smack-dab in the middle of a six-year stint with Lausanne HC, posting a 24-11-2-4 record in 41 games with a 1.86 goals-against average and .931 save percentage, coming at the heels of a season where he had had a 2.06 GAA and .928 save percentage.

Still, I choose to remember him most as the Habs' #1 goalie, the second to hold that title and be shipped off to make room for Price (after Theodore, before Halak). He had a semi-stand-up style reminiscent of Hackett's and a butterfly that was square and bulky, as shown on this picture that was probably taken during a pre-game warmup session:

That's card #106 from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Victory set, and he signed it in black sharpie just weeks before getting traded to Washington for a second-round pick.

He is now Lausanne's goaltending coach and will be the Ambassador for the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympics. He's also a perfect entry as #39 in my Habs Numbers Project.

Bob Boughner: Two Autographed Cards

Yesterday's shock wave resonates again today, as I feature the San Jose Sharks' new interim head coach, former NHL bruising defenseman Bob Boughner. Boughner was already behind the San Jose bench as an assistant-coach for the second time when he was chosen for the impossible task of righting the Sharks' ship.

In my preseason predictions, I had them a point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers as the third and last representative of the weak Pacific Division to make the playoffs only because of the depth of the line-up up-front and the two-headed monster of Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns on defense.

But the goaltending has been an even bigger back-breaker than last year, posting the same pedestrian statistics while the middle of the offensive line-up hasn't been able to generate the scoring they had last year.

Judging from his time coaching the Florida Panthers, I'm not certain Boughner will add more goals for to his team's bottom line, but if he can make them harder to play against in their own end and perhaps give away fewer prime scoring chances, and maybe a few of those 4-3 games can swing the other way.

He's also probably a good coach for the younger guys, as can be attested by his resume in Juniors: twice the OHL's Coach Of The Year, once the entire CHL's Coach Of The year, two consecutive Memorial Cups with the Windsor Spitfires and total domination as Team Canada's head coach at the 2009 U-18 (Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament).

Whether he got that by using old-school tactics to guide his players or he got them there through positive reinforcement remains to be seen, as a few examples of mind games and physical and verbal abuse have come to light of late, but that's also something we have to keep an eye out for nowadays.

What we do have, however, undeniably, is his career as a player. The statistic that stands out the most are his 1382 penalty minutes in 630 games, of course, and only two seasons with more than 10 points. What old-school heads will enjoy is that he was a career +27 despite playing on poor teams, such as the Buffalo Sabres, the expansion Nashville Predators, the turn-of-the-millennium Pittsburgh Penguins, the pre-Miikka Kiprusoff Calgary Flames, the always-disappointing Carolina Hurricanes and the post-Patrick Roy/late-30s Joe Sakic-era Colorado Avalanche.

He also wore the alternate captain's "A" in Pittsburgh and the captain's "C" in Calgary (with Craig Conroy) before Jarome Iginla took the mantle.

He clearly thinks the game well and is respected for his leadership.

I wrote to him nearly a decade ago via the Spitfires - which he still owns in part - and he signed cards (in blue sharpie) that represent him in his better seasons, starting with card #160 from Upper Deck's 1999-2000 Victory set, after a 13-point season with the Preds, wearing the team's white (then-home) uniform:

And here he is during his 17-point seasons, the "A" prominent on the Flames' white (home) uniform, on card #9 from In The Game's 2003-04 In The Game Action set:

H added his uniform number (6) at the end of each signature, which means he's a perfect addition to  my Flames Numbers Project.

Bryan Little Two Autographed Rookie Cards

I like Bryan Little, so it pained me this summer when Patrik Laine came out and publicly requested to "play with better players" in a Finnish newspaper.

Little's been in the organization since its days as the Atlanta Thrashers and has filled every shoe they've asked him to, from first-line centre (earning a respectable 64 points in 2013-14), to second-line pivot - the position he's been in most often - to third-line checking centre when the Winnipeg Jets felt they needed an upgrade for the playoffs these past two seasons and traded draft picks at the deadline for a few months of Paul Stastny (with success) and Kevin Hayes (a dud).

All in all, he has five 20-goal seasons (with a high of 31 in 2008-09) and been above the 45-point threshold six times, and only failed to hit the 40-point mark once (2009-10) when playing a full season (which excludes his 48-game rookie year and the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign).

This season, he has 5 points in 7 games (a 55-point pace on a full season), although he will miss a considerable amount of time due to a pierced eardrum and ensuing vertigo. As someone who's been off-balance for the better part of the past 15 years, I can tell you that these symptoms are tricky and tend to linger on for s long time; it's also what I think stops Corey Crawford from playing like his usual self this year although he might feel physically fit.

I wish little a full and speedy recovery. He's still just 31 years old - he's technically got a couple of high-level hockey seasons left in him, and he's too young to be stuck in a sofa for the rest of his life.

He signed two rookie cards from his Thrashers days last season, and I'm starting to realize I really liked their colour scheme and logos; had it not been for the Reebok piping, the white (away) uniform would have been amazing, as can be attested from card #301 from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Victory set:

And Upper Deck did a great job of complementing the colours on card #103 from the 2007-08 Mini Jersey set:

Both feature a clean, blue-sharpied signature and his jersey number (10) tagged at the end.

Erik Cole Autographed Card

A power forward is typically someone who can score at least 30 goals in a season while throwing his weight around enough to get 100 hits; they also usually get close to or more than 100 penalty minutes and act as a net-front presence to attract attention while leaving the puck-carrier free to roam, and to pounce on a rebound or deflect the puck in the net.

In his 13-season NHL career, Erik Cole surpassed the 25-goal mark four times, hitting 30 with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005-06 and 35 with the Montréal Canadiens in 2011-12. He usually led his teams in hits, hovering between 10th and 20th overall in the category.

He also suited up for the Edmonton Oilers (63 games in 2008-09), Dallas Stars (160 games between 2012 and 2015) and Detroit Red Wings (11 games in 2014-15). He retired after spending two full years away from the game trying to convince his body that his style of play and a certain 2006 hit by Brooks Orpik that broke two of his vertebrae wouldn't be able to stop him from playing the game he loves so much, but ultimately, he failed; at least the Canes - with whom he played for in parts of nine seasons over two stints - offered him a one-day contract to retire as a member of the team, before moving on as a team ambassador.

What surprised me most about his short time in Montréal is how much of a team player he was; he came in rocking a four-year, $18M contract and, although he expected top-line minutes, he never complained that those minutes came with a 22-year-old semi-rookie who was essentially to serve the same role as him on the right flank (Max Pacioretty) and his undersized best friend David Desharnais at center, while the team's best centerman (Tomas Plekanec) was given more minutes but tougher assignments (facing the opposition's top line, second-unit powerplay time, penalty killing) while simultaneously asked to revive all struggling (Lars Eller, Andrei Kostitsyn, Travis Moen, Rene Bourque) or injured wingers (Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta).

Even more impressive was when the team's 2009 first-round pick, local boy Louis Leblanc was recalled from the minors to play in his first game, Cole bought Leblanc's parents plane and game tickets so they could see their son face the Anaheim Ducks in California.

That's leadership, right there. That's the kind of thing that makes you forgive his being a Habs-killer for all those years.

I told him as much when he signed my card in blue sharpie in 2012:

That's card #162 from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Victory collection, depicting him wearing the Canes' white (away) uniform.

Magnus Pääjärvi: Four Autographed Cards

As is the case every other year for the Edmonton Oilers, it's time for an organizational re-haul... after replacing perennial not-winning coach Todd McLellan with Edmonton native Ken Hitchcock earlier in the season, the Oilers will (likely, hopefully) remove General Manager Peter Chiarelli from his position today.

I will still defend the Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson deal (although a first-rounder should have also went the Oilers' way in that deal), but Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome for Ryan Spooner for, uh, waivers is unforgivable, as was never solidifying the defense or the goaltending position.

Chiarelli inherited the draft pick that became Connor McDavid, who blossomed into the best player on the planet in just his second season; one can forgive playing into McDavid's hand by foregoing the bridge deal between the rookie salary cap and the MVP-like contract he ended up getting, but there was no reason to also do so with Leon Draisaitl. Now, these two superstars account for roughly a third of the team's overall cap, which should fit 23 people. Doing so seriously limits the supporting cast you can surround your stars with, as the Pittsburgh Penguins noticed in the near-decade between their 2009 and 2016 Stanley Cups.

And one of the people under that cap is $6M Milan Lucic, he who hath scored 15 goals in the last year and a half and is under contract until 2022-23.

The three main things the Oilers have been doing wrong in the past decade have been picking some of the wrong guys in the first round, never picking up supporting pieces in the later rounds, and/or not developing their prospects into viable NHL players.

Case in point: Karl Magnus Svensson Pääjärvi, now known simply in NHL circles as Magnus Pääjärvi.

A star player in Sweden who had already medaled twice at the World Juniors (silver in 2008 and 2009) when he was drafted tenth overall (he would add a bronze medal in 2010), he was chosen ahead of the likes of Ryan Ellis (11th), Calvin De Haan (12th), Dmitri Kulikov (14th), Nick Leddy (16th), Chris Kreider (19th), Kyle Palmieri (26th), Ryan O'Reilly (33rd), Jakob Silfverberg (39th), Robin Lehner (46th), Richard Panik (52nd), Tomas Tatar (60th), Tyson Barrie (64th), Cody Eakin (85th), David Savard (94th), Craig Smith (98th), Mattias Ekholm (102nd), Marcus Foligno (104th), Sami Vatanen (106th), Mike Hoffman (130th), Gabriel Bourque (132nd), Marcus Kruger (149th), Anders Lee (152nd), and Erik Haula (182nd).

Now, at 6'3" and 206 pounds with speed and good hands, of course he's worth taking a chance on, same as Kreider. Ahead of talented defensemen like Ellis, Kulikov, Barrie and Ekholm, I'm not sure; ahead of a blue chip goalie like Lehner, perhaps; ahead of hard-working probable point-per-game players like O'Reilly and Hoffman, again, not sure.

But what you do when you land a talent like that is nurture it. That means powerplay time, offensive zone starts, not benching him at every defensive mistake; instill a discipline, a taste for physical effort, a taste for using his body - not necessarily through hard checks (although if he wants to, sure), but at least as a means to protect the puck and carry/shield it to and in the offensive zone.

It's a process that takes years. Five to seven years on someone his size.

The Oilers gave him three years before losing patience, but they still landed a valuable asset in David Perron when they traded Pääjärvi; the St. Louis Blues, on the other hand, never trusted him enough to give him the "candy" minutes, more often than not leaving him on the ice for fewer than 12 minutes per game, then crying about his lack of offensive contribution and unfit defensive zone play.

The Blues ended up waiving him, and the Ottawa Senators pounced on him. They even re-signed him to an affordable one-year, $900K deal over the summer (the type the Oilers should be looking at right now, what with their limited cap space), with GM Pierre Dorion saying:

“We’re happy to have Magnus back in Ottawa. He showed us last season that he can play the game with speed, which fits with the style of play we want our team to exhibit. Magnus is a versatile player who will be able to provide us productive minutes in many situations.”

Speed. Following the team. Productive minutes. In many situations.

Sure, he had six goals in 35 games with the Sens last year and five in 40-some games this year, but as a left winger, he's behind Ryan Dzingel, Brady Tkachuk and Mikkel Boedker at his position, on par with Zack Smith; so the Sens are giving him minutes where they can, including shorthanded, usually with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is shaping up to have a Sean Couturier-like career trajectory. One of his goals was a short-hander. One was on a breakaway against Jusse Saros. He even wiped out after a goal last weekend.

He's fun to watch. He'd probably be a lot more fun to watch playing alongside an even faster McDavid.

Here he is wearing the Oilers' ugly practice-like uniform from after the season-long lockout, on card #78 from Upper Deck's 2011-12 Victory set:

And here he is sporting the team's classic white (now-away) uniform, on card #198 from Panini's beautiful 2013-14 Score set:

And here he is wearing Edmonton's classic blue uniform, possibly one of the ten best hockey jerseys of all time:

The card on the left is #192 from Panini's 2011-12 Score set, while the one on the right is #124 from UD's 2011-12 SP Authentic collection.

He signed them in blue sharpie in October 2018, prior to a home game against the Montréal Canadiens. These cards cement him as #91 on my Oilers Numbers Project.

Rondell White: Two Autographed Cards

Last week, my favourite baseball player of all time, Tim Raines, was in town to celebrate his Hall Of Fame induction and appear on local TV shows, notably Tout le Monde En Parle. Raines was one of the few former Montréal Expos who were as good elsewhere as they'd been in Montréal, winning two World Series titles with the New York Yankees; Gary Carter (New York Mets), Andre Dawson (Chicago Cubs), Pedro Martinez (Boston Red Sox) and Vladimir Guerrero (Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers) also come to mind.

Few are hated by more than one fan base, though. Such is the case for Rondell White, who had a disappointing turn after signing a free agent contract with the Yankees and, after redeeming himself with the San Diego Padres by going to the 2003 All-Star Game, failed to deliver with the Minnesota Twins - some even ranking him among the worst players in the team's history.

In Montréal, White had a respectable 742-game career:

420 Runs Scored
808 Hits
165 Doubles
101 Home Runs
384 RBI
88 Stolen Bases
.293/.348/.480 Slash Line
19.2 bWAR

Had it not been for poor injury luck, he probably would have been an All-Star in the Canadian Sin City as well. He surpassed the 100-game mark only three times with the Expos, in 1995 (130), 1997 (151) and 1999 (138). That 1997 team was probably the best he'd played on, possibly a pitcher or two away from a playoff berth, what with White, Martinez, and Guerrero leading the way and David Segui (1B), Mike Lansing (2B), Mark Grudzielanek (SS), Henry Rodriguez (LF), and Darrin Fletcher (C) providing additional bats and Carlos Perez, Dustin Hermanson, Marc Valdes, Ugueth Urbina, and Anthony Telford helping out on the mound (apologies to a twilight-of-his-career Lee Smith).

White makes for the perfect addition as #22 in my Expos Numbers Project, with these two cards, first #50 from Pinnacle Brands' 1996 Score set, wearing the grey (away) 1990s uniform:

And here he is wearing the blue alternate/Spring training t-shirt, on card #240 from Upper Deck's 1999 Victory set:

He signed both in blue sharpie, probably in 2003.

Rod Brind'Amour Autographed Card

A lot of folks are high on the Carolina Hurricanes, with many experts predicting they may finish in the playoff picture; not me, I see them finishing in 7th place in the Metropolitan Division. The rest of the division is too strong, and head coach Bill Peters has never been able to reach the postseason so far. Or make a meaningful dent anywhere in his profession.

Yes, the defense is talented, but that didn't stop Eddie Lack and Cam Ward from looking like beer-league amateurs last year, and I'm not convinced the offense is ready to kick it into gear either. Also, in terms of leadership, I also don't see anyone on the team worthy of supporting likely captain Justin Williams before he retires (assuming he gets the title bestowed upon him this year, but with Peters and GM Ron Francis running things, even that's not a given).

Let's not forget this is the same organization that took the letter right from Rod Brind'Amour's chest to hand it to Eric Staal, whose departure led to this leadership void in the first place...

And Brind'Amour's been an assistant coach with the team since the 2011-12 season; chances are, like Doug Weight before him with the New York Islanders, the former captain may be ready to take the reins from Peters. It won't make the offense any more skilled nor will it erase Jeff Skinner's concussion history, but it could bring in a breath of fresh air to a franchise that has stagnated, nay fallen out of orbit, since its lone Stanley Cup championship in 2006.

That is, of course, unless the team moves to Québec City first, where they will require a French-speaking coach.

First things first, though, here is Brind'Amour wearing the Canes' former white uniform on card #84 from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Victory set:

He signed it in black sharpie after a game at the Bell Centre.

Olaf Kolzig Autographed Card

A couple of weeks ago, a fellow collector named Aaron contacted me for a trade; one day was all it took for us to agree on the terms of the trade: I would send him a card of Jhonas Enroth's I'd featured in 2014 for this one of Olaf Kolzig:

That's card #200 from Upper Deck's 2003-04 Victory set, which he signed in blue sharpie.

Upon agreeing to the trade, I set my entire binder of players whose last names start with the letter "E" aside and asked Aaron if he had a story pertaining to the card that I could share when showing it off; it turns out he didn't, he got it in another trade, presumably with the person who acquired the signature, and hadn't thought of asking for specific details.

Still, I have a story with this card anyway, one in which I do not come out in a very positive light and, hopefully, this is just what I need to get the situation corrected.

You see, I set the Enroth card aside, as well as the rest of the binder containing my special cards of Jordan Eberle, among others, yet it has eluded me ever since. I've turned my (relatively small) apartment upside down three times already, and with work (playing music gigs outside of town at night and doing freelance translations by day) and the rest of my life, it's literally been weeks since I promised to send my end of the deal.

I even offered Aaron to just send the Kolzig back right away and the Enroth when I find it - he's actually a fan, and it was my only card of his, so he'd likely have a much better use for it than I would, and he would probably deserve getting it for free anyway - but he has given me more time to look for it.

Here's hoping karma or some other mystic form of goodwill compensation helps me fall onto it soon. This is not a good feeling at all. It dampens my enthusiasm of adding to my Kolzig collection, and I'm certain the former Vezina winner and Conn Smythe finalist wouldn't be proud.

Brad Stuart Autographed Card

The Boston Bruins, despite a litany of injuries and not securing a single shot on the opposition's net in the entire second period, have beaten the Ottawa Senators tonight on a late goal by Brad Marchand.

I stand by my prediction that the Sens will take it in 6, but they may finish more exhausted and bruised than I initially thought.

The Bs have had nice uniforms, more often than not, in their 93-year history. I could do without the yellow uniforms of the early 1940s and alternates from 1995-2006, but generally speaking, although they tweak them a lot for an Original Six team, they stay within the boundaries of their classic, tried-and-true look.

One such uniforms is the white (home) one worn by Brad Stuart on card #18 from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Victory set:

He signed it in blue sharpie during his time with the Detroit Red Wings, probably in November 2009.

He went through back surgery six games into last season and hasn't played since, the Colorado Avalanche having bought him out at season's end. It's assumed he'll retire this summer after a full season of not playing and with NHL teams looking for fast, young blue-liners.

Dan McGillis: Two Autographed Cards

I featured Dan McGillis nearly two years ago when I inducted him as #33 in my Oilers Numbers Project, but it was time to show him with the team he's most associated with, the Philadelphia Flyers:

What you got every year from McGillis with the Broad Street Bullies was close to or more than 300 bone-crushing hits in the defensive zone, usually good for a top-5 or top-10 spot in the NHL. He did so mainly unpunished, however, as he only topped the 100-PIM mark once (109 with the Edmonton Oilers in 1997-98), with his second-most being the 86 he amassed with the Flyers in 2000-01, when he finished 14th in Norris voting; of note, his teammate Éric Desjardins finished 10th in Norris voting that year, proving they were a formidable pair.

He would usually hover around 60 penalty minutes per year with a +/- over +15; he also topped the 40-point mark twice in Philly, including his career-high of 49 (14 of them goals) in 2000-01.

He signed two cards showing him wearing the Flyers' white (then-home) 1980s/1990s uniform in blue sharpie; first, here's card #262 from Upper Deck's 2001-02 Victory set, leading the rush out of his defensive zone:

And there's also card #119 from Topps' 2002-03 Total set, attempting a pass - likely to Desjardins - to lead the breakout:

The Flyers might be mean, often times dirty, but you have to respect their commitment to their history, their city and their identity, none of which have ever regressed or been on doubt. They are unapologetic, in-your-face and hard to play against, a trait that was true in the days of Bobby Clarke, of Ken Linseman, of Eric Lindros and even now with Radko Gudas keeping opponents honest around their talented crop of young blue-liners.

Jonathan Toews Autographed Card

This probably qualifies as my BIGGEST return ever...

I had sent Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews two cards of his - one each of the team's classic red and white uniforms - probably two years ago, and received both of them back today - one signed in black sharpie. First, here's the one he didn't sign, in red:

And, the pièce de résistance, the one he did sign, an action shot of him in the Hawks' white (away) uniform, on card #SOG-JT from Upper Deck's 2011-12 Victory set and Stars Of The Game sub-set:

A three-time Stanley Cup winner (and 2009-10 Conn Smythe winner), two-time Olympic gold winner, the man who should always wear the "C" when playing for Team Canada, a perennial Selke candidate (he even won it in 2012-13), Toews will likely not be the player who'll make you win your office pool (although he shouldn't make you lose either); however, he's probably the guy you want to build a franchise around, because he makes everyone around him better - and not just on his own line, and not just the other top lines because he'll have gotten the opposition's best checkers off of them, but also because as Captain Serious, he's an inspiring player to want to follow.

As one of the most quiet and charismatic NHLers today, the consummate professional nearly has as many international hockey medals (six gold, one silver) as he does NHL seasons played (nine), despite being on a perennial contender.

He and Corey Crawford make rooting for the Hawks in the West come playoff time a natural occurrence come Spring. Well, I mean, them and the über-talented Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Artemi Panarin, of course, but Toews and Crawford rank among my favourite players.

Eric Staal: 3 Autographed Cards

It's finally done: Eric Staal left one brother, Jordan Staal (and, to a lesser extent, Jared Staal, who plays in the minors), to go play with another, Marc Staal, as the Carolina Hurricanes have traded their long-time captain to the New York Rangers, for two second-round picks and prospect Aleksi Saarela.

New Yorkers seem to call it a blockbuster, but we're talking about a 31-year-old former power forward who has slowed down and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, looking for another huge payday, already parading around with an $8.5M cap hit. He was sixth on the Canes with 33 points in 63 games and, though he led his team last year, could only put up 54 in 77 games.

As a matter of fact, he has only actually reached the point-per-game mark four times in his entire NHL career, with a high of 100 points (good for 8th in the NHL) in 2005-06; the last time he reached the 30-goal mark was in 2010-11.

He was never the quickest guy out there, which is why some of his statistics have gone down drastically over time, but the 6'4'', 205-pound center can probably still contribute somewhat on a second or third line. At the very least, as a Triple Gold winner - a Stanley Cup (2006), as well as World Championship gold (2007) and Olympic gold (2010 with Team Canada), he knows what it takes to win (usually a top-notch goalie, and the Rangers have the best in the business in Henrik Lundqvist).

He also unfairly carries a reputation for being fragile, but he hasn't missed more than 10 games in a single season since 2009-10, the last full season in which he was a point-per-game player (70 in 70).

We'll see how it pans out with the Rangers and which team will offer him way too much money next summer, but my thoughts are as follows: if Rick Nash is having a hard time in the Big Apple, I don't see how a slower Eric Staal can fare any differently.

I met Staal at the 2008 Worlds in Québec City (silver medal) and crossed his path a few times in Montréal. I have three of his cards signed in fading black sharpie (with his jersey number, 12, tagged at the end), showing the evolution of the Canes' uniforms prior to this most recent one. First, here is the pre-lockout era white (home) uniform, a little plain-looking without the shoulder piping, on card #85 from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Victory set:

Here's how it looked with better shoulder definition, from UD's 2007-08 Series 2 set (card #432 in the collection), with the alternate captain's "A", as he was taking on a leadership role:

And finally, a superb view of the Canes' best jersey, the 2007-13 red (home) uniform, on card #54 from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Collector's Choice set, with the team's 10th anniversary patch in front:

It'll be weird to see him in blue after a decade with Carolina and the Canadian team, which both play in red, white and black.

Cam Talbot: Two Autographed Cards

Another great return from the Edmonton Oilers yesterday (December 26th, 2015), as goaltender Cameron Talbot sent back these two cards that I'd sent out on November 4th, 2015, so a 52-day return for two cards, signed in black sharpie:

Talbot didn't start the season out so well, and there was chatter that he'd lost the #1 job to Anders Nilsson - but he has bounced back of late, with a 2-1-2 streak in his last five games where he twice stopped more than 40 shots.

He's making the case that he deserves some time in front of the crease at least in tandem with Nilsson; unlike the former New York Islanders draft pick, though, Talbot is an unrestricted free agent at season's end, so he's not just playing for ice time, but possibly for his very future in the NHL.

At 28 years of age, he needs to show that his finishing 7th in Vezina voting last year filling in for an injured Henrik Lundqvist was not just a product of playing behind the New York Rangers' stingy defense but also of his own doing.

Over two seasons in Manhattan, he posted a 2.00 GAA and .931 save percentage with 8 shutouts in 57 games - 53 of them starts, 33 of them wins, for 17 regulation losses and just 5 more in overtime.

Since the 2015-16 season started, he's 5-9-2 with the Oilers (who've had a poor start, regardless of his play, and didn't help in any statistical department), with a .905 save percentage and 2.93 GAA in 17 games.

But things are improving. He's making huge saves in bulk, and his losses at least come with points, helping Edmonton stay in contention for a payoff spot. And all the while, he and his wife bring smiles to the tundra as they give their time to the community.

Here are the cards he signed, first wearing the Rangers' blue (home) uniform, on card #535 of Panini's 2011-12 Score set and Hot Rookies sub-set, sporting his rookie number (81):

Then, in a picture that seems identical from that from my post four years ago, card #232 from Upper Deck's 2011-12 Victory set and Rookie sub-set, here he is wearing the white (away) uniform:

So two rookie cards signed, because I didn't have one of his with the Oilers. I think he can be a good fit with them, and I'm glad it's going much better now.

Eric Tangradi: 3 Autographed Cards

With my PC down, I can't tell exactly when I had sent Eric Tangradi these three cards, nor if I'd sent more; all I remember is I sent them early last season, care of the Hamilton Bulldogs, fully confident he'd play around 20 games for the Montréal Canadiens, who had picked him up at the end of training camp from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Peter Budaj.

It turns out he played in 7 NHL games with the Habs, with 17 penalty minutes to show for it; he did have 14 goals and 31 points in 47 games with the AHL's offensively-challenged Bulldogs, though, so when the Canadiens didn't re-sign him in the summer, the Detroit Red Wings took on The Big Dog, giving him a one-year contract. He has 2 points in 4 games with their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins so far, and with the Wings' luck when it comes to injuries, could be called up to fill in in a middle-six role some time this season.

I remain confident that he can have a decent impact in today's NHL, where the middle-six is counted upon to play a stable and methodical brand of hockey and support the first unit's point production; scoring has remained stable in the past five years, but the Art Ross winners went from having 100-point seasons to being under the 90-point mark, with the runner-up at 80, meaning the secondary scoring units have stabilized and can all be counted upon for 45-60 points apiece.

A 6'4'', 220-pound, 26-year-old speedster can be one of those players, not unlike the New York Rangers' Chris Kreider or the Jets' Blake Wheeler, even if at a lower threshold.

Here he is from when he was a promising prospect, first with a card showing him with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, from Choice's 2011-12 AHL Top Prospects set (card $49):

Next up are his two most common NHL rookie cards:

On the left, showing him with the Pittsburgh Penguins' white (away) uniform, is card #538 from Panini's 2010-11 Score set (and Hot Rookies sub-set); the card on the right is #244 from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Victory set (and Rookie sub-set).

All three cards were signed in (fading) black sharpie and received on October 20th, 2015.

Bryan Little: 5 Autographed Cards

For some reason, I'd written off this package, after it reached the one-year mark without a return, as I'd sent it on April 1st, 2014, but lo and behold, 503 days later, on August 17th, 2015, I received all five cards I'd initially sent Bryan Little, care of the Winnipeg Jets, all signed in black sharpie:

Little was the Atlanta Thrashers' first-round pick in 2006, going 12th overall, ahead of Claude Giroux (22nd), Semyon Varlamov (23rd), Nick Foligno (28th), Jeff Petry (45th), Steve Mason (69th) - and right behind Jonathan Bernier (11th), Michael Frolik (10th) and James Sheppard (9th). His size (5'10'' at the time, 5'11'' and 185 pounds nowadays) may have had a role in his not making the top-10, but his production surely didn't, as he'd just the registered the first of two consecutive 100-point seasons in the OHL with the Barrie Colts at the time.

Against kids his own age, he was a fast, powerful skater with a booming shot, terrific determination and two-way abilities, which led to his being a part of Team Canada's gold-winning 2007 World Juniors team.

When it came time to play in the AHL a bit, he didn't look out of place, and now, at the NHL level, as the Jets' de facto first-line center, he's earning Selke consideration while posting decent statistics, with three 50-point seasons (with a high of 64 in 2013-14) as well as one of 48 and one of 46 in the last six full NHL seasons (plus 32 points in 48 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season).

He's also had four 20-goal seasons, with a high of 31 in 2008-09. He's as reliable as they come, and an asset to his team. I don't think his production would suffer if the Jets would add another center of his caliber to become a true contender, though they may already have that player in Mark Scheifele.

I sent him cards of him wearing five different uniforms, so let's start with those of the Thrashers:

On the left, wearing the team's first alternate which went on to become their home uniform for their final five seasons, is card #6 from Upper Deck's 2009-10 Victory set; the card in middle shows him wearing the team's white (away) uniform, from UD's 2010-11 Victory set (card #9), while the card on the right, from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Black Diamond set (card #55 in the collection) shows him in their awful alternate football-style red uniforms, devoid of the team's primary logo on the front, instead opting for the jersey number and stylistic font. Notice how he added his uniform number (10) at the end of each signature (though the middle one has a tentative 18).

As the team moved to Winnipeg to become the Jets, he changed numbers, and is now sporting the #18 jersey:

On the left, wearing their white (away) digs is card #474 from Panini's 2011-12 Score set, while the card on the right, #485 from the 2012-13 Score set by Panini, shows him wearing their dark blue (home) uniform.

As a jersey nerd and hockey fan, I am extremely pleased with this return, long though it may have been. And I'm happy that Little now plays in Winnipeg, a town that can appreciate his talent and effort level on a nightly basis.

Wade Redden Autographed Card

For a while there, I was afraid that Wade Redden would remain stuck at 994 NHL games because the New York Rangers had buried his contract in the AHL with the Connecticut Whale, where he was the team's captain and best player, just not worth the $6.5M the Blueshirts had bestowed upon him.

Although that can be argued, to an extent, seeing as he had garnered serious Norris Trophy consideration in six of his previous eight seasons (three top-10 finishes among them despite playing on the same team as Zdeno Chara) prior to their signing him as a free agent.

He was the Ottawa Senators' alternate captain and anchor on the blue line, so much so that the Sens opted to let Chara walk in free agency so that they could afford to keep Redden - and it paid off at the time.

He may have gotten grief for his huge contract with the Rangers, but we're talking about a guy who retired a year and a half ago with 109 goals, 348 assists and 457 points from the blue line in 1023 regular-season games with a +160 (his +35 led the league in 2005-06), and another 49 points (from 13 goals) in 106 playoff games, twice reaching the 10-point mark in the postseason.

He's had way too solid a career to earn such disrespect. At least he got some of it back when he retired a year and a half ago.

With his extensive international resume, having suited up for Team Canada seven times and medaling in four (2004 World Cup, gold at the 1995 and 1996 World Juniors and silver at the 2005 World Championships where he was also voted best defenseman), I could definitely see him as part of a selection team for Canada at some point in time, when the current Boys' Clubs of Steve Yzerman and Kevin Lowe step down.

Here he is sporting the Sens' beautiful original white (then-home) uniform manning the offense from the point, from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Victory set (card #139), which he signed in black sharpie:

Daniel Alfredsson Autographed Card

I really wanted to feature this card in happier circumstances, when he'd announce he was to return for a final season, a farewell tour of sorts, but instead, here we are talking about Daniel Alfredsson's retirement. At least it came as a member of the Ottawa Senators, though I do feel a bit bad for the Detroit Red Wings, who waited on him since last June and who were to be the team he would have suited for had he been able to play. It also feels weird that all parties involved didn't choose a game between both teams for the announcement.

But, as they say, ''it is what it is'', and the possible Hall Of Famer signed a one-day contract with the Sens, skated in the pre-game warm-up, and addressed the crowd at the Scotiabank Place:




Alfie made an impact from the minute he got to the NHL - well, almost. After being drafted 133rd overall in 1994, he came over to North America for the 1995-96 season and didn't even have a stall to dress in during training camp, sitting on a tiny wooden chair instead, expected to be sent to the AHL for at least a whole season, perhaps even for ''a lot of seasoning''. And yet he made the team. And ended up leading it in scoring, and winning the Calder Trophy ahead of Saku Koivu.

At that time, the Sens' captain was Alexei Yashin who, while putting up some very good offensive numbers, was a public relations nightmare, three times holding out for more money in a five-year span despite having a contract, and trying to close backdoor deals with charities while redistributing parts of the proceeds to his parents. Yashin even demanded a trade the third time he held out, and Alfredsson stood up to his leader, saying the team didn't need to bother with a player who clearly didn't want to be there; the team immediately stripped Yashin of his captaincy and handed it to Alfredsson - and traded Yashin to the New York Islanders for Zdeno Chara, Jason Spezza and Bill Muckalt.

From that point on, Alfie stringed together nine straight 70-point seasons with the Sens, usually playing on a line with Spezza and Dany Heatley, perhaps the best trio in the league for a spell. He started getting injured more often as he hit his late-30s, and ultimately was forced to retire because the back pain was too severe to suit up for another season with the Wings, whom he led in scoring last season, at age 41, with 49 points in 68 games.

He retires with a Calder Trophy, a King Clancy (2012) and a Mark Messier Trophy (2013), six All-Star Games (two as a starter), a Second All-Star Team nod, an All-Rookie Team nod, as the 75th NHLer with over 1000 points, the Sens' career records for goals (426), assists (682) and points (1108), the team's marks for playoff games, goals, assists and points, the team records for best +/- in a season (+42), and most points in a single game (7).

He also would get Lady Byng, Selke and Hart votes pretty much every year, in addition to being a runner-up for the Masterton in 2011-12.

And though his team achievements in the NHL are reduced to losing one Stanley Cup Final where he carried the Sens on his back, he contributed to a Swedish league championship in 1994-95, and his international record with Team Sweden is astounding: 14 total participations, Olympic gold (2006) and silver (2014), two World Championship silver medals (1995 and 2004) and two bronze (1999 and 2001), and individual statistics of 32 goals, 42 assists and 74 points in 88 games with the mens' team, usually playing on its second line.

I had written him a fan letter and sent six cards in March 2011, care of the Sens (including one All-Star card and one with Sweden), and had never heard back, so I took it upon myself to ask for an autograph in person during the 2012-13 playoffs, pitting the Sens against my hometown Montréal Canadiens and came back with this card, from Upper Deck's 2011-12 Victory set (card #131 in the series), which he signed in blue sharpie:

Despite his overshadowing of Koivu at times and his being a legendary Habs-killer, I always admired Alfredsson, and he and Spezza are probably the only reason I paid any attention to the Sens from 2002 onwards when my interest in hockey came back, so much so that I probably have attended as many games in Kanata as I have at the Bell Centre here in Montréal in the years since.

I wish him the best, and wouldn't be surprised if he came back to Ottawa and/or Detroit in some capacity, be it as assistant coach, director of player development, or assistant general manager.

I now check #11 off my Sens Numbers Project.

Eric Tangradi Autographed Card

I learned of the trade between the Montréal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets after I'd posted about Alexei Zhamnov yesterday, so I waited until today to go searching for my Eric Tangradi autographed card, who comes to the Habs in return for Peter Budaj and Patrick Holland.

To make matters worse for good-guy backup Budaj, the Jets waived him today so they could send him down to the AHL's St. John's IceCaps, which will make him the second former Habs and Colorado Avalanche netminder to play for the team in three years, after David Aebischer.

But back to Tangradi, a 6'4'', 230-pound speedster who can shoot and pass well. He was a point-and-a-half per game player in the OHL, a prorated 30-goal man and All-Star in the AHL, but failed to make an impact in the NHL. Despite what the advanced-statistics geniuses say are good numbers. Why? Bad luck and bad timing.

Originally a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, he was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins with Chris Kunitz for Ryan Whitney. Kunitz having won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007, he was immediately paired with Sidney Crosby, who could set my grandmother up to score 30. Tangradi should have been paired with Evgeni Malkin on a giants line - he has the size, skill and speed to keep up. But maybe he wasn't ready in time; in any event, it did work a few times, including in two playoff games in 2011-12, and once more the year before; he's yet to lose a post-season game. Unlike the Pens, who have lost a lot more than they've won since that Cup run...

A concussion on a dirty elbow shot by Colton Gillies ruined one season for him, then he was sent to the Jets for a sixth-round pick. One of the problems with the Jets' depth chart is that two of their only three reliable top-line forwards are both left wingers: Andrew Ladd and Evander Kane. Blake Wheeler's the top man on the right. And even the center's thin on talent (with Bryan Little and, say, Mathieu Perreault in the top two slots this year).

Which leads to two things for Tangradi: less ice time - and less quality ice time at that - but more importantly, less talent to play with. Thus, a 3-goal, 3-assist season in 55 games last year.

While he can grind it out on the fourth line (and possibly take Travis Moen's spot with the Habs), he's made for second-line / middle-six minutes and post-season play. I meant to write him last season and never got around to it; I'll make up for lost time this season, and maybe get another opportunity to meet him in person, as I did in 2011-12 at an Ottawa Senators game, getting this card signed in blue sharpie:

It's from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Victory set (card #244 of the Rookie sub-set), showing him in a photo shoot, wearing the Penguins' black (home) uniform, #78, with the card specifying he wears #56 (he's also worn #26 and #25 with the Pens).