Patrick Wiercioch Autograph Card

Patrick Wiercioch was the Ottawa Senators' second-round pick (42nd overall) in 2008. The 25-year-old defenseman had looked terrific at times, playing a huge part in last season's run to the playoffs (the Hamburglar saga) on the team's second pairing. He was mobile, huge (6'6", 190 pounds), with a very good defensive hockey sense and decent hands. With a few years' seasoning, it was safe to assume he would eventually replace Marc Methot as the team's top two-way defender.

But he's seemingly still working on his consistency, because his post-Christmas play has declined a bit, so much so that newly-re-signed Chris Wideman has been taking his spot alongside Mark Borowiecki... on the third pair.

Beat reporter Bruce Garrioch sure seemed to think he was on the outside looking in, for one, and GM Bryan Murray didn't sound like Wiercioch's biggest fan when he explained why he hadn't traded him at the deadline.

The thing with a defenseman like Wiercioch is that he played University hockey and therefore wasn't eligible to play in the NHL until he had turned 21; give or take a few years in the AHL, he has to be treated like an American defenseman even though he was raised in B.C. and, thus, has to be given until age 27 to see if he'll ever get that consistency at the NHL level or if he's more of a limbo player; the problem is, he's signed - and will have to be qualified - at $2.7M, which is both expensive for a poor (and cheap) Sens team to not have play and a decent amount of pressure on a kid who is in the midst of his development.

But the current NHL contractual rules make it so that teams rush their young players in the league and lose their rights to them just as they reach their peak, where they hit a big payday. Very few GMs have the long-term vision to let them develop in the minors and keep them "up" for more of their top years than their developing years - and that leaves a whole bunch of guys falling out of favour with a whole bunch of teams, just like Jarred Tinordi had for the Montréal Canadiens this season.

I believe last year was a good indication of how he'll play from ages 27-35.

What better time to check #46 off my Sens Numbers Project, with card #99-PW from the 1999 Skybox insert sub-set of Upper Deck's 2012-13 Fleer Retro collection:

It shows him wearing Ottawa's white (away) uniform.

Ben Bishop Jersey Card

It's been a good week for Ben Bishop...

A day after being named to Team USA for September's World Cup, Bishop was in net for the Tampa Bay Lightning's team record eighth-straight win - against his former Ottawa Senators team, no less - making 33 saves in a 4-1 win in the process. His record against the Sens? 9-0-3...

Then again, all three of my favourite goalies made the World Cup's initial rosters: Bishop for the Americans, Corey Crawford for Team Canada, and Jaroslav Halak for Team Europe...

How good is Bishop? In October, the Vezina nomine became the Bolts' all-time wins leader in just his third full season with the team, surpassing Stanley Cup winner Nikolai Khabibulin... with 84. I'm not sure how much Tampa is committed to Bishop with Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kristers Gudlevskis in the pipeline, however, at 29 years old, entering his prime, he could reasonably be expected to win at least 35 games per in the next five seasons, which would lead him close to 300, the kind of number most franchise goalies get to.

In the NHL game series, I usually choose the Montréal Canadiens in Be A GM mode, and my first move is usually to grab Bishop and Alex Killorn for Carey Price, and start winning some Stanley Cups.

Here he is, with his Tron-inspired mask, wearing the Lightning's blue (home) uniform, on card #GJ-BI from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Series 1 collection and UD Game Jersey sub-set, featuring a matching game-worn jersey swatch:

The line that appears on his blocker side is from the penny sleeve of another card I scanned at the same time and didn't realize was overlapping.

Philipp Grubauer Autograph Card

For a long time, the Washington Capitals had plenty of goaltending prospects in the pipeline but, because of a lack of a clear #1 under whom the others could start as understudies, strong goalies the likes of Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth didn't take the pole position quickly enough for the team and were sacrificed, with Braden Holtby eventually grabbing the reins.

And now that Holtby is among the NHL's elite, his backup is posting numbers that are just as good; indeed, Philipp Grubauer's season and career numbers are impressive:

His save percentage is pretty consistent throughout, despite having yet to record a shutout (something I can definitely relate to).

There are only 30 starting gigs in the NHL, so the 24-year-old may have to wait a bit to catch on somewhere permanently, though there will eventually be spots opening up, notably with the Florida Panthers as Roberto Luongo turns 37 next year. The Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars might also likely need a boost on the back end at some point in the near future.

In the meantime, here he is wearing the Caps' #31 red (home) uniform, from Panini's 2013-14 Score set and Hot Rookies and Dual Rookie Class sub-sets:

It's the signed insert version of card #619, featuring an on-sticker autograph in blue sharpie.

Alex Tanguay Jersey Card

Well, general manager Joe Sakic made some moves for the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline. What he really needed to do was shore up his defense, and maybe he did that by acquiring Éric Gélinas from the New Jersey Devils for a third-round pick; then again, maybe not.

Getting Shawn Matthias and Mikkel Boedker up front does nothing to change the perception that the Avs will need to win games 5-4 while relying on goalie Semyon Varlamov way too much.

And Boedker did cost two unsigned prospects (Kyle Wood and Connor Bleackley) as well as Alex Tanguay, a former teammate of Sakic's and head coach Patrick Roy on the 2001 Stanley Cup-winning team.

And though it can be argued that Tanguay was on a down slope with just 4 goals, 18 assists and 22 points in 52 games with the Avs this year, he had scored 22 just last season, finishing third on the team with 55 points. Also, most of the non-points metrics favour him over Boedker big-time, and even Bodker's regular stats line is inflated by the fact that he was playing nearly 19 minutes per game on the team's first line and still could only post 39 points in 62 games (third on the team, 9 points behind defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and just a single point ahead of Shane Doan who has appeared in 8 fewer games), with a team-worst -28 to go with it.

And with Sakic having repeatedly said in the past that he's open to Tanguay retiring as an Avs player, perhaps it opens the door to re-signing him next summer as a free agent, maybe closer to the league's minimum wage than the $3.5M he made this year.

Though he has played with the Montréal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, I have trouble picturing him not suiting up for either the Avs or the Calgary Flames.

Speaking of which, here's a card that depicts him with both, showing him wearing the Avalanche's white (then-home) 1990s uniform (with a beautiful blue game-worn jersey swatch inserted therein) but listing him as a member of the Flames, on card #J-AT from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Black Diamond collection and Black Diamond Jersey sub-set:

Tanguay had 400 points in his first 450 games in Colorado, and all told currently stands at 488 in 589 games with the team; he also has 284 points in 342 games in Calgary, 41 in 50 games in Montréal, and 37 in 80 games in Tampa, for a grand total of 850 points in 1070 NHL games so far, plus another 59 in 98 playoff games, including 21 in 23 games in that Cup run.

He also scored just three days ago in Colorado's Stadium Series game against the long-time rival Detroit Red Wings. It was his final goal as an Av, wearing their finest uniform this year. Fitting, really.

Torrey Mitchell Autographed Card

The Montréal Canadiens are playing like crap tonight against the San Jose Sharks, but at least GM Marc Bergevin's trade deadline acquisition from last season, Torrey Mitchell, scored against his first NHL team, reducing San Jose's lead to 3-2.

I don't believe it'll be enough, which sucks both because I like rooting for my hometown team (and Mitchell's), but also because it means I'll have to take a day off from insulting the Sharks and comparing their losing ways to those of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

At least I know that even if they make the playoffs, they're still fodder for either the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings or Chicago Blackhawks, as is customary in Choker Central. But hey, the Habs are also making a habit of finishing close to last every three years or so...

So here's Mitchell, wearing the best Sharks white uniform, from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Power Play box set (with card #243 in the series), which he signed in blue sharpie:

Mitchell is almost an ideal fourth-line center, as he's a right-hand shot, wins many face-offs, is sound defensively and can score once in a while; if it wasn't that he takes too many penalties (many in the offensive zone), I'd like him even more.

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.

Claude Giroux Swatch Card

Claude Giroux was questionable to play tonight, still recovering from an upper-body injury following a hard, clean hit from the Montréal Canadiens' P.K. Subban, but did play after all, earning his 500th NHL point in the process, helping his Philadelphia Flyers earn a 4-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes. Mark Streit had three assists.

He currently ranks 14th of all-time on the team's scoring list:

1. Bobby Clarke:1210
2. Bill Barber: 883
3. Brian Propp: 848
4. Rick MacLeish: 697
5. Eric Lindros: 659
6. Tim Kerr: 650
7. John LeClair: 643
8. Mark Recchi: 627
9. Rod Brind’Amour: 601
10. Simon Gagné: 535
11. Gary Dornhoefer: 518
12. Reggie Leach: 514
13. Rick Tocchett: 508
14. Claude Giroux: 500

He is definitely in line to surpass three players this season alone, while Gagné and the top-10 will be within reach early next year.

He's still just 28 years old, too, so he has plenty of time to catch up to most of them and reach the 1000-point mark. Clarke may prove to be just a tad too far away, particularly in this day and age where winners of the Art Ross Trophy don't even get to 90 points per season.

Here is card #CG from the Authentic Threads sub-set of Panini's 2010-11 Pinnacle set, showing him wearing the Flyers' current/retro white (now-away) uniform with a black game-worn jersey swatch enclosed:

It's numbered 21/499.

Andy Bathgate Autographed Card

Long-time readers will remember when I last talked about Andy Bathgate in 2012. The Hall Of Famer and former New York Rangers captain died today, at the age of 83.

For a long time, he was the lone bright spot on an awful Rangers squad, enjoying an impressive three-year run as a Hart Trophy nominee, winning it the third year, in 1958-59, ahead of Gordie Howe, Jean Béliveau, Terry Sawchuk and Dickie Moore.

After playing parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers, he then went on to play in two seasons each for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, retiring in 1970-71, before playing a final 11 games in the WHA with the Vancouver Blazers in 1974-75.

He was named to the end-of-season First All-Star and Second All-Star Teams twice apiece, playing the same position as regular honorees Howe and Maurice "Rocket" Richard. His career numbers stand at 349 goals, 624 assists and 973 points in 1069 regular-season NHL games (plus another 21-14-35 in 54 playoff games), as well as 7 points in 11 WHA games after a four-year retirement, which may be even more impressive.

He passed the point-per-game average eight times, consecutively, with highs of 40 goals and 88 points in 1958-59. He also had the most points in the league (with 84) in 1961-62 but lost the Art Ross Trophy to Bobby Hull because Hull had more goals, which meant Bathgate led the league in assists, with 56.

Looking at my previous post, it was from the turn of the millennium, before Parkinson's disease had truly taken its toll on him; you can clearly see the shaking in his signature on this card, though his signature remains fairly clear regardless:

It's card #516 from Upper Deck's 2011-12 O-Pee-Chee set (and Marquee Legends sub-set) , which he signed in thin black sharpie.

Andrew Ladd Jersey Card

Most people expected the Winnipeg Jets to trade captain Andrew Ladd, but few thought he'd land with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2010. While they were one of my favourite landing spots for him (along with the Montréal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames or Ottawa Senators), I was curious to see how GM Stan Bowman would fit him under the salary cap; easy-breezy, the Jets will retain exactly 36% of his salary.

Ladd is a complete player: he's big (6'3'' and 205 pounds), he's tough, he can score goals - he'll likely hit the 20-goal mark for the fifth time in the last five full seasons in a couple of week and can be counted on for some 50-odd points - and he's a terrific two-way power forward, having garnered some Selke votes three times despite being a winger.

He was reportedly eyeing a big payday (he's an unrestricted free agent this summer), and after signing Dustin Byfuglien, the Jets just didn't have the means to sign Ladd as well, a situation both players had gone through previously, following the Hawks' 2010 win.

This makes the Hawks the favourites for a repeat, slightly ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals. Then he could move on either to the highest bidder... or any organization of his choice, really. By himself, he could make the St. Louis Blues actual contenders by taking over the leadership role there; or he could do the same with any of the four Canadian teams I named in the first paragraph. He'd also be a nice cornerstone to lead the youth movement with the Carolina Hurricanes should they themselves move on from captain Eric Staal.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, Ladd won the Cup with them as well, in 2006. This is what he looked like in their old red (home) uniform:

It's card #J-LA from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Series 1 collection and UD Game Jersey sub-set, featuring a white game-worn jersey swatch.

T.J. Brodie Autograph Card

T.J. Brodie is fast becoming recognized as an elite NHL defenseman. Last year, he finished 18th in Norris voting despite the consensus pick before suffering a season-ending injury after Christmas being teammate and captain Mark Giordano; 49 games into this season, Brodie is 5 points away from his career high of 41 set last year, and has already surpassed his assists total, with 32 so far (including 11 in 9 games in February alone, with five games remaining on the Calgary Flames' schedule this month).

At 25 years old, he's just entering his prime, and at a $4.65M cap hit, he's signed to a team-friendly deal. I like the guy enough to pick him in nearly all my hockey pools, and those are just some of the reasons why I paid a premium for this card on Ebay last week:

It's the autographed insert version of card #123 from Panini's 2010-11 Contenders set (his Rookie card in the Season Ticket sub-set), signed on-card in this blue sharpie. Look closely: he's also not wearing his current #7 in the picture, instead sporting #66, a number he only wore for three games in the 2010-11 season, the only Flame ever to wear it in a regular game, so I needed it for my Flames Numbers Project, particularly in the same week that I made it official.

So, uh, $6.66 was my winning bid, because I'm a geek like that.

The Team Canada alumnus (from the 2013 IIHF World Championships) and fourth-round pick (114th in total) from the 2008 draft now sports the alternate captain's "A" in Calgary.