Card of the Week - Jamie McGinn

Every season I look forward to the trade deadline and this year was no different. However, after it was all said and done, I was a little disappointed by the number of trades and the calibre of trades. In all fairness, I am sure the players themselves are relieved to some degree as many probably don't want to pack up and leave their families part way through the year.

Trade deadline certainly does have its advantages for players too. It offers players a chance to have a fresh start with a different organization which can be beneficial for players who were stuck deep in the depth chart or forced into a role or position that isn't their natural spot.

One player this year who has really benefited from the change of scenery is Jamie McGinn.

Jamie went from playing around 10-12 min a night in San Jose to playing 16-18 minutes a night with the Avs. This increased ice-time and chemistry with his new team has turned into 7 goals and 9 points in just 9 games. Of those 9 goals, two are game winners and one was a game tying goal with 2 seconds left again the Sabres which would end up becoming a shootout win for the Avs.

It will be neat to see if he can keep this pace up for the rest of the season!

08-09 Artifacts #276 Jamie McGinn Rookie

Of all the Artifacts rookies ever made, I think I like this year the most. Cool design to them and I like how they they mix the colour and sepia together.

Back side
The backs are pretty simple with a decent sized write up on the player along with their vitals. No real stats are listed but then again they are rookies and I guess to some degree their Junior/Minor league stats are sort of irrelevant. I was luck enough to pull a few of the rookies from 08/09, this one arrived as a redemption card. According to the Beckett, these cards should be numbered to /750, but as you can see mine is /999.

How I received the card: Redemption card pulled from a pack

Beckett Value: $3.00 - 8.00

Card of the Week - Sam Gagner

Hard to imagine anyone having a better week than Sam Gagner. What does a kid fresh off the first 8 point night since the 80's do? How does a three point night sound? Since the all-star break, Sam has 6 goals and 6 assists in 3 games. Not too bad considering he had only 5 goals and 21 points in the previous 42 games. Now Sam is on pace to top his rookie totals which are his career highs at the moment. The next few weeks will be very interesting for Mr. Gagner as his trade value has increased and the Oilers are still looking to retool their team for future success.

I know the Devils could be interested with their problems filing the Center position with healthy bodies and having a surplus of talented young defensemen could bode well for a future trade....but I am not holding my breath on that one.

My collection of Sam Gagner's increased by one recently (and before the 8 point game) with this card..


10-11 Certified Mirror Blue Materials #58
As I have mentioned before, I really like Certified cards on the secondary market. This card was a part of a decent sized lot of 10-11 Certified inserts and game used cards so the price per card was in the $1.50 range. The front side features the photo on foilboard with a smallish swatch of blue jersey.

The back side

The backs feature the card numbered out of 100 along with stats and a write-up. Like a broken record, I will say this is how Game-Used cards should be. I will certainly buy these cards all day at a buck fifty a pop. In fact, if I didn't have too many partial sets and limited cash, I would like to try and build the Mirror Blue Materials set.

How I received the card: Lot purchase from eBay

Beckett Value: 4-10 dollars

Card of the week - Denis Savard and Movember

Well another month is in the books and that concludes Movember for many men (and boys) across the world. Personally I enjoyed growing a pathetic caterpiller on my upper lip, but at the same time, it was time to let it go. When I think of moustaches, there are lots of examples of NHL'ers who sported them for looks and nothing else. When I think of cardboard ones, Denis Savard is the first one that pops in my mind. Hard to believe with Lanny and others out there, but truly for me it is Denis Savard.

In particular, I would have to say it is the 90-91 Bowman Denis Savard card to be precise. I remember seeing this card often as a kid and even though I never owned the card until recently, it is funny how these images stick in your mind. Take a look for yourself, nothing super special, but a nice close up and a pretty well grown specimen on his face:

90-91 Bowman #6 Denis Savard

The front side:

-image borrowed from Checkoutmycards.com as my scans didn't turn out well...




The backside:





Here is the unconventional approach Bowman took to displaying their stats. Kinda neat, but never really caught on with other card manufacturers.

Personally, I didn't have any respect for this release when it first came out. One UD came out in 1990 I was a bit of a snob against other releases, but fact is this set has grown on me over the years and I even made a trade with Sal from puckjunk.com for the complete set with hattrick inserts.



Beckett Value: 0.08 - 0.25 dollars


How I received the card: Part of a set I got via trade


How about yourselves? Did you attempt a Movember 'stache? How well did it turn out?

Here is my attempt, sad I know....it is there though...

Card of the Week - Sidney Crosby

Love him or hate him, damn he is good! Not just because I have him on one fantasy team (2nd round pick), but 4 points in his first game back and hopefully a chance to show fans what he is really capable of when he hits his prime! I am a fan of him, and I wish him all the best this season and future seasons.

05-06 Parkhurst #657

Front side

I am a big fan of the rookies in this set. I don't think it is just because it is a Parkhurst release, but I think it is due because it is an attractive set of cards. The rookies are simple yet eye catching and I think this card is a good example of the Parkhurst Rookies.

Back side
Like the front, the backside is attractive and simple looking. I think each passing year has these cards looking better and better to me. At some point I will grab a few boxes and try and build the set. I did buy a retail box once hoping to pull this card. No such luck, but I did pull a few other gem rookies but no Crosby. Ovechkin of course has a rookie in this set which I did pull from a repack box.

How I received the card: Purchased on eBay for $18.00

Beckett Value: 20 - 50 dollars

eBay pickup- Jacob Josefson

Here is an eBay pick up I got the other week. My first Dominion cards ever and I must say they aren't that bad. I don't ever see myself spending a huge chunk of my annual hockey card budget on a single pack. However, picking up singles is certainly in my budget especially when you can find a great deal like this one!

10-11 Jacob Josefson Auto Rookie #/199

For some reason, the scan came out a little blurry but you can get the idea of what the card looks like anyway. Simple design on the front with some Silver embossing which really gives the card a classy look and feel. The cards aren't as thick as the base cards from The Cup but still relatively thicker than most cards (roughly the thickness of the typical UD game used card). The auto is nice and is On Card for those of you who appreciate that added touch.

The back side of the card is the highlight in my books.

A good write up, nice stats and a great layout. This is what I expect from a trading card and the extra little photo on the back is well placed and isn't a copy of the front which certainly give the collector a little more bang for their buck. The numbering is done on the card and isn't "stickered" which is typical for Panini.

A great card in all and I landed it for 5.50 plus shipping. I like this kid a lot and he will have a chance to be a top line centre for the Devils while Zajac is on the mend and I think he could be an awesome two-way centre.

Card of the week - Brendan Shanahan

The preseason is in full motion and I am catching all the action on TV I can. Horrible news out of Detroit last night with Wayne Simmonds but I think he handled himself well and truly is an example of his character. A few suspensions have already been dished out by Brendan Shanahan which I think is to set the tone for the season. The NHL is clearly sending a message that safety of the players is top priority and I hope that player respond by playing a little less recklessly. So with that, here is my card of the week.

1988-89 Topps #122 Brendan Shanahan Rookie

First off, I love the photo. A fresh face, un-scarred and battered, he looks like a kid. Now, he looks like he survived a war with a meat grinder and won. The 88-89 Topps/OPC sets are pretty classic. I like them a lot, and the set as a whole is pretty attractive. In fact, I think compared to the 87-88 design, the 88-89 is a much more artistic endeavor and I think it ended up well.

Here is the back side

No earth shattering design on the back, just a pretty simple layout with a colour scheme that isn’t too hard on the eyes. I have the complete Topps set, and a few strays from the OPC set. I do own Shanny in both forms, but only the Topps one is mint. In the early 90’s this was one of the MUST have sets, I even bought a few packs digging for extra Hull rookies. Now, the set has lost some luster and it was pretty easy to find and it is affordable for most collectors.

How I received the card: It was part of a set I traded for in the early 90’s, can’t remember what I gave up.

Beckett Value: Topps version list for 6-15 dollars and the OPC is $15-30 but can be found for pretty cheap on eBay.

My next post will be an update on the hockey pool and we will see if anyone else wants in and determine what format we are going to use! Stay tuned in the next day or so.

Card of the week - Brad McCrimmon

Wow, it seems like when the hockey world has been rocked, things just get worse. This week's recent tragedy truly is one of the biggest in my memory and certainly is heart-wrenching. I do send out my condolences to all those affected by this horrible event.

This week's card is Brad McCrimmon's 80-81 OPC Rookie Card.

Front Side

Back Side

This is the ONLY rookie card for Brad McCrimmon and the 80-81 OPC set certainly has its fair share of star rookies. I have always liked the back side of these cards more than the front, and really I can't explain why. The front design is nice and simple, but for some reason I have always like the combination of Packers colours on the back and have felt these cards have some of the best back of all the 80's sets.

How I received the card: Bought from card shop in early 90's for a couple bucks

Beckett Value: 0.75 - $2.00

In more positive news, there is another swap meet happening tomorrow and I hope to find a few more gems. Now that I know cards occasionally make there way to these things, I am going with the focus of landing some autos and maybe a few rookies. I will share what I find either way!

Card of the Week - Daymond Langkow

Hard to believe after such a cool start to a "Franchise" that Young Gun cards were once religated to mail-in status in Upper Deck's cheapest product. The object of many collector's desire spent a couple years in the "minors" before they were called back up to Upper Deck's base set where collectors have lusted for them ever since.

This past week in the news, the Flames traded Langkow back to the Coyotes in exchance for Lee Stempniak. On paper, it appears to be a bit of a salary dump but really this trade could be great for both teams. Stempniak is 28 and has many years ahead of him, but don't expect the point a game production he did after the Leafs to Coyotes trade. Lee is a half point a game player at best and likely will be a 3rd liner in Calgary.

Langkow, only played 4 games due to a neck injury last season is looking at making a comeback. I remember when he was first drafted and there certainly was a great deal of pressure for him to perform. Didn't work out with Tampa, but Daymond did hit his stride with Phoenix and Calgary breaking the 20 goal barrier in 7 straight seasons before sliding in 09-10. I expect to see him in more of a mentor/leadership role this coming season, but he might be good for 20 goals given the extra ice time in Phoenix.

95-96 Collectors Choice Young Gun # 402

Front side

A simple card with a nice gloss to it. The Young Guns emblem is unique and the Islanders jerseys in the background have me craving fish sticks. Overall just a good clean mid 90's hockey card.

The back side
All write-up. You can see a little stats are hidden in the text and the information is pretty relevant and what some fans and collectors want to see. I like the amount of text on the back and only would like to have seen some vitals to call this complete. The old puck style hologram is present in the bottom right.

How do you get this card in 1996? Well you needed to pull this card:

Young Guns Redemption Card
These cards were seeded 1 per 34 packs in 1995-96 Collectors Choice.
Here is what was required....not a bad deal I thought at the time. I ended up with a couple of these and mailed away for a few sets. I had a couple left over redemptions that I kept for collecting purposes. The highlights of the 15 cards were Doan, Koivu and Alfredsson YG cards. Not all were rookie cards as players like Koivu were a part of the World Junior subsets from the early 90's.

How I received the card: Came with 14 others as part of a redemption that cost me 2.50 US

Beckett Value: very little (20 - 50 cents)

Card of the Week - Peter Mueller

Rather than focus on the negative news in Devils camp, lets focus on the positive news around the NHL. It appears a number of players who have missed the last bit or all of last season are on the mend including Peter Mueller.

Mueller is an exciting one as he was on a serious hot streak after Phoenix traded him to Colorado. In the 15 games after the trade in 2010 Mueller scored 20 points for the Avs including 9 goals. Life was good and it appeared he was going to return to his Rookie year form when he suffered a huge concussion. Mueller sat out ALL of last year which either means the concussion was very severe or they are treating is very seriously and giving him a fresh start.

I became a Mueller fan (along with Kopitar and Booth) as a result of watching the 2008 WHC in Halifax. Here are a couple photos I took of Mueller:

I actually took the photos from my seat with a pretty cheap camera so I considered myself lucky to see some great hockey from a nice seat.

08-09 OPC Premier Premier Remnants PR-PM
I like this card a lot. Nice design, triple swatch and game-used. The card is numbered 95/100 and the front is really sharp looking. OPC Premier has tended to be in the shadow of The Cup and I find you can pick up some great deals on rookies from this set which are every bit as nice as The Cup ones. The rookies are generally made with a couple swatches and an autograph!

The back side

On the back, like most UD products, there is a nice reminder that Richard McWilliam selflessly is getting us as close to the game as he can and a little wasted space. I like the OPC foil on the corner and the lines give the card a nice look on the back.

How I received the card: I paid $2.99 for this at the my local hobby shop

Beckett Value: 6 - 15 dollars

Card of the week - Maxime Clermont

A pretty slow week again in the NHL news department which is sorta nice. It gives me a chance to share some more Devils news. You may have not been aware of this but Marty Brodeur is getting old. Drafted in 1990, he doesn't have many seasons left in the tank and this is his last year under contract with the Devils. Lou has been thinking of the future and has been drafting and signing goalies for the future and going into camp right now we have 5 goalies under contract.

Martin Brodeur

Johan Hedberg

Jeff Frazee

Keith Kinkaid

Maxime Clermont

We also have goalie Scott Wedgewood, but he is ineligible to play in the AHL right now and will remain in the CHL for the upcoming season. Clermont, will likely play in the QMJHL for the start of the season until injuries occur and he is required to play in the AHL or NHL.

This past year, he lead an over-achieving Gatineau Olympiques all the way to the QMJHL finals where they lost to the heavily favoured Saint John Sea Dogs. He finished the playoffs with a 2.22 Gaa and a .927 save percentage. I have faith that Maxime could be one of our goalies for the future and with Wedgewood and Kinkaid also in the fold, we should make a decent transition from the Marty years to the future (I hope).

09-10 ITG Heroes and Prospects Subway Super Series SSM02

Love this card. The swatch is a seam piece and bulges out nicely. It is the black version which are "numbered" to 60. The swatch is a good size like many ITG swatches are and the front is designed nicely.

Back side

I like that on the back they tell you which year it was used in and of course it was game used. They could have featured stats etc, but like UD that generally doesn't happen often.

How I received the card: eBay purchase for $0.99 + shipping

Beckett Value: 5 - 12 dollars

Card of the Week - Patrick Sharp

Been a slow week for hockey news and a slow month for TTMs. Just got back my Ilya Kovalchuk and much like Sal predicted, it was unsigned. I am convinced he didn`t even see the cards or letter and likely was intercepted. So I too will suggest any Devils fans out there looking for autos, send it to the player's home!!!

One news worthy point is my hometown boy Patrick Sharp has landed some big bucks. 5 years and 29.5 million dollars. Not a bad combination for either side really as Patrick has been playing well for the last 4 years in Chicago. He had a career high 71 points in 74 games and has averaged 28 goals a year since 06-07. He is going to turn 30 years old this season so this contract is an appropriate length in my opinion as well.

09-10 Champs Threads - Patrick Sharp

I was never much of a fan of Champs in the beginning, but I bit on it 09-10. I bought two blaster boxes from Toys R Us for 10 bucks a piece and managed to get nearly half the set and two jersey hits. Patrick Sharp was the second hit and Doug Gilmour (in a Blues uniform) was the first. I have slowly been piecing the set together through trades mostly, but still have a little way to go. This was one set I was pretty sad to see get the axe from Upper Deck, but it looks like it will be back next year as an insert in the Parkhurst release.

Back side

Here is the backside of the card. Nothing too special, the card is about the size of the old tobacco cards but is quite thick. I think I like these cards a little more than the typical jersey cards. Maybe it is because it has a good cardboard/swatch ratio or maybe it is just because they seem classier....I don't know.

How I received the card: Opened it from a blaster box pack

Card value: 3 - 8 dollars (unlisted star)

Card of the Week - Drew Doughty

Well with Stamkos all locked up for the next 5 years, the last two restricted free-agents worth talking about are Doughty and Parise. I was reading some trade rumours on The Hockey News which suggests that one rumour has Doughty being traded to New Jersey for Parise because the Doughty contract talks have stalled.

The Devils made a great move yesterday by trading Brian Rolston to the Isles for Trent Hunter which I am sure if we wanted to free up more space someone would take Hunter for a 3rd or 4th rounder. With over 7 mill in cap space, the Devils could easily sign either Parise or Doughty. Both are a General Manager's dream and the Devils could find a use for both. If we sign Parise, we would have a first and second line that are equally dangerous and if we sign Doughty, we could possibly have the best defense in the NHL in 4 years. Either way, I am pleased and punch and I think Yogi's big season prediction may very well come true!

Which ever team Doughty ends up joining in the fall will truly benefit as this kid is far from reaching his potential. I don't see why he can't be every bit as good as Lidstrom became in the NHL. I think many may agree with this as in just 3 seasons he has developed into a fine defenseman with an incredible offensive up-side.

08-09 Fleer Ultra #259 Drew Doughty Ultra Rookie

For the first time in a number of years, there is no Fleer Ultra set. Do you miss it? Personally, I would buy the odd blaster or a stray pack here and there but never attempted the set. I liked the product, but felt it was too redundant with Upper Deck's base set so I went with the better value each time. What was cool about the Ultra sets were the redemption cards. Buying the occasional pack here and there would yield me very few of these redemption cards but that is exactly how I got this one. Just the luck of the draw and the cashier picked the right pack for me.

The front of the card is nice, good clean photo and the Ultra Rookie foil makes the card pop! I think the 08-09 Ultra Rookies are a great alternative to probably the worst Young Gun design year I had ever seen.

Back side of the card

Here on the back is a recycled picture from the front with the stats and a little write up. No need to adjust your monitors the back side of the card does have a fair bit of light blue on it with a white trim. There are his previous year's stats along with his OHL totals.

How I received the card: Pulled redemption from pack

Beckett Value: $8 - 20

It will be interesting to see what products Upper Deck decides to product next year. I personally would rather see Ultra on the market place than Panini's Donruss and Pinnacle products. But I assume UD still owns the license to Ultra and with fewer sets being produced I think UD made the right choice dropping Ultra in favour of the mid-market base Upper Deck set.

Card of the week - Alexei Yashin

With each passing day I swear 1995 is coming back in style. First the Jets, then Jagr and now Yashin? After a less than steller year in the KHL, Yashin wants to prove he can still disappear come playoff time at the age of 38. However, it looks like the only team interested in him (Islanders) won't likely make the playoffs come this spring thus making him just another expenditure to get the Isles over the cap floor. What makes this even more interesting, according to Capgeek.com, Yashin is still on the payroll for his buyout. In fact, he is still a cap hit for the Isles (2.2 mil/year) until the spring of 2015. I am not sure what they are hoping for with this possible signing, but I do hope that John Tavares' locker is as far away from this guy as possible as I am not sure what Yashin could offer JT in terms of advice!

94-95 Collector's Choice Crash the Game Redemption Silver and Gold

Back in 1995 I came out of collecting retirement to play "You Crash the Game". The deal was every 5 packs had a player card in it which featured one of 30 players with a date on it. Each player was released with 3 different dates. The player would have a game on that date, and if they scored a goal that game, YOU won the right to mail away for a set. OF course you needed to pay for shipping and handling which was 3 bucks. The gold redemption cards fell 1 out of every 34 packs. I had several and won on a few. Now fast forward 16 years and they are pretty much worthless, but fun nonetheless.

I actually preferred the look of the silver sets. Each set also came with a single bonus card which was packaged in the set giving you a total of 31 cards.

The backside of the card just featured text and looks the same on both gold and silver.

How I received the card: Both came via redemption

Beckett value: Yashin Gold (40 cents)

Yashin Silver (12 cents)

In the end I think I have about 4 Silver Sets and 2 Gold Sets as well as many different "game" cards which I didn't win on. If you have any interest in these let me know I wouldn't mind trading a couple away as I am sure I don't need them all!

Don Edwards - Card of the week

If you think you have had a rough week, take note, no one has had as challenging week as Don Edwards. If you know what I am talking about then you already know. If you don't I will not get into it as I will not ever be able to do the story justice so just check out these two links:

Link 1

Link 2

When ever I think of Don Edwards I am reminded of his RC. Don had a remarkable rookie year finishing with a 16-7-2 record and a 2.51 gaa. Don followed that season by playing 72 games the next year and had an excellent record of 38-16-17, 2.64 gaa. Along with the 38 wins, Don had 5 shutouts.

Through out his 10 season career, Don would win 208 games and post 16 shutouts. His career highlight would be a Vezina trophy in 1980 which he shared with Bob Sauve.

77-78 OPC

Front side is a clean design, very simple and one that isn't such much memorable but is really what I think about when I think of 70's hockey cards.

Back side

Much like the front, the back side is clean with stats and a write up in English and French. There is also a little cartoon with a factoid about the player.

How I received it: I bought it back in the early 90's can't remember what I paid.

Beckett Value: $2 - 4

I have several cards from this set, but not the set itself. Someday maybe, I have a secondary project I have started working on and it is to have a set from each year between 1951 and 1993. I have a few coming in the mail over the next little while which I will share when they arrive.

Andy Greene - Card of the week

Well the first week of free agency season has passed and there were many signings. Some more interesting than others. The biggest target (Brad Richards) found himself a new home at MSG. Will be interesting to see if him and Gaborik can stay healthy and forge some chemistry.

The Devils were a little dull during the first week of signings as we focuses on resigning some of our own UFAs. Andy Greene and Johan Hedberg were our lone signings this past week. However, Lou did mention that he is interested in focusing on Larsson, Parise, making a trade and finding a new coach.

Andy Greene has had some pressure to perform every since arriving with the Devils. Many scouts and Devils players felt he had the potential to be every bit as good offensively as Brian Rafalski. Actually, I believe that might be part of the reason why Lou didn't work harder to retain the defenseman. However, Andy has had some confidence issues and some setbacks in growth that really have hampered his playing. As it stands, he was our leading scoring defenseman last year (which isn't saying much) but I think he CAN be a 40-50 point d-man if he has a little more support on the backside.

This week's card of the week is from the 07-08 UD Trilogy set.

The card is on foilboard and is numbered 857/999. I like that the card is numbered and I like the layout. A simple picture and they mention name, team, number and position.

Here is the back side of the card.

I really like the back side as much as I do the front. Black and white photo with a little colour accent on the sides. Stats and a small write up are included. Overall an attractive card.

How I received it: Via Trade with Chris from Confessions of a hockey card addict

Beckett Value: $ 3 - 8

I have never bought a pack of Trilogy mainly because of the cost. It boils down to how affordable they are on the secondary market which makes it difficult to pay 20 bucks for a pack of cards I can get off ebay for 5 bucks. Even big name rookies sell for about the cost of the Young Gun versions. However, a nice card nonetheless and glad it is now in my collection.

Brad Richards - Card of the week

Well free agency has begun today and all the focus will likely be on where Brad Richards is going to lace up his skates in Oct. Hard to believe this as just a few years ago Tampa was doing what they could to dump his large salary after two straight disappointing seasons with them. However, Brad turned it around in Dallas and averaged more than a point a game in the Lone Star State and as a result there will be a few suitors for this former Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

This is his 06-07 Game Used Authentic Fabrics Card

These cards are inserted one per pack and each box would yield 6 packs. Not a bad deal except the boxes cost nearly 200 bucks with taxes. I like these cards because there are many people who tend to sell these cards off in LOT deals on eBay which means you can usually have a bunch for a relatively low cost.

Here is the back side

Here is the backside of the card. Like many UD jersey cards, wasted space and simple design.

How I received it: eBay lot purchase

Beckett Value: 8-20 dollars

I actually picked this card up along with 9 others from the same set. So 10 jersey cards and I only paid 11.50 with shipping. These cards are a pretty good deal for anyone who likes collecting jersey cards. I know some of my fellow bloggers are not big fans but at a buck a piece I think just about any fan can get behind them. The commons guide for about 2-5 bucks so I felt comfortable paying 11.50 for 10 of them. Some of the other cards included Brad Boyes, Ed Jovanovski, Doug Weight x2 and a few other guys.

Corey Perry - Card of the week

I decided that I am going to steal a good idea that other bloggers are doing and I am going to try and share a new card each week that is either news relevant or something cool from my collection. This past week there has been lots of headline worthy news and the draft hasn't even happened yet. Rather than focus on the blood and destruction that has just happened in Philly, I am going to focus on the new league MVP.

When I got back into collecting but before I learned about pack searching, I used to think I had a chance at pulling a good rookie from a pack of 05-06 UD Ice. I probably bought close to 30 packs of the stuff. I had pulled only 2 rookies from all those packs. One was one of the best AHL players in the last decade (Keith Aucoin) and the other is David Gove (I like his first name).

What I did pull that was cool, was 8 or 9 game used cards including Mr. Corey Perry.

05-06 UD ICE Cool Threads

Like I mentioned before, even though it is an insert and isn't officially listed as a rookie I do consider this a rookie card for my collection. The photo is from when he wore 61 and it appears to be during a home game against the Kings. After his first season, he switched to the number 10 which is what he is still wearing. I don't own many Perry cards from this year (just this one and his Parkhurst rookie) but it is enough for me.

I am actually a big fan of the Cool Threads and Fresh Ice inserts. It was back when UD used good size swatches and the pictures on them are good and well thought out.

Back side

The only complaint is there seems to be LOTS of wasted space on the back. Wish they put stats on the backs of these things or had a nice blurb about Corey's awesome junior career or something!

How I received it: Pulled from a pack

Beckett Value: 4-10 bucks

I think these cards are a great deal based on the BV of them. There are other memorabilia cards kicking around out there that aren't as nice and priced at twice the value. For example, a Corey Perry 05-06 UD Rookie Threads lists for 30 and the swatch is half the size.

Now the draft....Been waiting for this ever since we tanked in December. At first I was hoping for a last place finish and a chance to get the first overall pick and land Sean Couturier. However, it looks like he is no longer the favourite to go first overall and we might be able to land him with the 4th overall pick. There has been a fair bit of shuffling in the Top 5 and I think much of that has to do with how close the skill level is between these guys so as a fan, I don't think we can lose either way. If I got my chance to step up to the podium, I would likely stick with Couturier. If we were to go in another direction, I see the Devils targeting Landeskog as his style is much inline with how the Devils like to play. Are you excited for the draft? Or is it something that is hyped a little too much by media like TSN who are just filling in time between Stanley Cup and July 1st?