13-14 Contenders Matt Tennyson Auto Rookie

Not all my posts are killer cards and white whales. Here's a guppy for everything to say meh over. I rescued this card from the cheap bin. When I discovered it, it was living in a penny sleeve mashed between cards in top loaders and it was $1.50 for anyone who wanted it. I paid a dollar and brought it home from the pound (LCS).

Matt Tennyson is a semi-regular player with the Sharks so right off the bat this card is worth owning! Matt was undrafted but signed as a free agent with the Sharks after three pretty solid years of college hockey. Currently he is the 7th defenseman on the depth chart so he doesn't play everyday and given the best that Brent Burns is on offense I suspect Matt will have trouble climbing the depth chart this season. Brent Burns really has nothing to do with that, I just wanted to make reference to the awesome season he's having. Matt has 1 goal and 2 assists so far this season in his limited work but I believe in a season or two with the Sharks or another club he could be a 5th or 6th d-man scoring 15-20 points a year.

13-14 Contenders Matt Tennyson Auto Rookie

Interesting auto to say the least and was applied via sticker on a typical rookie ticket design. These ones aren't numbered but I am sure there are plenty enough out there for all Tennyson fans. Worth the cost and for a dollar I had another subject for a post.

13-14 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Mikhail Grigorenko Patch Auto /100

Mikhail Grigorenko former 1 round draft pick, former junior hockey superstar and NHL bust. The first two are very correct but the last can be left to interpretation. I am still cheering for him to make something of himself and when he was trade to Colorado I felt, finally, he will have some supporting players and a clean slate. Sadly his time in Colorado hasn't gone as well as I hoped and I think it is only a matter of time before Mikhail bolts for the KHL where mediocre players become stars. During his last 12 games, Grigorenko has manage to score 1 goal and 0 assists which isn't what you would expect from a offensive star. Grigorenko is still very young and there is lots of time to turn it around but with new players flooding into the league each year I am not sure how many more chances this kid will get.

13-14 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Mikhail Grigorenko Patch Auto /100

A pretty solid rookie insert card with a small piece of yellow patch peeking out. His auto which is messy but very consistent is signed with a gold marker and works well with the black background.

Earlier in the season Mikhail did have a stretch of 6 games where he put up 7 points which tends to suggest it's feast or famine with this kid but perhaps the second half of the season will  prove to be more productive and we will see an improvement before the year is over. I, for one, am still hopeful.