13-14 Select Justin Schultz Auto Rookie /199

As little as a year ago, Oilers fans were dumped hardcore on one of the most sought after college free agents from 2012. It turns out he just needed a new focus and a new scene and this season he has had a resurgence in his career and is on track to have his best season ever. True it doesn't hurt to have the forward crew that he has to work with and you or I could rack up a few points being Crosby's D-man but only 52 games into this season, he has at a career high for points already and will likely eclipse his goal high of 11 before the season closes too. The best stat though is his +/- which leads the team at a +29 and is good enough for 5th in the NHL as of Feb 9. While a Norris might be a stretch for Justin given his competition (Brent Burns), this is turning into a great story and one I hope continues to be successful for Justin Schultz.

13-14 Select Justin Schultz Auto Rookie /199

I'm both a fan of Justin Schultz and the 13-14 Select set so you get the best of both worlds with this card. A nice jersey swatch and autograph. I do have a couple more Schulz auto but I will save those for another day. Thanks for stopping by!

7 Super Select Auto Rookies

I don't even remember when I bought this lot but it's been probably close to two years ago which makes it kind of fun because at the time of the purchase my reasons for excitement could change when I reflect back on the deal. If memory serves me right this batch probably set me back around 30 dollars with shipping and exchange. Almost from the get go, Select auto rookies on the secondary market were well below their Upper Deck counterparts which made collectors like myself happy and in search of deals. The two exceptions were Tarasenko and MacKinnon. Since then even both of them have come down to earth a bit but Tarasenko would be the big fish in that pond. All of these rookies are /399 and feature sticker autos. Please sit back and get comfortable and enjoy the show.

13-14 Select Mark Arcobello Auto Rookie /399

Of all the rookies here, none broke out of the gate hotter than Arcobello. He was nearly a point a game for his first 10 games and then someone threw a bucket of ice on his career. He bounced around a bit stopping in Nashville, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Toronto. 9 goals and 7 assists in 27 games with the Coyotes was his most productive stop but sadly he was in the AHL by the middle of the 2015-16 season. He is currently tearing up the Swiss League leading Bern in scoring (21 goals and 44 points) and sits one point back of Linus Klasen for the league lead. Not sure if he will make a come back to North America but it's safe to say he will continue to excel in the European leagues.

13-14 Select Drew Shore Auto Rookie /399

I wasn't too sure what to expect with Drew Shore. Two years ago I felt he still had potential to be an everyday NHL player but like Arcobello, two years can expose lots about a player and their futures become less cloudy. Much like Mark Arcobello, Drew is in the Swiss league and is excelling as well. Drew has 21 goals as well and 35 points through 39 games for Kloten HC. I predict a similar future for Drew Shore as Mr. Arcobello.

13-14 Select Mikael Granlund Auto Rookie /399

This card was probably initially the second most exciting from the lot. A former 9th overall pick who had made a relatively smooth transition to the North American game and saw some improvement each season he played. These past two have been big steps for Granlund and currently he is having his finest season yet. As we near the All-Star break, he has 10 goals and 36 points in 44 games which is good enough for second in team scoring for the Wild. Given he is only 24, he may have something else to show us before he reaches his prime.

13-14 Select Matt Tennyson Auto Rookie /399

Wasn't too excited about this card to be honest. It's one of those rookies you know are bundled in with others to try and move more product. However, unlike Shore and Arcobello, Tennyson is still in the NHL. He has found himself a home on the Carolina Hurricanes blue line where he is logging about 14 min a night. He could be in a nice location for a team on the rise and could be a solid defensive tool for a young Hurricanes club.


13-14 Select Rickard Rakell Auto Rookie /399

Of all the players in this lot, the past two years have been the kindest to Rakell. After an ok rookie season scoring 9 goals, the departure of Kyle Palmieri, Rakell saw an increase in ice time and took full advantage of it scoring 20 goals last season. He waited out the preseason and finally was rewarded with a pretty impressive contact of 22.8 million over 6 years and this season he is showing the Ducks they got a huge deal. Rakell is scoring at a rate of about 0.5 goals per game which at this pace could translate into a 40 goal season for the young forward. That makes this auto a little more fun than an autograph of a 9 goal scorer if you ask me.


13-14 Select Eric Hartzell Auto Rookie /399

In early 2014 it was difficult to see who would emerge as the backup to M-A Fleury. So many young goalies with varying potentials. Fast forward 3 years and the funny thing is M-A Fleury isn't even their number one starter, they have already won another cup and Zatkoff is in L.A. Eric a former Hobey Baker nominee is currently overseas in a Slovak league and sadly never made it off the bench in an NHL game.


13-14 Select Seth Jones Auto Rookie /399

At the time this was the big fish in the pond. While some of the other cards have gotten more and less exciting, this one has been pretty consistent and with his play this season it's easy to see that when I look back at this post in 10 years, Seth could be the best of the Super 7. At the half way point of the season he is already nearing career highs in goals, assists and points and at this pace is looking at 13 goals and 41 points which gives fans a glimpse of what he really can offer. I am looking forward to the next few seasons and perhaps he could be a true superstar on the blue line.

Thanks for checking out this lot deal. I used to love to pick these up from time to time, perhaps I will go hunting again some day for a fun one from this set or another. In the meantime, hope everyone enjoys the All-Star festivities and I hope to get a few All-Stars posted up here very soon!

13-14 Select Reid Boucher Cracked Ice Rookie

Shane from Shoebox Legends has had some posts over the years involving shiny cards and I am often loved seeing them and when I looked at my own collection I see very few. I decided to take matters into my own hands and track down a nice and shiny card which features junior scoring ace Reid Boucher. 

13-14 Select Reid Boucher Cracked Ice Rookie

These cards might not carry loads of value, the way the light catches the surface of this card makes it cool to admire and appreciate on some many other levels. I can see a complete set of these being a pretty amazing experience to flip through but in the meantime I'll enjoy this one for all it is.

13-14 Select Calvin Pickard Auto Rookie /399

When you lose to someone you like or respect it actually takes a tiny bit of the sting out of the loss. At least that is what I believe and losing last night 3-0 to Colorado was softened a bit by my like of many of the Avs players including the goalie of record with a shutout. Calvin Pickard.

A talented and hardworking goalie who has done very well when called upon and I believe could be a starter in the NHL someday turned aside all the Devils shots last night to earn his first shutout of the season. I have two auto rookies of Calvin and here is my favourite of the two.

13-14 Select Calvin Pickard Auto Rookie /399

Picked this one up last season when he was called up and had been doing well. I have lost track of how many auto rookie cards I have from this set but I will count them up someday. I believe it's around 20-25 for those who are curious. I like his signature as it is very sharp and compact and he includes his number in his signature which I always like to see.

13-14 Select Ondrej Palat Auto Rookie /399

Here is a riddle I am sure many of you have heard:

This thing all things devours;
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats mountain down.




So what is the answer? Well it is the one thing I seem to seriously lack these days despite how much I try and that is time. So many cool things to share and show and so little time. I really wanted to share my International Experiment I did but I missed three cards from the scan so I need to find time to do that later and share it in my next post. In the meantime, I didn't screw this one up so here it is:

 13-14 Select Ondrej Palat Auto Rookie /399

Yep, more Select! One thing that Tampa has a surplus of is skilled offensive forwards. One reason why they have been so amazing this season despite injuries to their defense is they roll three very solid lines that play at both ends of the ice. Ondrej Palat a former seventh round pick (4th last picked in the draft) is proving he deserved to be a first round pick. Palat was a runner up for the Calder last season and this season is on pace for career high in assists and points. Another fun card from the Select set and one I was very happy to add to the collection!

13/14 Select Brock Nelson Auto Rookie /399

Is this a breakout season for Brock or is it just merely him just off to a fast start like Frans Nielsen last season? At just over the quarter point mark, Brock is 4 goals and 2 assists away from away from a career highs in each category. No doubt he will reach them but time will tell if he can keep this pace and finish with his currently projected numbers of 34 goals and 34 assists. 

13/14 Select Brock Nelson Auto Rookie /399

If his black sharpie tells you anything, it looks like his friends call him Bk Nel!

Player Prospecting - Nick Bjugstad

Player prospecting is one of the things I enjoy most about the hobby. Being able to say you were collecting the player before they hit it big is loads of fun for me and in some ways I enjoy seeing the "value" of some of my cards increase (even though I don't sell many). This post is about a kid I see being a star in the league someday, Nick Bjugstad.


2014-15 Upper Deck Young Gun

A staple in many people's collection is their player's Young Gun. I have gotten away from this with some players opting for more "value" but this one was a throw in with the next card so it was hard to say no.


2013-14 SP Game Used Rookie Auto Gold

The rookie auto golds are pretty fun and always a great value. Many times you can find these for a hair more than the pack of the basic Upper Deck cards. I was pleased that I landed both for basically that price.



2013/14 Select Auto Rookie /399

This past season I was a huge fan of Select. You get auto rookies for a Young Gun price. The print run is also very nice usually /399 which makes them much more rare than Young Guns too. I will miss this product this season but I will be on the look out for a replacement.

So what makes Nick so special? Hockey's Future has him ranked as a 7.5 which is a pretty decent score and shows he has solid potential.Nick lead the Panthers in scoring last season despite being a rookie and he even finished in the 5 in rookie scoring despite playing for a team that scored the second fewest goals in the NHL. This season he has experienced a bit of a sophomore slump which happens but I hope to see him bounce out of it by the end of the season.

13/14 Select Jonathan Huberdeau Auto SP Rookie /199

More Select! This time 2012/13 Calder Trophy winner Jonathan Huberdeau. He came down with a case of the Sophomore Slumps and that combined with the dual rookie class made it book for very cheap so landing one by buying or trade is pretty easy. Like last season, he has started off really slowly but I am a believer in this kid and given time I think he will be a star.



13/14 Select Jonathan Huberdeau Auto SP Rookie /199

Here is the typical front of a Select auto rookie. Sticker fun.

Most of the rookies in this set are /399 including some of the big names. Why this one is only 199 I am not too sure, but that only adds to the coolness in my opinion. I already have one of his autos from ITG but two is always better than one in hobby terms.

What happens when one Devils fan meets another on Twitter?

Social media has impacted most people and while not all impacts are positive, I can say it has been a positive for me. I have had a chance to meet other collectors, get neat links and see other people's collecting successes. When you have little money for the hobby, trading is one way to freshen up your collection and the next couple posts will be on that topic.

One trade I made this summer involved a fellow Devils fan named Tom who wrote me asking me if I ever traded with people on twitter. I responded that I did and from there a friendship formed. While the trade we made isn't going to be the envy of collectors world wide and we didn't swap thousands of dollars in cards, we did help each other out and found a fellow fan with a common interest. 

Tom is a collector who is trying to specifically focus on Marty Brodeur and I am a collector who is all over the map. In the end we each sent a package with some fun cards to go along with a 3 for 3 trade. Here are the three that made their way to me: 

While I already have a Matteau auto, I believe this kid will be good and I do like the Prizm release so I felt picking this one up was a nice addition.

This card was the centerpiece of the trade. Numbered to just /25, Keith is GOING to be the backup goalie for the Devils after the preseason is over and I am happy to add a third auto to my collection to go along with his Dominion rookie and a ITG AHL auto of his.

This last card seems a little dirty for a Devils fan to own, but like I said I am all over the map. Having avoided 12-13 like the plague I am without a few decent rookies and Kreider is one of them. He has potential to be decent so I felt a chance was here for me to land this card at a fair price so I sprang for it and I am happy to add it. Besides, you never know where he will be in 5-6 years.

Thanks for a great trade Tom, I appreciate our chats and I look forward to having another Devils fan to cheer with.

Tonnes of Toffoli including a 13/14 Select Rookie /199

Tyler Toffoli is one of those prospects who performed well in junior but many questioned if he would be as dominant in the NHL. Personally I was behind the kid from the get-go and still think he could be something special. Players like Ryan Johansen prove if you take the raw talent and develop it slowly, protect it etc it could be better in the long run. Tyler has been shielded quite significantly but this post-season he is beginning to shine and I am very happy to see that happen. A month ago a seller had a nice Select parallel rookie with a Prizm insert and a very nice price attached. I sent a BO of about half of what he was asking not because I am shrewd or felt he was unfair but because I am trying to get the most of my money. He responded with an amazing counter, an explanation of  book values (which I already knew) and an offer to throw in a third card. I wrote back thanking him and said SOLD!

13/14 Select Tyler Toffoli Rookie /199

 Great looking card, black swatch and sticker auto. I have been watching all the releases so far this year and STILL Select is my favourite. I will miss Panini in the NHL world.

13/14 UD MVP Tyler Toffoli Rookie

 Hate MVP, but it was a throw in and a nice gesture. I will keep it because it didn't cost a thing and is nice enough.

13/14 Prizm Initial Impressions Tyler Toffoli

Here is the insert that came with the rookie initially. Not a bad card either, no value to me but in the end I landed all three for well under the Select cards book value so I felt like a winner no matter what.

The Kings are playing very well this post-season and if they win the Cup, I win the "House of Oglethorpe" contest which is pretty sweet. The Kings lose, then the Hawks will win the Cup and they are my number 2 team so its all good there too. The way I see it, I can't lose.


BTW I do know if an Eastern Conference team wins the Cup it screws my logic up but seriously, will the Eastern Conference win it?

13-14 Select Alex Chiasson Prizm Auto Rookie /99

Each season I do my best to try and land one rookie/auto from key rookies. A little while back Matt ripped a pretty great box of Crown Royale and I noticed he had a very nice Alex Chiasson rookie. I made an attempt to woo it from him but nothing having anything cool enough to match that card I decided to look elsewhere. Using some cash I got from selling some cards I had doubles of I was able to buy this baby (not as cool but at least fits the hole). 

13-14 Select Alex Chiasson Prizm Auto Rookie /99

 White swatch is no problem here, the shine and bling off this card actually makes it look cool. Sticker auto also no problem, these rookies are the best of the year still...

Here is the back, numbered to 99. Check out that NHL start! 6 goals in his first 7 games. I think this kid will be a gamer and Dallas will be pretty strong in another year or so.

13-14 Select Max Reinhart Auto Rookie /399

So far my set of the year is the 13-14 Select set. As far as content and value goes you can land these babies for very fair prices and they look awesome in person. Autograph, limited production and shiny what isn't there to love about these. In 2010 and 2011 I was in love with Certified so when I heard Panini wasn't issuing a Certified set this year I was pretty disappointed but when I saw the Select cards I felt that they were every bit as cool. This is the last of the ones I added to my collection to go with my Box Break, my Yakupov and my MacKinnon.

13-14 Select Max Reinhart Auto Rookie /399

Here is the front, much like all the others. Sticker auto, chromium stock and thick. These cards definitely remind me a bit of the OPC Metal cards from 08-09. Max is the oldest of the 3 hockey playing sons of Paul Reinhart. Griffin and Sam are the other two who most recently represented Canada at the WJHC. 

Here is the back side of the card, 11 game last year and 3 points to show for it. Not the greatest start but Max is one of those guys who just gets better and better thanks to his hard work. This year he has been playing very well in the AHL with 17 goals and 46 points in 53 games which is good enough for the team lead at the moment. I think if the Flames are patient and take their time with Max he could be as good as Paul Stastny over time. In the meantime, I do enjoy having this one in my collection and I think as he progresses it will be a fun to have.

13-14 Select Nail Yakupov Auto Rookie /399

Well get'em while they are cheap! I had some money left over in my paypal account after getting a good deal on my Mackinnon and I was able to find an amazing deal on a Yakupov from the same set as well. This pairs up really nicely with the Mackinnon.

13-14 Select Nail Yakupov Auto Rookie /399

Again these don't scan worth a darn but they are sure nice in person. I love them a great deal more than Young Guns and they can be had for about the same price! Nail really should have been a finalist last season for the Calder but I think being first overall expectations were a little higher which is why he didn't get any love. This season he has had some sophomore blues but he has 4 points in his last 5 games and is even a plus 2 during that stretch. Many are quick to give up on this kid but he is very talented, 20 years old and plenty of hockey ahead of him. I suspect he will be a slow developer but in about 3 years he will be among the top 10 in scoring perennially. 

Buy low people and hang on to them. 

13-14 Select Box Break - Panini Contest Win

Before you read this post, I need to clarify two things. First off, I am not trying to be whiny or ungrateful. Secondly, chromium cards do not scan well especially when in a screw-down or top loader.

So just before the holidays, I entered my 700th Panini contest and patiently waited to find out I lost. However, something strange happened and that was I WON! I received my email stating I won and they asked for my address. I thanked them profusely and gave them my address. 3 weeks later just before Christmas my box arrived and I was stoked. I put the kids to bed, sat down and busted 12 packs hoping for MacKinnons, Yakupovs or anything cool and fun. Each box has two mini boxes and each mini box has 6 packs, promising two hits. That is where my problem happened.

I busted my first mini box and only had one hit. I wasn't disappointed because I saw someone online actually pull two hits from a single pack so maybe my other mini box would have three hits and it would all average out. Sadly, it didn't. So my free box was a defective box with only three hits. If I had paid for this box I would have been pretty bummed out. So just in case, I contacted Panini to see if they could do anything about this situation. They kindly told me since it was free, NO.

So there you have it, even when I am lucky, I am unlucky. I have since entered other Panini contests and....lost.

Well here is the box in case you are interested.

Base and Prizm cards.

The cards are pretty nice looking, very shiny and thick. Here is one of my Prizm cards I landed. Nicely enough, I also got an Elias Prizm card too. They are extra shiny and un-numbered.

Hits

Each pack has something fun so for the 11-13 bucks you pay you should get something. I got a few inserts but nothing worth really showing, so here are my three hits.

13-14 Select Nick Petrecki Auto Rookie /399

Nick Petrecki, don't know him. Research shows me he was a former first round pick, plays defense and likes PIMs. He is a beast at 6'3" and 230 lbs. He also have played 1 NHL game in his career.

13-14 Select Jarred Tinordi Auto Rookie /199

My Montreal curse continues...except they are Habs I am really not dying the have. Jarred is someone I had heard of and being another defenseman this card isn't going to be putting my children through University. However, I do plan on keeping this one as he could be a pretty decent defensive star someday.

13-14 Select Danny DeKeyser Auto Rookie /399

Having hit his Young Gun in a box I broke earlier I had at least heard of Danny. Danny is a rookie defenseman off to a pretty decent start and like many late maturing defenseman that are making it big these days he was a free agent signing out of college. Not a super exciting pull but I guess it is better than Petrecki!

So there you have it, my free box. Like I said before, if I had paid 130 bucks for it I would have felt seriously bummed out and avoided any future packs and boxes like the plague. However, there is always that chance that had I paid for the box, Panini would have sent along a 4th hit and who knows what could have been in that. So do I recommend this product? Only if you have 130 bucks burning a hole in your pocked and you don't want to save another 70 and buy a Dominion box.

With all that being said, I went on eBay a few weeks back and started selling off some inserts and cards I really didn't have much use for but had some value. My hard work paid off as I have replaced them with a fourth hit I bought for myself....


13-14 Select Nathan MacKinnon Auto Rookie /399

Being a MacKinnon fan and liking what the Select rookies looked like I went on the prowl for a decent deal. Many of these rookies were selling well in auctions online (65-85 dollar range) so I decided to see if I could find a BIN/OBO below that range and sure enough I was able to use my PayPal dollars and get one for a very fair price.(again excuse the scan, Select rookies in screw-downs really really don't scan well)

So not only do I get myself a MacKinnon rookie at long last, I use some of my unwanted cards to help fix my box injustice and land a hit that stands proud in my collection.