Tributegate - Martin St. Louis' Return To Tampa

The moment of truth is coming this Wednesday for Lightning fans. For the first time since he talked his way out of town last Spring, Marty St. Louis is playing a professional hockey game in Tampa. What will the reaction be? Will he be serenaded with boos every time he touches the puck? Will he be cheered? Will there be boos and a smattering of applause? Or will there be nothing but apathetic silence?

Chances are it will be option three.  While I’m not as emotionally invested in the saga as other fans, the fact remains that St. Louis slid his way out of town while he was captain of a playoff-bound team. The only way he could have made the exit uglier was if he kicked Joe Redner’s dog on the way out of town. It truly was a Hulk Hogan-NWO worthy heel turn.And yes I would give St. Louis $5.00 to grow a blonde handlebar mustache/5 o'clock shadow combination.

That being said he is also on the Mount Rushmore of all-time great Lightning players.  He will always have supporters in the crowd (including myself) where his past accomplishments outweigh his acrimonious exit from the organization. I’ll take a decade of exceptional/border-line hall of fame play in exchange for a forced trade that netted the Lightning a first round pick, a second round pick and a decent player in Ryan Callahan.

Fans will be fans but the more interesting aspect will be how the Lightning as an organization handle his return. If circumstances had been different, an elaborate video package would be produced chronicling his storied past with the team (and most likely fading out with the image of a bearded, scared  St. Louis raising the Stanley Cup). The Rangers produced such a package for Callahan, Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman when they returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time last week.  And the Lightning put together a similar welcome for Vincent Lecavalier last season when he returned wearing the garish orange and white Flyers uniform.

Remember the good times (photo lifted from nhl.com)

However, as of press time for this post, questions still linger on if the Lightning will produce such a video. General Manager Steve Yzerman is pretty much a soulless, team-building robot (that’s a good thing!) so I’m not surprised that he isn’t going to go out of his way to welcome back a player who went out of his way to paint the organization in a negative light while demanding his trade. It is worth noting that the team celebrated the 10th anniversary of their only Stanley Cup victory a few days after St. Louis was traded and his contributions to that historic campaign were noticeably absent in the tribute video they ran during the celebration.

I don’t know Mr. Yzerman personally, but needless to say I think he’s the type of guy who knows how to hold onto a grudge. I kind of wish the Rangers were still banged up with injuries so that the skating dumpster fire that is Mike Kostka was still on their team.  I could totally see Mr. Yzerman having the team produce a 90 second video highlighting Kostka’s 19 game career with Tampa Bay and showing that instead of a tribute to St. Louis.

It wouldn’t shock me if he forbids all mention of St. Louis’ name during the game. Imagine Paul Porter announcing a New York goal, “New York goal scored by 61 Rick Nash. Assist by number 26.  Rick Nash assisted by number 26 at 14:19”. Kind of like the old NHL video games that didn’t have the rights to certain players.

There haven’t been many Lightning players that have demanded to be traded from the team. The closest example might be Brian Bradley, one of the team’s first “stars”.  Rumors of Bradley being “soft” led to some grumbling in the clubhouse about his dedication to the team and rumors that the club wanted to move him. However, he suffered an a serious concussion that would end his career before he was able to be traded.  Since then he has been welcomed back into the family and can often be seen on Lightning broadcasts.

In the overall big picture trading St. Louis was good for the team. There are the actual assets brought back in the trade. Callahan has fit in well enough to sign a long-term deal to stay in Tampa and has produced while skating on the top line with Steven Stamkos.  The draft-pick for 2014 turned into a 1st round pick when the Rangers made the Eastern Conference finals.  Mr. Yzerman then traded that pick to the Islanders for two second picks and selected defensemen Dominik Mason and Jonathan MacLeod. Still waiting to be cashed in is a 1st round pick in a stacked 2015 draft.

It has also opened up ice time for some of the younger players.  Ondrej Palat and MY BOY NIKITA KUCHEROV (his official name from here on out) in particular have flourished with the playing time afforded by the former captain’s departure.  The Lightning offense hasn’t exactly stalled without the diminutive forward.  St. Louis has 17 points coming into the game on Wednesday.  That would put him fifth on the Lightning behind Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Valterri Filppula and MY BOY NIKITA KUCHEROV.  It would also put him one point ahead of his trade partner Callahan.

Why yes, I do now own a MY BOY NIKITA KUCHEROV jersey.

Speaking of Marty St. Louis scoring points. He’s scored a lot of them in his career. Nine-hundred and ninety-eight of them to be exact. Which means there is an outside chance that he could record his 1000th point AGAINST Tampa Bay. Which would only be slightly awkward. Imagine reaching a career milestone while boos rain down on the ice like jerseys at an Oilers game.

I really hope it doesn’t happen.  First and foremost because it would mean that the Rangers have scored at least two goals and no one wants that to happen. Secondly, I think if the fans do boo him for accomplishing such a milestone in a different uniform it would be something that wouldn’t age well.  As we know, time heals all wounds and ninety-nine times out of a hundred fans will forgive a player eventually, no matter how ugly the exit was. Remember that he did score 953 of those points in a Lightning uniform.

A decade from now, when St. Louis is inducted into the Hall of Fame wouldn’t it be nice if the media could play a video clip of him recording his 1000th point and not have to edit out the sound of 19,000 people booing? Respect the accomplishment, if not the man doing it. Kind of like the Yankee fan begrudgingly cheering for Billy Chapel’s perfect game in “For the Love of the Game”.

It would be a little petty for the Lightning as an organization to not show a video. Hilarious, but petty. They should just man up and put a tribute together, potential booing be damned.  Besides it would provide a closure point for all of the animosity. The fans can finally direct all of their discord directly at him and then move on. The healing/welcoming back process can finally begin in earnest.

Love On The Rocks - Marty St. Louis is Gone

I know it hurts now.  You thought he would be around forever.  You thought every morning you woke up he would still be there.  Fourteen years is a lifetime.  You thought you knew everything about him, that he cared for you as much as you cared for him.  Yet here you are, the morning after, eyes red and puffy from crying, a discarded pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream lying by the bed.  Shredded pictures of better times cover the floor while angry posts litter your Facebook timeline.  Face it Lightning fan - you are acting like a jilted lover.

Now, of course, I don’t mean all of you.  I have seen some sensible posts about the biggest deadline deal in recent Lightning history. However, throughout yesterday’s trading bonanza there was a lot of name calling going on in regards to Marty St. Louis and his trade to the Rangers.  “Cry Baby” “Diva”  “Quitter”.  All those words and more floated across the internet.  I understand, anger is a justifiable emotion.  It’s also the first step to recovery.  Trust me, understanding and forgiveness are right around the corner.

This saga has dragged out in the open air for almost two months now.  Whispers started around the time that St. Louis was initially left off of the Canadian Olympic roster.  That’s when the question of “How would he be able to co-exist with Steve Yzerman after being snubbed?” first arose.  Then the firestorm was ignited by Boomer Easison of all people who tweeted out that the Rangers had a deal in place to trade their captain, Ryan Callahan, and that St. Louis was one of the possible pieces coming back. That led to the story that St. Louis had asked Mr. Yzerman to trade him and the internet flaming was on.

During the whole time there was a lingering question that bothered me.  Why would St. Louis, who had spent his entire career with the reputation as a team-first, heart-and-soul of the Lightning player be so adamant about wanting out.  Why now, when the team was poised to make a run at the Stanley Cup?

Sure pride had something to do with it. Having his own GM say he wasn’t initially worthy of playing for gold had to hurt, but is that enough to turn your back on a community that wholly embraced you like few athletes ever have been in this market?  He was the underdog that brought respectability to a market that is often mocked on the national level. We loved him for that.  There has to be more to it.  Both Mr. Yzerman and St. Louis have alluded to it.

In his press conference after the deadline, Mr. Yzerman acknowledged that St. Louis had come to him before the Olympic debacle and asked to be traded.  He refused to elaborate saying that he didn’t want to "put words into Marty's mouth".  Marty didn’t offer any details either just a vague “this is a decision that is best for my family” comment in a letter released to the media and fans.

Maybe in the future we will know the whole story and it will make sense.  What doesn’t make sense is bashing a guy who has done more for this team than anyone else who ever skated in the black/blue/silver/white/lightning-sleeved uniform. He is responsible for the most exciting moment in the history of the organization (Yo Fedotenko Imma let you finish, but Game 6 double overtime was a better moment).

He also piled up points and accolades unseen by any Lightning player to date.  Two Art Ross trophies, three Lady Byngs, a Hart Memorial and Lester B. Pearson award to go along with multiple all-star appearances.  No one has ever done that for the team.  His conditioning and work ethic were talked about by everyone who coached him, played with him and played against him. This is the same player who played 499 consecutive games before a broken face knocked him out of the line-up.  A broken face that kept him out for exactly five games. Incidentally, the shooter of the puck that hit him in the face - Dominic Moore.  One of his new teammates in New York - Dominic Moore.  Keep that shield on Marty.

Yup, I added the broken face part so I could repost this bad photoshop.

No matter what line he was thrown on he thrived, and made those players better.  He had no issue bouncing back and forth between lines with Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos.  When Stamkos went down this season St. Louis found himself on a line with two rookies.  Is it a coincidence that both of the rookies could win the Calder?

My point is that no matter how he left, what he did on the ice outweighs any controversy that has arisen over the last three months.  When athletes who are fueled by pride come to the end of their career it always ends awkwardly.  Johnny Unitas was traded to the Chargers at the end of his career because he thought he could still play. Does that diminish his legacy in Baltimore? Hell no.  Neither does Willie Mays stumbling around awkwardly in a Mets uniform or Emmitt Smith getting blown up in the backfield as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.

This is just so weird looking.

St. Louis’ exit from the Lightning was always going to be ugly.  Whether it was by the team releasing him, not re-signing him, or a trade request orchestrated by the team instead of the player it was going to end badly. There was going to be a time when the organization felt that there was a better option than him playing for them and at that time St. Louis was going to disagree with them.  What happened this winter just expedited the process.

In my last post I wrote that it was more likely that Mr. Yzerman was more likely to trade him in the off-season as he didn’t want to hurt the team.  Apparently I had misjudged (shocking I know) the depth of the problem.  With the handicaps that he was dealing with, the general manager swung the best deal possible.  I don’t see them signing Ryan Callahan for the money he’s asking for, but for the next 20 games or more he should help them defensively as he moves between the second and third line (according to the Tribune’s Erik Erlendsson he was taking rushes on the second line with Filppula and Kucherov).

Line rushes: Killorn-Stamkos-Purcell; Callahan-Filppula-Kucherov; Palat-Johnson-Malone; Brown-Thompson-Panik
— Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssonTBO) March 6, 2014

More important are the draft picks.  The 2015 first round pick could be gold (especially if the Rangers self-destruct next season) while the other pick has the potential to reach the first round if the Rangers make it to the Eastern Conference finals this season.  The deal also gives Mr, Yzerman about $5 million extra next season to sign a plethora of restricted free agents.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of the younger players sign multi-year deals over the next couple of months now that he has some more cap room to play with.


Finally lets address the playoff comment.  You know the one that was tweeted about, “It’s not like I’ve played a ton of playoff hockey in the last little while and as you get older you want to get more kicks at the can…”  Some are taking that as St. Louis thinking that the Rangers are better set than the Lightning to be playoff contenders for the near future.  I don’t see it that way.

If the ultimate goal of this move was family based, then the Rangers are the only team that makes sense for him to be asked to be traded to.  There are a handful of teams that would be considered close to his Connecticut home. The Islanders are a mess (although a Tavares/ St. Louis line would be fun to watch) and not knocking on the playoff door anytime soon.  The Devils are better off than the Islanders, but still a team in flux that seems to be wanting to jettison older players and is going through their own rebuild.  As for the Bruins, St. Louis has to be smart enough to know there is no way in hell that Mr. Yzerman was going to trade him there. Thus his request to be transferred to the Rangers.

So, to me, the “more kicks at the can” is more of a disparaging comment about the Islanders and Devils then it is at the Lightning. And as a Lightning fan you can’t argue with the first half of the statement since, other than the 2010-11 season, the team has been playing more golf than hockey in April, May and June.

Martin St. Louis, at this moment in time, is the best player to have ever pulled on a Lightning sweater. At some point Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Drouin or Teddy Purcell will eclipse him (probably not Teddy Purcell). To me that is more important than how he departed the organization.  He has not “tarnished” his legacy with the team.  Sometime in the near future, he will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  The stories told of him on that day will not be about his days as a Ranger or whatever team he plays for when the Rangers trade him next season.  Those stories will be about what he did on the ice as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

So, Lightning Fans, take a deep breath.  Focus on the team that we have now. Let Marty go do his thing. We are in a better place for having him to love and him leaving, then for us to have never had him at all.

RIP MVP Line Forever

Post Olympic Thoughts (Yes I talk about the Marty situation)

Believe it or not there are only 23 games left in the regular season for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Therefore, I can officially start using the phrase, “sprint to the end” in reference to their remaining games. As of Wednesday afternoon they sit comfortably in second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference. While Montreal and Toronto are nipping at the heels, an argument can be made that the Bolts are among the best teams poised to make a strong run to and through the playoffs.

The Olympic break could not have come at a better time for the team as they were in a mini-slump having dropped four of their previous six games. Injuries were also starting to take their effect on the team as goaltender Ben Bishop was banged up and big free agent signing Valtteri Filppula suffered a foot injury that caused him to miss the Olympic competition in Sochi.

Luckily for the team, both Filppula and Bishop should be ready to go in Nashville as the Lightning kick off the sprint with a four-game road trip against the Western Conference. Following that road trip, the super-extra-awsome-about-time-thank-god news is that Steven Stamkos, goalscoring extraordinaire should be back on the ice firing pucks into opposing goaltender's nets.

So with 20 some games to go their:

Number 1 goalie is rested and healthy

Number 1 defenseman (Victor Hedman) is rested and playing with a chip on his shoulder

Most prolific scorer is coming back.

I would say that's a good place to be.

I haven't written much about this season's team mostly because of superstitions. Any time I write about a team or player doing well they tend to go careening off the track (a phenomenon that began with a post about Ryan Craig a long, long time ago). I also had the feeling that this team was winning with smoke and mirrors and that sooner or later they will realize that nine of their players on their roster were on the Syracuse Crunch last year, that their starting goaltender was traded twice in little over a year and had never played in more than 22 NHL games in a season, oh and their leading scorer is 38 years old.

I was certain that when I broke down their wins and losses I would find that they were feasting on west cost teams while struggling against their own division. Maybe they had racked up their points against weak competition. So it was kind of surprising to find out that the only division they've struggled against is the relatively easy Metropolitan. Against their fellow Atlantic Division they're a comfortable 13-6-1. Granted, three of those losses are against the Bruins, but if the Bolts play out strongly that wouldn't be a problem until later in the playoffs.

Statistically the team isn't doing any one thing great (except being gritty!). They are 11^th in goals scored per game, 11^th in goals against per game, 23^rd in penalty kill and 19^th in power play. So in the traditional numbers....a pretty average team. The new age stats are a little friendlier as they are 7^th in PDO (1009) and 11^th in Corsi. I don't really, really know what that means, but I'm pretty sure it's good. There are other sites that break that stuff down way better than I can.

So, if the team isn't gang busters in scoring or throwing up brick walls on defense, how are they winning? First and foremost Ben Bishop. He has been sparkling in net for the Lightning, posting a 1.98 SAA and .933 SV% as the number one goalie. He's also managed, on more than one occasion, to bail the team out and flat out steal games that they should have lost.

The team's first win of the season, beating Chicago 3-2 in a shootout, was the first and probably best example. If you remember, and I do because I WAS THERE!, the Lightning went an entire period without a shot. Yet Bishop kept them in the game until they were able to put a little offense together.

In the past few seasons the net-minders haven't been able to cover for the skaters on their off nights. Hence, the rotating cast of characters that have trickled through the crease over the past three years. Bishop has been the MVP for the team so far this season and his health, more so than Stamkos' is the key to the team going far in the playoffs.

Stamkos' injury is another key factor in Tampa Bay's shocking run to the top. I'm not crazy enough to say that I want a 60-goal scorer routinely shelved for almost four months, but his time away from the ice did allow other players, especially Tyler Johnson, time to develop their game on the NHL level.

Going into the season, how the Tampa-cuse players such as Johnson, Radko Gudas, Ondrej Palat and Richard Panik adjusted to the NHL was the biggest question mark for the team. For the fans and for coach Jon Cooper, luckily they all, except for Panik to a degree, answered the call. Johnson is a leading Calder candidate and Gudas has provided solid time on the blue-line. Palat has picked up his game over the last two months and is quietly making a case for the Calder himself. 

Tyler Johnson - He's pretty good at hockey.

When Stamkos comes back, it will be interesting to see how Cooper adjusts the lines. I would think that Johnson is moved to the second line, possibly with Alex Killorn and Teddy Purcell while Stamkos centers Marty St. Louis and Palat. Other players get bumped down the line until one of my favorites, J.T. Brown, finds himself back in Syracuse through no fault of his own.

Speaking of Brown, the line of him, Nate Thompson and Nikita Kucherov are another huge factor in the success of the team. Any line that Nate Thompson has ever been a part of has been great at playing defense, playing in the offensive zone, keeping the other team pinned back. However, they've never really chipped in too many goals. Ever since Kucherov and Brown joined him that is different. They still do a good job of defense, but now they can throw in a goal every once in awhile. Which gives the Lightning basically three lines that can do that.

Of course, no fan base is ever content at the trading deadline. No matter how successful, or how much of a surprise a team is, moves must be made. So, what moves will the Lightning make over the next week or so?

Unfortunately for the masses, I don't think they do anything. After all they are essentially adding a 60-goal scorer at the deadline in Stamkos. And since it cost's them nothing but a roster spot, I will go ahead and declare them the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline Winners!

Other than kick the tires on some defense-men I don't think General Manager Steve Yzerman pulls anything off. The team that is on the ice is pretty much the team he envisioned putting together when he took over the reigns of the organization. A fast-paced, aggressive offense backed by solid (young) goal-tending and a defense that can add scoring while also playing responsibly in their own end.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him make some minor deals to either acquire draft picks or help deepen the organizational talent, but as far as blockbusters....I just don't see it.

Which brings us to the mite-sized elephant in the room. If I had written this two weeks ago like I planned, this part of the post would not have to be written. I would be trying to come up with some ending that actually ties it all together cleverly. Instead, I have to ask the question, “What is the deal with Marty St. Louis?”

Sad Marty is Sad

It started innocently enough. Boomer Esiason tweeted some tweets about the Rangers making a deal and the speculation fire that roared up paired the Rangers and Lightning together in a St. Louis for Ryan Callahan deal. I made some sarcastic tweets about it and then promptly dismissed the talk. In my mind, why would:

A. The Lightning trade their captain and leading scorer in a playoff year?

B. Why would St. Louis waive his no movement clause for a team that isn't a better bet to win the Stanley Cup?

C. Why would the Lightning settle for a return of a player who is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season when they have St. Louis under contract for another season?

Now it seems there is talk from reputable sources (Bob McKenzie) that St. Louis has asked for a trade. That throws a little bit of different shade on the topic. As does the lack of a firm denial from either St. Louis or Mr. Yzerman.

Hey There Tommy!

To quote Tom Cruise in Cocktail, “Jesus, everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end.” It's starting to look like this is going to end badly. Even without the rumors that are running amok, what to do with St. Louis was going to be a story lurking in the background in the near future. He has another year remaining on his contract after this one and it doesn't look like he's ready for retirement anytime soon.

So what were the Lightning going to do in 2015-16? Despite his production he would be 40-years-old so a long term deal would be fool hardy. Especially since Stammergeddon II would be right around the corner. Do they offer him a one-year deal? Let him walk?

Throughout my career I've been all over the map on St. Louis. Way back when I first started writing I was in the “Trade Marty” camp. I always thought Pittsburgh would make a great fit for him. Then over the years I reversed myself as it became more apparent that he was the foundation of the organization.

However, this isn't the first time St. Louis has expressed doubts about his future with the organization. Following the 2009-10 season he openly questioned the direction of the team and his role with it. That was quickly forgotten as then new GM Mr. Yzerman signed him to an extension and the team went off on the great run to the Eastern Conference Finals the next season.

Trading him now would be an interesting move. It would undoubtedly alienate a large portion of the fan base. No matter who or what they got back in the deal it would hurt the team on the ice as well. Mr. Yzerman has proven that he is willing to trade a fan-favorite (see Lecavalier, Vincent) if it helps the team. But, for him to do this to a team that has a good a shot as any to make a deep run in the playoffs? I don't see it.

Now, does he make a trade this summer? That's a totally different story. Moving St. Louis in the off-season, while still not a politically friendly move can be justified (he's old, salary cap, bring value while you can, etc). Trading him now would be handcuffing the team and I don't see Mr. Yzerman doing that.

About the only good news is that it does have the rest of hockey talking about Tampa Bay for a change!

Lightning Card of the Week - And Now...It Begins

Little Known Fact - Marty is the same size as Lord Stanley's Cup

  

2010-11 Certified Champions Martin St. Louis #17 297/500

I really, really like this insert series, I really, really like this card.  It's serial numbered, has a definite theme and the layout is fantastic.  I'm sure it's a happy coincidence, but I really like how the Lightning logo on St. Louis' sweater is centered right on top of the "Certified Champions".  Well done, Panini!

Watching a player, especially one on your favorite team, lift the Cup is really why we put up with all of the nonsense that the NHL puts us through.  It seems such a long, long time ago that the Kings had their victory skate.  Through all of the blustering, meditations, false hopes, gloom and doom we can finally get past the sniping at the podium and back to the sniping from the left face off dot (Stamkos shooots and SCOOOOOOORRREEESSSSS!)

It's been so long that someone asked me the other day what the Lightning gave up for Anders Lindback and my response was, "ummmmm a lot?"  (For the record it was 2 2nd round picks, a 3rd round pick, and the rights to Lightning Legend Sebastien Caron for Lindback, Kyle Wilson and a 7th round pick.) So I'm a bit rusty on my current Tampa Bay Lightning squad, but it will only take a few games for me to get back into the flow, so hopefully I'll piece together some sort of preview by the end of the weekend.

My one NHL protest will probably be buying my next jersey from a Chinese distributor instead of an approved NHL dealer.  That's right, baby - DAMN THE MAN!

Hopefully, the short season lends itself to exciting action on the ice as each team fights for every point available.  The last thing the league needs is a rash of injuries to major stars (I'm looking at you, Sidney).  If they're extremely lucky, one of the offensive studs starts off the season red-hot and garners some interest in a possible 50 goals in 48 games scenario. And hopefully for my fantasy team that offensive stud is Alex Ovechkin.

As for Mr. Saint Louis, I'm thinking he has a bit of a bounce back season as he spends the entire season on Stamkos' line (up-and-comer Cory Conacher seems to be penciled in as Lecavalier's wingman). It's no doubt that his career is winding down, but perhaps, with the extra time off, he can stave off Father Time for one more season.   

Trade Time: Or What I Got in the Mail Yesterday

I was banging around on the internets a few weeks ago and decided to upload some images to Zistle.  I’ve been using their site to track my progress on completing the 2011-12 Score Hockey set (progress is not going well…so many cards still needed) so I figured I’d help them out and with some images. As I was doing that I noticed a gentleman needing some 2009-10 UD Champs.

Justin from Off-Centered is working on completing some of the vintage-esque newer sets like Champs and Allen & Ginter.  I can’t blame him since over the last few years those sets have garnered a lot of positive feedback in the industry.  As I’ve mentioned in the past – Champs has been my go-to set for hand-signed autographs of older and newer players. 

Needing to clear out some space in my hockey box I flipped through my doubles and saw that I had about 16 base cards that he needed.  A message here, a response there, a trip to the post office and we had ourselves a trade.

On Friday I saw a delightful, yellow, padded envelope in my mail slot and it was my return haul for the cards.  With hockey trades I’m trying a new system, since I don’t have a lot of wants outside of the Lightning I’ve given folks the option of just sending me a pack of 2011-12 Score.

The reason for this is two-fold.

1.       It saves me from having to spend money on packs and it isn’t that expensive for others. I think retail is 99 cents for a pack. That way I can chase a set and it won’t cost me too much out of pocket.

2.       I get a chance of actually pulling a Vincent Lecavalier card from a pack.  My inability to pull cards of my favorite player from packs is getting to be annoying. So I figured if someone else bought the packs I could fool the card gods into getting a card I wanted.  Would it work?

First off – some of the extras that Justin threw in.  As one of the few Lightning collectors out here I think people just feel obliged to throw in their extra Lightning cards – I ain’t got a problem with that.

Hey Steve…how ya doin’ in Colorado?  Pretty good, eh?  Just wanted to say I miss you. 

Was that creepy? It felt a little creepy….

My Marty, that’s an awful big trophy you got there. I mean look at it, it looks like it’s almost half of his size.  One thing I like about Pinnacle is that they use non-traditional photos to break up the set a bit. There are only so many ways to take photos of guys skating down the ice so it’s nice to see something different every once in a while.

Now onto the packs.

 Each pack had a Hot Rookie in it so I feel like I beat the odds a bit on that.

Bobby Luongo looking like he’s not in a happy place. I wonder if he’ll be looking for a new address this summer.

And finally – could it be? Is it? My God, that’s VINNY LECAVALIER’S MUSIC!!!!!!

Yup, so my theory has been proven sound.  The only way I will ever pull a Vinny out of a pack is to have someone else buy it for me.

Thanks, for the cards Justin and good luck in finishing your set!

Nothing to See Here - Just Some Pros Playing Table Tennis

Nice crowd - wonder who's taking side bets - photo from evan longoria's twitter feed

I think the boys are onto something. A celebrity Ping-Pong league. Just tour the country challenging other professional athletes in their respective cities.  It's gold, Jerry, GOLD!

I do enjoy how Longoria looks exactly like he does at third base when a pitch is thrown. Meanwhile, Martin St. Louis has the hand out for balance and looks like he's gonna snap that one by him on glove/paddle side.

Top Five Lightning Rookie Cards to Own

As the internet’s resident Tampa Bay Lightning card collecting blogger I must say this post is long overdue.  As the Lightning bandwagon grows (it’s actually more of a mini-van at this point) folks out there are going to want to know what cards they need for their collection. Well I’m here to drop the cardboard knowledge on you!

Coming up five names for this list was fairly easy.  That’s what happens when you follow a team that has been in existence less than 20 years.  I didn’t have to go back 40 years and figure which long-dead greats should make the list.  Nor did I have to debate which Hall of Famer should I leave off.  For the record on two members of the Hall of Fame have donned the black, silver and blue – Dino Ciccarelli (111 games) and Denis Savard (105 games). Spoiler alert – neither made the list.

I debated a couple of names from the pre-Cup teams, names like Selivanov, Puppa and Zamuner. In the end, I thought I’d stick with players whose rookie cards showed them in Lightning uniforms (with one exception). If I’d extended the list to 10, at least one of those names would have definitely made the list (but so would Nikita Alexeev – hey my list, my rules!).

One benefit of being a Lightning collector - low prices.  There isn't much demand for the cards below so they're pretty easy to pick up (with one glaring exception). 

With no further adieu – I present the Top Five Rookie Cards Lightning Fans Should Own

5. Brett Connolly 2011-12 Upper Deck - $4.25-$6.99

The new kid on the block has had an up and down rookie year.  His cards have slid back down a bit after starting off hot (around $10) when the Upper Deck series was first release.  His performance at the World Juniors provided another bump, but lately the prices have been coming back down (getting benched does that). 

Connolly could very well be the first of the new crop of Lightning stars to emerge in the NHL.  If things work out as management hopes, names like Carter Ashton, Dustin Tokarski, Cory Conacher and Tyler Johnson could be gracing this list pretty soon.

4. Brad Richards 1997-98 Upper Deck - $1.25- $5.00

Yes he’s a Ranger now (a dastardly Ranger who scores overtime goals against his former team), but he still has a loyal following in the Tampa Bay area.  Moving to the bright lights of the big city hasn’t affected his cards that much so they’re still relatively easy to obtain. 

Upper Deck was able to sneak a bunch of young players into their main set before they were drafted by creating a subset called “Program of Excellence” and showing them in dramatic staring-off-in-the-distance poses or in their Team Canada gear.  A very young Vincent Lecavalier is featured in this set as well.  Is that card on the list?  Only The Shadow knows.

3. Martin St Louis 1998-1999 Upper Deck Rookie - $.99 - $2.99

There are so many weird things about this card - the Calgary uniform, the number 46, the fact he isn’t scoring a goal. Marty’s entry into the NHL wasn’t exactly accompanied by fanfare. As a non-drafted, college player who toiled in the AHL for three seasons he didn’t get all of the bells and whistles that card companies lavish on top prospects.  So his Upper Deck rookie was just a common card released in the era of over produced sets.  Since there are a lot of these cards out there the prices remain low.

When he eventually retires I’m sure there will be some talk about the Hall of Fame for St. Louis.  He should have over 350 goals and close to 1000 points. I hope it’s enough for him to be enshrined, but you never know with these things.  If he is inducted it will be interesting to see if his cards get a bump in value.

2. Vincent Lecavalier 1997-98 Upper Deck Black Diamond - $1.29-$4.99

It’s almost criminal that Enzo’s cards go for so low on eBay.  There are some parallel versions (Triple Diamond) that trade for around $20 or so, but those don’t pop up that often and we don’t consider parallels as true rookie cards here at the Hopeful Chase headquarters (except for the number one card on the list).

I think the relative affordability of Lecavalier’s cards is reflective of being a star in a non-hockey market. To the hockey world outside of “Hockey Paradise” his declining numbers and escalating salary have hit him with the dreaded overrated label and that affects his collectability.  That being said, if had been traded to Montreal the value of his cards would have escalated no matter what his performance would have been.

I’m not even going to offer you a cheaper alternative.  If you can’t spare $1.50 – get off of eBay right now. 

1 .Steven Stamkos 2008-09 Upper Deck The Cup Patch Auto - $1700-1800

This is going to be the first card I go out and purchase once I hit the Powerball.  For those not familiar with “The Cup”, it’s pretty much a product geared toward the 1%.  Four card “boxes” can sell for more than $400 online and even the base cards normally hit the secondary market for more money than I care to spend.

Stamkos’ card is the card to have out of the 2008-09 set. It started off high and never wavered.  As he continues his march to being the most elite goal scorer in the NHL I don’t see it tapering off any time soon.

There are less expensive rookie cards out there to bring into your collection.  His 2008-09 Upper Deck Young Guns goes for about $50 on eBay these days.  As I’ve mentioned before, the Young Guns rookies are pretty good cornerstones for player collections.  If that’s still a little too rich for your blood his 2008-09 Upper Deck MVP card can generally be had for less than $5.  

The 2011 Hopeful Chase Card of the Year

Well, the calender has flipped on 2011 and it's time to move on to 2012.  Last year I changed up my collecting philosophy.  I limited the packs I bought, almost eliminated boxes totally (I think I only bought one all year) and focused on player collecting, trading and set completing.  I believe I was pretty successful in following those tenants.

The oncoming new year will be much of the same. I am going to allow myself to chase two sets - the 2011-12 Score Hockey (with inserts) and the 2012 Topps Heritage Baseball.  For the first time since returning to collecting I have no plans to buy any Topps base whatsoever.  It's not that I don't like the design because I kind of do, it's just that I like Heritage better.

Even if I don't have any current baseball guys that I collect I don't plan on adding any other players to the personal collection which currently stands at:

1. Vincent Lecavalier
2. Eddie Murray
3. Dustin Tokarski
4. Floyd Rayford
5. Peter Bondra
6. Brett Connolly


Now on to the meat of the post.  My favorite card of the year.  This is a semi-annual tradition that I hope to keep going from here on out.  The criteria is simple - what is the favorite card I picked up in the calender year 2011.  It can be from any year, it just has to be added to the collection this year. 

This year was a pretty close race.  Thanks to e-Bay, card shows and the generosity of fellow bloggers I picked up a lot of cool cards. However, one stood out.  For all of the money I spent on acquisitions this year, this card only cost me 10 cents.

image totally jacked from eBay

It's a 2010-11 Upper Deck Base Martin St. Louis base card. 

Such a simple card, but totally awesome none-the-less. St. Louis is celebrating one of the 29 goals that he scored in 2009-10.  The card is framed perfectly with his raised arms bringing the focus to the center of the card and a look of accomplishment on his face.  (Congrats by the way to St. Louis on picking up career assist 500 on Saturday night).

When this photo was taken the Lightning were in the midst of a disastrous season.  Depending on which home game it was, chances are those who shall not be named were still in charge of the team, trade rumors were swirling and St. Louis was contemplating his future of the club.

Scoring a goal must have been some sort of relief in a tumultuous season.  When it ended, St. Louis openly questioned whether he wanted to come back or not.  Luckily for Lightning fans the new ownership group assured him that they were dedicated to being competitive and locked him up to a four year extension.  An extension that hopefully allows him to finish his career in the blue and white of the Lightning. 

Awesome card of an awesome player.

The Reason Marty St. Louis Can Return From a Broken Face

Certifiably Awesome

I was going to write something about the Lightning and their road woes so far this season, but decided to adhere to the “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” adage.  I’m not sure what their fundamental flaw on the road is, but I trust in Coach Boucher to figure it out and right the ship.

Instead let us delve into the card collection and pull out a random favorite. 

It’s a Martin St. Louis Certified Champions card from last year’s Panini Certified set.  I know I picked this up at the National, but I can’t remember if I bought it or if it came from Sal or Tim.  The memory really does go when you grow old.  For a card that doesn’t have my boy Vincent on it, it still hits pretty high on the “I like it scale”.

First of all it is shiny.  Shiny like a mid 90s insert.  It’s numbered, in this case 297/500.  I was trying to find some significance for the number 297 in Mr. St. Louis’ career stats.  Honestly, I can’t find one.  So you’ll have to go with the fact that he scored his 297^th goal on March 31^st, 2011. It was his 30^th of the season and the game winner against Pittsburgh that night.  With 298 goals for the Lightning he is second all time behind Vincent’s 357.

The card reflects the greatest moment in Lightning history, the winning of the 2004 Stanley Cup.  An event so shocking that the league had to shut down for an entire year because of it.  Marty is definitely enjoying his first skate with the cut, and I think hockey fans all around enjoyed the playoff beard he was rocking.

While St. Louis didn’t figure in the scoring of Game 7, they wouldn’t have been around to play the game if it wasn’t for his heroics in Game 6.  Thirty-three seconds into the second overtime in Calgary this happened:

The goal sent Lightning fans into hysterics, however, Calgary fans probably recall that game for an entirely different reason – Martin Gelinas’ non-goal in the third period that would have brought the Cup to Calgary.  Unfortunately, my Lightning-colored glasses will never allow me to have an objective opinion on if it was a goal or not, but for what it’s worth, I didn’t think it went in.

Panini’s insert set that this card is a part of features 25 players holding the cup.  Four of those cards are dedicated to the Lightning.  Along with Mr. St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Dan Boyle are represented, as is goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.  If I had been consulted I would have substituted Dave Andreychuk for Boyle.  Sure Boyle’shouse burned down during the playoffs, but the Captain was such an important part of that team it would have been nice to see him immortalized with the cup in card form.  For now he’ll have to settle with being a background figure in Marty’s shot.

Being Panini there are about 8 parallels to this card, some with jersey relics and some with autographs.  The “black” version is the rarest of the rare as it is a 1/1.  If you happen to have that laying about, feel free to send it my way.  I have plenty of neo-vintage* cards that I can send you in return.


*neo-vintage is a term coined by Puck Junk's Sal in order to give "junk wax" a slightly sexier name.