Friday, March 25, 2016

Ben Maxwell Autographed Card

Since leaving North America in 2013-14, Ben Maxwell has split his time between the Finnish League's Oulun Kärpät and the KHL's Khanty-Mansyisk Ugra and HC Sochi.

While he helped Oulun to consecutive Finnish championships in 2013-14 and 2014-15, his regular-season production dipped, so he tried his hand at the KHL for more of the same; he posted 32 points in 52 games with Sochi this year and was blanked in three playoff games.

And though he may never become the offensive threat he once was projected to be as a second-round pick (49th overall in 2006), he plays a physical game and still has enough flair to make a decent third-line center, theoretically.

He's still just 27 years old and hasn't had all the opportunities that a guy like Lars Eller had; I think Maxwell could do well in the Swedish or Swiss leagues as well.

He was the first player to wear #80 for the Montréal Canadiens, which means he fits right in on my Habs Numbers Project with card #346 from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Power Play set:
He signed it in blue sharpie in 2012-13, while he was suiting up with the St. John's IceCaps while in the Winnipeg Jets organization.

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