2012-13 Panini Limited Box Break #4

Along with the box of Fleer Retro and the packs of Rookie Anthology and SP Authentic, I also grabbed me up a couple boxes of 2012-13 Panini Limited. Each box of Limited contains three hits and four non-hits, but every card, hit or not, is serial numbered.

Here's a card-by-card breakdown of this box that I have ranked from least to best, or at least how I see it.

7. Jordan Eberle base card 35/299
My lone base card from this pack is of Edmonton Oilers right winger Jordan Eberle. The 2008 first-round draft pick may not be one of the Oilers' three consecutive first overall selections, but he has become one of the team's biggest contributors and best players, scoring 16 goals and 21 assists in 48 games.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Redemption
Due to the lockout, the NHLPA is not allowing companies to print official rookie cards of players debuting in the 2012-13 season until their 2013-14 releases. To get around that, Panini printed rookie redemption cards, which will be redeemed for rookie cards of those players once they are able to be released. This one is for the Maple Leafs, and I'm not sure who is the likely candidate for this card. I redeemed it, so I guess I'll just have to wait a couple months and see who shows up at my door.

5. Scott Clemmensen Gold Parallel 13/25
With only 150 base cards in the set, I'm not sure how the backup goaltender for the Florida Panthers gets a card, but either way, here he is. Clemmensen played in 19 games (11 started) during the 2012-13 season, ending with a 3-7 win/loss record, a 3.67 GAA, and a .874 save percentage.

4. Steve Yzerman Limited Duels 13/99
This card of the legendary Red Wings' captain is a die-cut puzzle piece with the lightning bolt on the left hand side cut like a puzzle piece to match up with a corresponding card of Joe Sakic. Most cards from Limited feature a thicker card stock, but this one is a bit slimmer, as it is done on an acetate material, with the photo and foil printed on the clear surface.

3. Kari Lehtonen Jumbo Jersey 79/99
One funny thing I have noticed is that I have been pulling more jumbo jersey cards than I have been pulling regular jersey cards. I think the ratio after 5 boxes (including patches) is 3-2, which isn't a huge margin, but still. Anyway, this one features Kari Lehtonen, goaltender for the Dallas Stars, my former "home" team. Lehtonen played in the majority of the team's games during the 2012-13 season, finishing with a 15-14 record in 36 games.

2. Casey Cizikas Phenoms Gold /25
Not counting the rookie redemptions, which are kind of a different thing, three out of the five boxes of Limited I have opened have contained autograph redemptions. Now, I'm not as critical with redemptions as some are, especially with Panini due to their great customer service/redemption replacement department, but it's something worth noting. Anyway, this redemption is good for a gold parallel of the Phenoms auto of New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas. Most Phenoms cards are autographed on a piece of white fapbric nest to a patch of their team's logo. The parallels, however, have a different patch. According to one already listed on Ebay, this one will have a patch of the logo from the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from Montreal, where Cizikas was selected by the Islanders in the fourth round.

1. Dan Girardi Jumbo Patch 6/10
This is a GREAT looking patch card from the New York Rangers' defenseman.  I'm not sure, though, if this patch comes from the jersey number, name plate, or from the lettering on the front of the jersey, but either way, I have an awesome looking, three-colored, jumbo patch card. After going undrafted, Girardi signed with the Rangers and has been climbing up the ladder, and twice has gained "interim alternate captain" status when Marc Staal gets injured. I suppose when Staal eventually heads to Carolina (you know that's going to happen) Girardi will get that "A" permanently affixed to his sweater.

That's it for this one. I still have one more to do, and just as a teaser for box #5, if you think that the Girardi is a cool looking patch card, you ain't seen nothin' yet.