Hobby Musings: Upper Deck’s Riley King, NHL Draft – Interview
Hobby Musings: Upper Deck’s Riley King, NHL Draft – Interview Transcript
Editor’s note: Some text has been changed from original audio for grammar and clarity.
KS: All right. NHL draft is in the books. From a card standpoint, Which player do you think ended up in the best position?
RK: I would say Macklin Celebrini obviously, San Jose needs scoring desperately. His dad obviously works for the Golden State Warriors, so he’s familiar with the Bay Area. He’s been around professional athletes his whole life, so it’s a good start. Plus, he’ll be playing for a team in San Jose. And like I said, is desperate. looking for scoring… number one overall pick? He’ll definitely have a good shot to get on the ice early.
KS: So when can we expect to see these guys in their NHL uniforms on Upper Deck cards?
RK: Can’t give you that kind of information, obviously. But look for him in the ‘24-’25 products later in, fall and early in spring.
KS: So, we’re obviously coming off of Connor Bernard’s rookie season, one of the most hyped prospects in a while. What does Upper Deck have planned for him coming up in his sophomore releases?
RK: There’ll be some cool products with Connor Bedard in there. He’s in a lot of great, hard chase to find products, preferably like Allure, Allure has 16-bit cards. Also, you can find him in things like Ultimate Collection Premiere, stuff like that coming up. But yeah, look for Connor Bedard in some great products.
KS: Circling back to this year’s rookie class. Who’s kind of an under the radar guy you think collectors should be keeping an eye on?
RK: I would go Zeev Buium. He went 12th overall, I believe. Or he must have slid little bit to Minnesota. They moved up to get him. So, they really like him. And he’s a smaller defenseman, but he’s a really good puck moving defenseman. And I think he’ll make headway alongside Brock Faber in the future obviously.
Hobby Musings: Upper Deck’s Riley King, NHL Draft
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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