Advertorial: The 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 1 cards are here, and this year's edition features some exciting firsts, including in the popular Young Guns cards. Here are some NHL players to look out for.
2023-24 UPPER DECK SERIES 1 cards are here, and this year's edition features some exciting firsts.
The popular Young Guns cards, for example, spotlight some of the most promising prospects in the game, and this year, and for the first time ever, there are special Outburst Gold 1-of-1 Young Guns cards. You can find boxes of Upper Deck Series 1 at your local hobby shop, or get it today from UpperDeckStore.com. Here are some of the Young Guns to look out for:
Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
If you had watched Knies in his draft year with USHL Tri-City, you wouldn’t have seen his best until the second half. That’s when the burgeoning power forward really got on track and used his physical gifts to make a statement, helping the Leafs decide he was their guy at the 2021 draft when they selected the left winger 57th overall.
“I remember that year being very up and down, almost a roller coaster,” Knies said. “I had COVID a few times so I was bouncing in and out... so the second half was when I was able to find consistency and be that North-South player. I was more comfortable, got more confidence and that scoring touch came back. I was really fortunate to end the season on a good note, but that was a pretty wild season. I was happy to go through those ups and downs, learn from those mistakes and break the immature habits I had as a young player. It was nice to learn that before college where it’s a lot more difficult.”
After just two seasons at the University of Minnesota, Knies made his NHL debut at the end of last year before making an impressive splash in the playoffs with the Leafs. Now a full-timer in Toronto, Knies isn’t worried about the glaring spotlight that hovers over the franchise, especially after seeing it first-hand in the playoffs.
“The guys always say this: The pressure is a privilege here,” Knies said. “There is a lot of noise outside the room that you have to tune out, but it was easier for me being a young player who was focusing on playing hockey and staying in the lineup.”
After scoring his first two regular-season NHL goals early on this season, Knies is already showing the upside he demonstrated on his way up to the big league. And if he continues that trajectory, the Leafs will have a major force on their hands.
Devon Levi, G, Buffalo Sabres
If you're a smaller goaltender with NHL dreams, you better have excellent athleticism. Levi, who comes in at six-feet tall, definitely has that great movement to his game, along with great hockey sense.
In a crucial season for the Sabres, Buffalo has staked a lot on the 21-year-old netminder, who made his NHL debut at the end of last season and won five of his seven appearances. So even though the Sabres missed the playoffs again, there was reason for optimism.
Levi has already made a career of beating expectations. Despite his smaller frame, he was a superstar in Jr. A, earning nation-wide Player of the Year and Top Goalie honors while playing for the Carleton Place Canadians in the Ottawa area. One year later, he earned Best Goaltender honors at the World Junior Championship while going 6-1 with a stingy 0.75 goals-against average and .964 save percentage for Canada, helping his squad clinch a silver medal in the process. Oh, and in three of those games, he pitched a shutout.
At Northeastern University in Boston, Levi was just as strong, winning the NCAA’s Mike Richter Award as top goalie twice. With Buffalo trying to make the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, the Sabres will need a goaltender to step up and Levi is the most obvious candidate. He started the first four games of the season for the team and faced one of the heaviest shot totals in the entire NHL. While he may be one of the newest netminders in The Show, Levi has proved time and again that you can’t count him out because of his size; this is a kid who just finds a way to win.
Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey Devils
As the third of three hockey-playing brothers, Hughes has a lot to live up to - especially since eldest bro Quinn is the captain of the Vancouver Canucks and middle bro Jack went first overall to the Devils at the 2019 NHL draft. But Luke, who joined Jack in New Jersey when the franchise selected him fourth overall two years later, has his own elite skill set, and he’s already given Devils fans a taste of it.
Like his brothers, Luke is an elite skater - but the defenseman is also the biggest of the three, coming in at 6-foot-2. Another NTDP product, Hughes then went on to the University of Michigan, where he was a star for the Wolverines in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He was also a standout for Team USA at the World Junior Championship, where he was named one of the team’s top three players in two straight tournaments.
After getting a taste of NHL hockey at the end of last season, Hughes is looking to be a full-timer now. A great early sign actually came in the summer, when New Jersey chose not to bring Hughes to the Buffalo Sabres Prospect Challenge - which obviously is seen as a tournament for players still in development. Instead, Hughes went right to main camp and staked out a roster spot for himself, averaging more than 19 minutes per game in the first few games of the NHL season. With his puck-moving abilities and offensive upside, Hughes looks like a highly-skilled weapon just starting his career. And given how good the Devils are already, that’s a scary thought for opponents.
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild
As his first full NHL season got into gear, Faber was already receiving praise from Wild coach Dean Evason, who said the rookie defenseman had been one of the team’s best players on most nights. But given the development Faber has gone through already, perhaps that’s not surprising. After all, the Minnesota native spent two years at USA Hockey’s vaunted National Team Development Program, where he learned how to become an effective blueliner.
“Playing at the NTDP helped me take a huge step defensively,” Faber said. “I was actually a forward growing up, but I went there and really learned how to play defense thanks to the coaches and the program they have set up. It’s something I’ve always taken pride in.”
Faber also made sure to take notes when he was watching his favorite NHLer at the time.
“When I was at the NTDP, I would watch Charlie McAvoy all the time,” he said. “I really try to model my game after him and I think he’s such a phenomenal player. We have similar builds and skill sets and I really want to play like him some day. Now with the Wild I get to watch Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon every day. I’ve learned a ton off the ice, how they carry themselves and how important nutrition and sleep are.”
Faber has already packed quite a bit into his career, even though it’s just beginning. While playing for the University of Minnesota, he was selected to play for Team USA at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing - an unforgettable experience, in his opinion. He also helped the Golden Gophers get to the Frozen Four championship game last season, though the team lost to Quinnipiac in overtime. Originally drafted by Los Angeles, Faber was dealt to Minnesota in the Kevin Fiala trade. And while he loved how much support he got when he was a part of the Kings organization, he’s over the moon to be back in his home state.
“Being traded to my hometown team is something I’m so grateful for,” he said. “I grew up watching the Wild and going to their games all the time.”
2023-24 UPPER DECK SERIES 1 cards are here, and this year's edition features some exciting firsts. The popular Young Guns cards, for example, spotlight some of the most promising prospects in the game, and this year, and for the first time ever, there are special Outburst Gold 1-of-1 Young Guns cards. You can find boxes of Upper Deck Series 1 at your local hobby shop, or get it today from UpperDeckStore.com.