The Short Answer
- Connor Bedard is the consensus top NHL card target — his 2023-24 Upper Deck Young Guns is the most important hockey rookie card since Auston Matthews.
- Matvei Michkov entered the NHL in 2024-25 with immediate elite-level production; his Young Guns is still early-stage collectible.
- Hockey cards benefit from scarcity — Young Guns SP variants have very low production runs vs. Panini/Topps sports.
- Grading hockey cards requires attention to holo foil scratching on Young Guns; pre-grade before submitting.
- The arrival of Topps Chrome NHL via Fanatics licensing adds a new tier of collectible rookies from 2026-27 onwards.
#1 Connor Bedard — Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard is the generational talent the NHL has been waiting for since McDavid. The 2023 #1 overall pick played his entire first season under an injury cloud yet still put up 61 points in 68 games — the most points by an 18-year-old since Wayne Gretzky. His trajectory heading into 2025-26 is the most watched storyline in hockey.
Best Cards to Target
- 2023-24 Upper Deck Young Guns RC (#201) — The flagship rookie card. PSA 10 pop is still manageable. Raw copies grade out at PSA 10 roughly 35-40% of the time due to holo foil issues. PSA 10 trades at $600-$900 and is the hockey equivalent of a Topps Chrome RC.
- 2023-24 Upper Deck Young Guns Exclusives — Numbered /100. PSA 10 examples have sold for $4,000+. One of the most coveted short prints in modern hockey.
- 2023-24 Upper Deck Canvas Young Guns — The Canvas parallel lacks holo foil, making it easier to grade. PSA 10 is attainable and trades at $120-$180.
- 2023-24 Upper Deck Credentials Future Stars — Auto RC numbered /299. One of the cleanest certified autograph rookies. PSA 10 Auto has sold for $2,500+.
#2 Matvei Michkov — Philadelphia Flyers
Matvei Michkov is the most technically skilled offensive player to enter the NHL since Nikita Kucherov. His edgework, deceptive skating, and elite shot mechanics were evident in his KHL years and translated immediately in Philadelphia. In his 2024-25 rookie season, Michkov posted 62 points in 74 games — extraordinary for a player still acclimating to North American ice.
Best Cards to Target
- 2024-25 Upper Deck Young Guns RC (#249) — The key rookie card. PSA 10 is trading at $350-$500 — significantly cheaper than Bedard, creating a value entry point for a comparable talent level.
- 2024-25 Upper Deck High Gloss Young Guns — The most visually premium Young Guns variant, numbered /10. Extremely scarce. Any PSA graded example commands $5,000+.
- 2024-25 Upper Deck SPx Rookie Auto /399 — Clean, on-card auto. PSA 10 Auto under $400 is undervalued relative to Michkov's production.
#3 Adam Fantilli — Columbus Blue Jackets
Adam Fantilli was the #2 overall pick in 2023 behind Bedard and had his first season disrupted by injuries — a classic buy-the-dip scenario. His raw talent (Calder Trophy-level upside) combined with underperformed expectations creates one of the best value plays in the rookie card market heading into 2025-26.
Best Cards to Target
- 2023-24 Upper Deck Young Guns RC — PSA 10 currently at $180-$220. If Fantilli posts 70+ points in a healthy season, this card is worth $500+. Outstanding risk/reward entry.
- 2023-24 Upper Deck Extended Young Guns — The Series 2 / Extended version is often overlooked, trading at a 40% discount to the Series 1. Same card tier, undervalued by the market.
Why Fantilli at #3? Columbus is building a legitimate contender around Fantilli and Boone Jenner. A first playoff appearance by 2027 with Fantilli as the centerpiece would reprice his cards dramatically. Current prices reflect injury-discounted pessimism rather than full-health projections.
#4 David Reinbacher — Montreal Canadiens
David Reinbacher is the most collectible defensive prospect in a decade. As the #5 overall pick in 2023 and the highest-drafted Swiss player in NHL history, Reinbacher carries both rarity value (first cards of Swiss stars are extremely limited from a collector base perspective) and genuine upside — the Canadiens are rebuilding with the explicit intention of making him a franchise cornerstone alongside Juraj Slafkovsky.
Best Cards to Target
- 2024-25 Upper Deck Young Guns RC — First NHL Young Guns. PSA 10 at $80-$120. Defensemen cards typically lag, making this a long-runway hold.
- 2023-24 Upper Deck CHL (OHL) Rookie Cards — Pre-NHL prospect cards from his draft year. Low print runs, very limited PSA population, collector arbitrage opportunity.
#5 Ivan Demidov — Montreal Canadiens
Ivan Demidov was the #5 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and generated enormous buzz in Montréal — the combination of elite Russian skill and the historic Canadiens market creates outsized card demand. Demidov posted elite KHL numbers before his NHL entry and projects as a 40-goal scorer at his peak.
Best Cards to Target
- 2024-25 Upper Deck Young Guns RC — His first officially licensed NHL rookie card. PSA 10 still in early price discovery at $200-$320. The Montreal collector base amplifies demand significantly.
- 2024-25 Upper Deck AHL / Laval Prospects Cards — If he spends time developing in the AHL, prospect cards become historically significant. Very low production run.
Grading NHL Cards: What You Need to Know
Hockey cards have unique grading challenges compared to other sports:
- Young Guns foil scratching — The holographic foil on YG cards scratches during pack collation. Inspect under raking light before submitting. Cards with visible foil scratches will grade PSA 8 or lower regardless of corner/edge condition.
- Print lines — Upper Deck Young Guns are prone to horizontal print lines across the holo surface. These are manufacturer defects that PSA still grades down for.
- Canvas variants are safer bets — The non-foil Canvas YG parallel has a much higher PSA 10 hit rate and is undervalued relative to the base YG.
- Pack fresh ≠ gem mint — More than any other sport, hockey pack-fresh cards frequently grade PSA 8-9. Always pre-grade with AI tools before paying $79.99+ PSA fees.
Use AI pre-grading at $0.19/card to screen your NHL submissions before committing to PSA fees. At current prices, pre-grading a 10-card hockey lot costs $1.90 vs. $799 in potential PSA fees.
2026 NHL Card Market Outlook
The NHL card market in 2026 is at an inflection point:
- Topps Chrome NHL incoming — Fanatics' exclusive NHL licensing deal means Topps Chrome hockey will debut in 2026-27. This will be the most significant new product in hockey hobby history and will create a second flagship RC tier alongside Upper Deck Young Guns.
- Bedard Year 3 = peak collectibility window — Year 3 is historically when hockey players hit their first All-Star appearance, triggering the largest single price jump in a player's card lifecycle. Accumulate Bedard cards now.
- Montreal market amplification — Canadiens prospects (Reinbacher, Demidov, Slafkovsky) are seeing demand premium from the largest hockey market in North America. The CH logo adds 20-30% to comparable players on other teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most valuable Connor Bedard rookie card?
The 2023-24 Upper Deck Young Guns Exclusives /100 is the most valuable Bedard rookie at PSA 10, selling for $4,000+. For collectors on a budget, the base Young Guns PSA 10 at $600-$900 is the most liquid and tradeable option.
Are Young Guns hard to grade PSA 10?
Yes. The holographic foil on Young Guns cards is susceptible to print lines and surface scratches during pack collation. The average PSA 10 hit rate on raw YG cards is 28-35%. Always pre-grade before submitting.
Is Matvei Michkov worth collecting?
At current prices (YG PSA 10 at $350-$500), Michkov represents exceptional value relative to his talent level. If he develops into a consistent 80-point scorer — which his skills suggest he can — his cards are severely underpriced today.
What happens to NHL cards when Topps Chrome launches?
Topps Chrome NHL (expected 2026-27) will create a second RC tier alongside Upper Deck Young Guns. Young Guns will remain the "official" RC designation, but Chrome parallels may command higher premiums for star players due to collector familiarity with the Chrome format from basketball and baseball.
Should I grade hockey cards at PSA or SGC?
PSA commands a premium for hockey cards due to market dominance. SGC offers faster turnaround and lower fees during the PSA Value pause. For Bedard and Michkov, use PSA — the PSA label adds 15-25% to sale price for top hockey cards.
Sources & Further Reading
- Upper Deck 2023-24 Series 1 Hockey Product Info
- PSA Population Report - Connor Bedard
- Hockey Reference - Connor Bedard Stats
With submission floors rising, pre-screening is no longer optional. Use our AI Pre-Grade Calculator to score a card's PSA 10 odds before you pay, and the Submission Planner to pick the right tier.