Rhett Gardner

March 2019 – The Dallas Stars have signed 2016 fourth-round pick Rhett Gardner to a two-year entry level contract. Gardner is coming off his fourth and final season at the University of North Dakota. In his final season, Gardner had eight goals and 15 points in 37 games. He is a large forward who plays a strong 200-foot game. Although this season featured his lowest point totals at UND, Gardner’s defensive game improved tenfold. UND relied on him to play a strong defensive game, which is the role he can expect to play with the Stars. Although he is unlikely to produce much offensively, he plays a great two-way game and is strong on faceoffs. He will join Texas on an Amateur Tryout for the remainder of the season. However next season, watch out for Gardner on the Stars NHL roster as he is close to being ready to play in a bottom-six role. Brandon Floyd

February 2019 – Gardner currently has less than stellar numbers for North Dakota in the NCAA. While playing a great 200-foot game in a shutdown role, he has been unable to insert his name onto the scoresheet very often. His game can be useful for the Stars, but it will not be as useful for any fantasy owners. I would advise keeping this name off of the radar in your keeper leagues. Nate Duffett