Rookie Redeemed

Before the end times I had received an interesting card from P-Town Tom.

It was a rookie redemption card from 2019-20 Upper Deck NHL Artifacts, I pulled it out of a pack of said product that PTT sent me last year. These are normal rookie cards but take a while to actually get physically made because Upper Deck isn't allowed to make cards of players in the NHL unless they're actually in NHL uniforms (or an agreement similar to something of that nature unless it's for something else that's been agreed upon after licensing approval). I redeemed the code back in 2019 but proceeded to forget about it until it popped into my mailbox last week.

It's as normal as a card numbered to 999 copies can be.

The redemption was for a Dallas Stars rookie and it ended up being a center prospect named Rhett Gardner. A name that immediately makes me think of New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner.

Rhett Gardner hails from Saskatchewan, Canada (so I don't think he's related to Brett) and after a few seasons in junior hockey he eventually went to the University of North Dakota and was eventually drafted by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Player Draft. He spent four years at North Dakota before going pro. Since then he's spent most of his time in the AHL with the Texas Stars but he's managed to get a few cups of coffee in the NHL with Dallas.

According to SBNation's Mark Zimmerman, Gardner's a center who doesn't score goals a ton, but he appears to be a highly capable forward who can make things happen for his teammates and he's pretty good at 1-on-1 faceoffs. He's also pretty good defensively thanks to his ability to possess the puck, which is crucial in hockey since it's like commanding the zone for pitchers. The likeliness of him never being an elite scorer will probably mean that he's doomed to be a fourth line center who's yo-yo'd up and down the NHL and AHL, but if he can continue to hone in on everything else, he might be a shrewd pickup for the Stars for a fourth round pick.

So yeah, interesting card. It's the first time I've had Upper Deck send me something and at least now I can say that I've redeemed a rookie. Thanks Tom!

As always thanks for stopping by. Please remember to wash your hands, wear a mask when outside your house, maintain a safe distance from others in public, stay informed with the latest COVID-19 updates provided by the CDC and other appropriate authorities.
Take care.