Stars Re-Sign Ryan Garbutt and Luke Gazdic; Sign Ludwig Bystrom to ELC

[chilly666]

Frisco, TX – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has signed forward Ryan Garbutt to a two-year contract, forward Luke Gazdic to a one-year, two-way deal and defenseman Ludwig Bystrom to a three-year entry-level contract.

Garbutt, 26, played 20 games for the Dallas Stars last season, posting three points (2 goals, 1 assist) and 22 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward started the 2011-12 campaign with Dallas’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, where in 50 games, he posted 16 goals (fifth-most on the club) and 17 assists for 33 points (seventh on the team).

Prior to his professional hockey career, Garbutt spent four years with Brown University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. He also played for Brown’s hockey club, where he posted 29 goals, 29 assists for 58 points in 116 games. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba was undrafted and was acquired by the Stars as a free agent on July 1, 2011.

Gazdic, 22, led the Texas Stars with 102 penalty minutes last season, and earned 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 76 games. Dallas’ sixth-round selection (172nd overall) in the 2007 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-3, 228-pound forward has played his entire professional hockey career in Dallas’ development system.

Since 2008-09, Gazdic, a native of Toronto, has scored a total of 23 goals, 21 assists and 44 points in 197 games for the Texas Stars. He has also played six games with the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, where he posted two goals and one assists for three points.

Bystrom, 17, played in three different levels of hockey for MODO in the Swedish Junior League last season – posting an assist and eight penalty minutes in 20 Elite League games; 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists) and 101 PIM in 34 games at the junior level; and scoring a goal in one appearance at the Under-18 level. He added four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in eight junior league playoff games.

Bystrom was part of the Swedish team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Under-18 World Junior Championships, where he earned an assist in six games. He was ranked as the No. 8 European Skater by NHL Central Scouting prior to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, where he was selected by Dallas in the second-round (43rd overall). The 6-foot-0, 208-pound defenseman is a native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.

[chilly666]

Stars have agreed to deals for Ryan Garbutt (two years, $575,000), Luke Gazdic (one-year, two-way) and Ludwig Bystrom (three-year, ELC).

via Mike Heika

[straka91]

Garbutt is good for a scrap or 2. Hope Gazdic gets a shot, Stars lost a lot of their meat with Burish, Dowell, and Souray jumping ship. Nystrom is the sole "fighter" for the stars.

[ThrowdownSJ408]

Originally Posted by straka91

Garbutt is good for a scrap or 2. Hope Gazdic gets a shot, Stars lost a lot of their meat with Burish, Dowell, and Souray jumping ship. Nystrom is the sole "fighter" for the stars.

holy crap stars got really soft. and barch leaving mid year. you forgot Ott, he isnt a bad fighter. Wow the starts are soft. I guess Morrow can fight but he wont.

[chilly666]

Bystrom will be loaned back to MODO in Sweden for 2012-13

[Stevens Lindros]

Originally Posted by ThrowdownSJ408

holy crap stars got really soft. and barch leaving mid year. you forgot Ott, he isnt a bad fighter. Wow the starts are soft. I guess Morrow can fight but he wont.

and buying out Godard. The Stars are pathetic now.

[Podollan]

Gazdic is great. He is a great, unterrated fighter and a decent player for an heavyweight!

He deserves playing in the NHL: