Feb 8, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars center Ryan Garbutt (40) prepares to face the Anaheim Ducks at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Ducks 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With the regular season over, it’s time for players around the league to be evaluated for their effectiveness and their value to a team. We’ll be doing the same thing throughout the month of May, and we’d love to hear your opinions on our grading.

We’ll travel through the team in numerical order this year and we’ll hit every individual that was on the roster as of Saturday April 27; the official end of the Stars season.

Ryan Garbutt

In his first full season in the NHL, Ryan Garbutt topped every record he set in his NHL debut season, last year. Despite playing only 16 more games than last year, Garbutt was on his way to making it a stand-out season.

Garbutt began his professional hockey career 10 years ago, playing with the Winnipeg South Blues. In his second year on the team, he set his career-high in penalty minutes with 303. The following year, he began his collegiate hockey career with the Brown University Bears. In 116 games with Brown, Garbutt scored 39 goals and spent 203 total minutes in the penalty box.

Since joining the Stars franchise in 2011, Garbutt has played in 56 games for Dallas and 50 games for Texas, scoring 21 goals, recording 25 assists and sitting in the box for 150 minutes. Garbutt had already claimed three goals and seven assists for Dallas, smashing the two-goal, one-assist season last year. In breaking those highs, he also more than doubled his shots on goal from last year. And while he was far from surpassing his penalty minutes as a Texas Star, 96, he set yet another NHL-high with 32. He was also one of the few individuals on the Stars roster to close out the season on the positive side of the plus/minus with plus one.

The 27-year-old Canadian may not be the next Jamie Benn, but his continued efforts to improve, and the results that ensue from his hard work prove he’ll continue to be a valuable asset to this growing Dallas Stars team. For the 2012-2013 season, I give Ryan Garbutt a B.

Goal Scoring: B

Assists: B

Plus/Minus: A

On-ice presence and performance: B

Feb 17, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars goalie Richard Bachman (31) prepares to face the Calgary Flames at the American Airlines Center. The Flames defeated the Stars 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With the regular season over, it’s time for players around the league to be evaluated for their effectiveness and their value to a team. We’ll be doing the same thing throughout the month of May, and we’d love to hear your opinions on our grading.

We’ll travel through the team in numerical order this year and we’ll hit every individual that was on the roster as of Saturday April 27; the official end of the Stars season.

Richard Bachman

Backup goalies don’t often get the recognition they deserve, and when you’ve got a goalie like Kari Lehtonen to back up, it’s hard to stand out; especially when you’re also responsible for net-minding for the franchise’s farm team when called upon.

That was the challenge presented to Richard Bachman at the beginning of the season, and despite a down-the-middle season as backup for Dallas, his performance in Austin showcased what Bachman has the potential to do between the pipes.

The 25-year-old from Salt Lake City, UT joined the Dallas Stars organization in 2009, taking up residence between the pipes for eight games. He broke even with four wins and four losses, but posted a .923 save average and a goals allowed against average of just 2.15.  He finished the season with the Idaho Steelheads, taking wins in 22 of the 35 games he appeared in, and recording a .910 save percentage. Last year, with Lehtonen battling injuries, Bachman hit Dallas ice for 18 games, taking eight wins, five losses and sending two games to overtime. He broke records that year, as the first rookie to play seven consecutive games and to win each of the first three games he started in net.

This season was the worst of Bachman’s NHL career, finishing the season with a .888 save percentage and a 3.25 goals against average. But in Austin, it was a different story. In just six games in Austin, Bachman went 5-1 with 2.31 goals allowed against and a .920 save average. With just 20 goals under his belt for Dallas and Texas combined though, he allowed almost 50 goals.

Everyone is allowed a slump in performance now and then, and the only thing Stars fans can hope for is that this season was a short-lived slump for Bachman, who has proven reliable when Lehtonen needs to rest. But because of his struggles this season, I give Richard Bachman a C.

Goals Allowed: C

Save Percentage: C

Win/Loss: C

On-ice presence and performance: B