Thunder Bunnies Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I thought he was our best defenseman in the Kings series .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthMelvin Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I think I've never seen this sort of thing posted before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortorella's Rant Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 When Ballard is playing his game, he's skating like Erhoff, blocking shots as well as anyone on the team, and making opponents tentative to come down his wing for fear of being sent head over heels by one of his hipchecks. He gets the other team mad at him and draws penalties. It would be nice if AV let him play. If he got 10% of the leeway Rome gets, he'd be in the lineup every night getting plenty of icetime... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodee Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 hey guys, I was watching Keith Ballard closely in the playoffs. Although they were eliminated in five, I thought that quietly Keith Ballard was very solid. He moved the puck well, and was never caught out of position. For the first time, I thought he looked like a legit top 4 defenceman in a Canucks uniform. So, I think that next year, unless they sign/ trade for an upgrade in the top 4, Ballard should be given a third chance (i know, getting old) to prove he can play top 4 minutes and stay there for the whole season. He looked good in the playoffs and I think he deserves a shot at proving he can continue is solid play into next season. A lot of people might trade him to get rid of his contract (4.2 M for the next two seasons) but if he plays a top 4 role next year I think it would be worth the money. So long as he stays in position and avoids turnovers defensively, uses his great ice vision and puck-moving ability, and jumps into the rush at appropriate times, he doesn't need to make a lot of noise. He just needs to stay out of the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, which he has failed to do for the past two years in Vancouver. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoKnows53 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 He couldn't even get out of bed during the most severe post concussion symptoms. Then he steps back in in game 2 of the playoffs and looked great. AV really should give him more responsibility. If he can play like that after missing half the season, he should be able to handle top 4 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Surfer Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Ballard himself is absolutely fine! But who is he going to replace > Edler or Hamhuis on the left side? We tried him on the right, but he could not make the transition. So he is a 3rd pair D till a trade is made! Not my job to decide if $4.2 is worth it for a 3rd pair. But we are missing at LEAST two right side D. Makes sense to me to move either Edler who has 1 year left befor being UFA (if he does not sign) or Ballard. Thats it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeywoot Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 While Ballard hasn't been impressive, he hasn't been nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He was really good in the playoffs. Since he's paid like a top 4 d-man, perhaps AV should him a longer shot in the top-4 (even if he doesn't feel he's earned it.) Can neither Hamhuis nor Edler switch over to the right side. Are they both equally terrible if they switch over? If Salo doesn't return, hopefully he sees more time on the PP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar baby watermelon Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Ballard never got the fair deal here and lost his confidence playing for AV> i like his nastiness and his speed< wish he got to showcase it here more often though the keyboard is screwing up and beeping at me which is why there are parentheses and not commas or periods< haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggins Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 hey guys, I was watching Keith Ballard closely in the playoffs. Although they were eliminated in five, I thought that quietly Keith Ballard was very solid. He moved the puck well, and was never caught out of position. For the first time, I thought he looked like a legit top 4 defenceman in a Canucks uniform. So, I think that next year, unless they sign/ trade for an upgrade in the top 4, Ballard should be given a third chance (i know, getting old) to prove he can play top 4 minutes and stay there for the whole season. He looked good in the playoffs and I think he deserves a shot at proving he can continue is solid play into next season. A lot of people might trade him to get rid of his contract (4.2 M for the next two seasons) but if he plays a top 4 role next year I think it would be worth the money. So long as he stays in position and avoids turnovers defensively, uses his great ice vision and puck-moving ability, and jumps into the rush at appropriate times, he doesn't need to make a lot of noise. He just needs to stay out of the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, which he has failed to do for the past two years in Vancouver. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggins Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Ballard never got the fair deal here and lost his confidence playing for AV> i like his nastiness and his speed< wish he got to showcase it here more often though the keyboard is screwing up and beeping at me which is why there are parentheses and not commas or periods< haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macethan Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 It's really all up to AV. Ownership doesn't seem mind to pay a player $4.2M per season to play less than 50 games. They never give AV the pressure to put a certain player on the ice just because he commands high salary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWheeler Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Trade an Edler package for Weber and run with a Ballard/Weber pairing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 It's really all up to AV. Ownership doesn't seem mind to pay a player $4.2M per season to play less than 50 games. They never give AV the pressure to put a certain player on the ice just because he commands high salary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Ahh low level post from high level poster...CDC at its finest...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBossy Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Ballard only played that few games due to injury last season. I don't have the official numbers handy, but I can only recall a single healthy scratch for him last season. Believe it or not, Ballard played the most games of any of the bottom six this season. That includes Aaron Rome, the guy who all the know-nothings around here believe is AV and Bones' "favorite". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Perhaps people are getting this idea from here: http://blogs.theprov...-in-two-months/ What kind of stood out to me was these lines: In a mildly surprising move, head coach Alain Vigneault will replace one of his favourites players, defenceman Aaron Rome, for Game 2 with one of his least, the guy who always seems to get the short straw, Keith Ballard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBossy Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 What, I'm supposed to be impressed by a blog? That isn't any different than the opinions of people around here. Ballard got the short straw last season because he earned it, something the fanboys couldn't seem to get over. This season, he's been better and was only out of the lineup due to injury. (as was stated in the same blog that you quoted) If you'd read all of the posts in this thread, you'd see that Baggins has quite succinctly pointed out why Ballard remains on the third pairing. He does poorly on the right side and is behind Eddie and Hammer on the left. Now you could say that those two are AV's "favorites" and you'd actually be closer to the truth. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your fantasy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Jason Botchford - sportswriter for the Vancouver Province was the one who wrote that blog article. The point I was trying to make is so called "know nothing" fans sometimes form their opinions based on what information they get from sportswriters and reporters who are around the team all the time, talking to the players, watching the team up close and personal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brahma Bull Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Hey, even us high level posters are allowed to be smartasses once in a while. Call it the 10k+ post perogative... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surtur Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 considering how Ballard and Tanev play together it should be more like top pairing 1 , and a 2a, 2b pairing.. 2b being Ballard and Tanev. split the ice time equally between the 2a, 2b pairs and see how the perform who ever is better after 20 games or so gets more ice time... i wish Ballard would succeed here i like his style of play. and anyone saying he doesn't earn his 4.2... how much was KB paid last year... he was not that good all season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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