Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Ballard


CanucksFanMike

Recommended Posts

My opinion is that although Ballard may not be the worst player on our team, he is most likely the weakest link. His cap hit, skill set, and physical attributes do not bring even close to enough value than the disadvantages that come with him do.

I agree that he has looked better as of late, but if we can upgrade his position and find someone who would take him, I'd say go for it. Plus, it would help in our chances with Schultz.

p.s. I'd miss some of his informal interviews... He is funny...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

11/12

Ballard 47 games, 7 points, 0 +/-. Played primarily against the oppositions bottom six. Cap hit $4.2m

Bieksa 78 games, 44 points, +12. Played primarily against the oppositions top line. Cap hit $4.6m.

Bieksa's numbers were better this past season than Ballard has managed in two seasons combined....

Ballard 10/11 + 11/12: 112games, 14 points, +10. $8.2M salary with $4.2M cap hit.

Who's earned their money? (the answer should be obvious)

Rome has 15 points in two seasons with fewer games played and a minimal salary. Ballard simply isn't worth his cap hit to this team as a third pairing player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ballard is a stud defenceman.............he could play on the top line with the right partner. He is a fast skater with loads of skill and balls to back his plays. He was one of our best in our playoff shambles, despite coming back from a concussion.

He also is a good mentor for CT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ballard is a stud defenceman.............he could play on the top line with the right partner. He is a fast skater with loads of skill and balls to back his plays. He was one of our best in our playoff shambles, despite coming back from a concussion.

He also is a good mentor for CT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we have really untapped potential with Ballard. Just needs to be utilized more effectively. This is one area where I am not sure on AV's assesment. First year, coming off the hip surgery followed by the concussion I could understand it. During the playoffs last year when he kept getting scratched I could see AV was trying to have more size and toughness in the lineup. Ballard sort of became redundant the minute we signed Hamhuis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11/12

Ballard 47 games, 7 points, 0 +/-. Played primarily against the oppositions bottom six. Cap hit $4.2m

Bieksa 78 games, 44 points, +12. Played primarily against the oppositions top line. Cap hit $4.6m.

Bieksa's numbers were better this past season than Ballard has managed in two seasons combined....

Ballard 10/11 + 11/12: 112games, 14 points, +10. $8.2M salary with $4.2M cap hit.

Who's earned their money? (the answer should be obvious)

Rome has 15 points in two seasons with fewer games played and a minimal salary. Ballard simply isn't worth his cap hit to this team as a third pairing player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this guy is a waste of cap space. This team needs a no 1 dman to compliment Edler. The two logical options are Suter or Weber. With Ballard off the books we could offer Suter big money and get him on our team for no cost. It worked for Boston and Anaheim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are always mountains of excuses and rationalizations for Ballard on these forums. We're over paying Ballard like 2x as what we're getting out of him. As another poster mentioned, Edler and Hamhuis > Ballard, so he is relegated to the third pairing, over paid and isn't a good fit on this team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are always mountains of excuses and rationalizations for Ballard on these forums. We're over paying Ballard like 2x as what we're getting out of him. As another poster mentioned, Edler and Hamhuis > Ballard, so he is relegated to the third pairing, over paid and isn't a good fit on this team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are always mountains of excuses and rationalizations for Ballard on these forums. We're over paying Ballard like 2x as what we're getting out of him. As another poster mentioned, Edler and Hamhuis > Ballard, so he is relegated to the third pairing, over paid and isn't a good fit on this team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We don't know that for fact.

He hasn't had a season long spot on the 1st OR 2nd line. He is a lot tougher than either for a fact and he is a better skater than both. I would like to see him on 1st or 2nd for a long spell. After all he didn't hold a gun to anyone's head to acquire that salary. It was based on outstanding performances with Phoenix and Florida and the USA team, despite injury including a close season hip procedure at Florida...............

Vancouver

Several months later, Ballard suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during a game for Vancouver against the Ottawa Senators on February 7, 2011

It is wonderful that we make all kinds of excuses for certain players who get injuries on our team and yet Ballard has a history of coming back from injuries, including a bad concussion last season and gets little recognition.

There has never been any doubt that he has more grit than anyone else on our D except Bieksa. He has played well on his natural left side. At 208 lbs and 5'-11" he is a deceptively powerful ice presence. We need to give him a fair chance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Baggins we agree on some stuff but we will have to agree to disagree on KB4. It's not so much about liking a player but more to do with whether he has been properly and fairly utilised. You obviously think he has been and I don't. Fair enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11/12

Ballard 47 games, 7 points, 0 +/-. Played primarily against the oppositions bottom six. Cap hit $4.2m

Bieksa 78 games, 44 points, +12. Played primarily against the oppositions top line. Cap hit $4.6m.

Bieksa's numbers were better this past season than Ballard has managed in two seasons combined....

Ballard 10/11 + 11/12: 112games, 14 points, +10. $8.2M salary with $4.2M cap hit.

Who's earned their money? (the answer should be obvious)

Rome has 15 points in two seasons with fewer games played and a minimal salary. Ballard simply isn't worth his cap hit to this team as a third pairing player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You pair Ballard with Hamhuis and give him prime powerplay minutes with the Sedins and you'll see just about any defenceman can pull off those numbers.

Bieksa is being given the golden treatment on this team. First he got to play with Mitchell, allowing him to make the stupidest plays he wanted to and not get in trouble because he'd have Willie there to back him up and save his ass. Now he's got our best overall defenceman in Hamhuis by his side to make him look good when he has his characteristic brain farts.

Sure he racked up the points this season, but when he's on the ice he's playing with the Sedins or the Kesler line. Ballard is backing up our 3rd and 4th lines.

Worst of all, look at Ballard's partner. Say what you want about Chris Tanev, he is a kid with next to no offensive talent and is still shaky back there - not even a close comparison to Hamhuis.

If Bieksa was playing with any other defenceman his real flaws would be revealed. Anyone remember the Boston series last season when he played all 7 games with Edler? Exactly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree 100%, and I didn't think he was bad at all the Regular season, he was average.

Then in the playoffs he was our best D-man, I watched him closely like you and I agree with all your points.

I still think he should play with Edler, move Edler to the right side and Ballard to the left, they did it in the pre-season and I didn't think they were terrible. AV should give them time together.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...