Max-a-Million Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Top defencemen playing behind the top offensive line are less likely to get burned as the offense has the puck more and it's usually the checking line that they play against. That, combined with injury, the wrong side of the ice, playing half a season and his inability to speak French pretty much sum up what's "wrong" with Ballard. He has the best hip check in the league, is good at setting up the offence and does a pretty good job on the boards. Yeah, he's a bit small in front of the net. Basically, paired up with a bigger, left shooting partner and playing top 4 minutes will bring the Ballard the club is paying for. If only AV would make that decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Top defencemen playing behind the top offensive line are less likely to get burned as the offense has the puck more and it's usually the checking line that they play against. That, combined with injury, the wrong side of the ice, playing half a season and his inability to speak French pretty much sum up what's "wrong" with Ballard. He has the best hip check in the league, is good at setting up the offence and does a pretty good job on the boards. Yeah, he's a bit small in front of the net. Basically, paired up with a bigger, left shooting partner and playing top 4 minutes will bring the Ballard the club is paying for. If only AV would make that decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeeterHansen Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I don't understand...I thought Ballard played really well in the second half of the season, and was ARGUABLY our best defenseman in the playoffs...All of this Ballard hate seems unwarranted. Just like the Raymond hate, the Luongo hate, the Bieksa hate (or is that just nucknit?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I don't understand...I thought Ballard played really well in the second half of the season, and was ARGUABLY our best defenseman in the playoffs...All of this Ballard hate seems unwarranted. Just like the Raymond hate, the Luongo hate, the Bieksa hate (or is that just nucknit?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggins Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Top defencemen playing behind the top offensive line are less likely to get burned as the offense has the puck more and it's usually the checking line that they play against. That, combined with injury, the wrong side of the ice, playing half a season and his inability to speak French pretty much sum up what's "wrong" with Ballard. He has the best hip check in the league, is good at setting up the offence and does a pretty good job on the boards. Yeah, he's a bit small in front of the net. Basically, paired up with a bigger, left shooting partner and playing top 4 minutes will bring the Ballard the club is paying for. If only AV would make that decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I was hoping this was gonig to be a "what's Ballard up to" thread. Let's do that instead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeywoot Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 As the poll results indicate, he hasn't gotten enough ice time to show everything he's got. I think he still is a top 4 defencemen (2nd pairing). His skating is strong. He needs to roam to be effective. He'll never be effective playing bottom pairing minutes. He'll never be worth his cap hit playing bottom minutes. Its a shame. We have three top 4 dmen that cannot switch to the right side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quaz Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Please add another option to the poll. ○ Plays behind better players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeDreamOfStanley Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 In no way has Ballard been bad enough that it warrants another post more than 5 months since he played his last game. And he hasn't been that bad, you just expect a 3rd line D man who is being paid that much money to put up 40 pts and be phenomenal. That just isn't going to happen. This team is too deep on the back end, however it is wonderful that Rome is gone now. Like many have posted prior, he may have seen more success in a higher pairing with better partners or behind better forwards. However, from everything I have seen or heard from Ballard, he is perfectly satisfied if he has to play 3rd pairing minutes and situations because he believes the Canucks have a chance to win it and that's what is important to him. He seems like a hell of a character guy. Players earn their money in more ways than points on the board, minutes played, +/- etc. Not saying his contributions necessarily warrant the 4.2, but he hasn't been atrocious, some people are just blinded by the hate goggles and only focus on the negatives... this may be you OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCanuckleheads.ca Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 A few factors, IMO. First, we traded for Ballard before signing Hamhuis, and they're both left-shooting d-men on a team that already had Edler and Ehrhoff. That's a lot of quality guys, and Ballard has never earned his spot in the Top 4. Why not? Well, I think concussions and confidence have a lot to do with it. Remember he's had two concussions since being here. One early on in his first season, and then he missed a long stretch of time last year due to concussion-like symptoms. And some guys just aren't quite right once they start feeling the effects of concussions. At the bottom of this article on his last concussion, it says he was sleeping as many as 18 hours a day after the concussion suffered in a game against Colorado. 18 hours of sleep a day! http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/03/29/canucks-keith-ballard-finally-symptom-free-after-concussion/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Lack of playing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 A lot of it has to do with AV scratching him for the likes of Rome and Alberts, hence him losing his confidence and not performing at a top 4 D man level. Although I feel Ballard's performance in the playoffs is a sign of good things to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeanBeef Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 But the second as yet un said reason is the partners Ballard has had. On the 3rd pair, he simply has not had guys like Bowmeister (as he had in Florida) to partner with. He's not had that big stud who could anchor the defense, so Ballard could use his speed to roam. Maybe Garrison can be that guy??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nazzylove19 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 regardless in my mind were going have to trade him. with the new CBA i see the cap space going down. ballard is still a top 4 D once again our team is too deep. we are going need to remove space and he seem the best fit with luongo going as well that 10 mill right their and it dose not hurt our team in much of a way chris tanve and kevin connauton is maybe could play a top 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanKeslord17 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 You mean what's wrong with AV? Not one chance on the PP and bottom pairing minutes. What do you expect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggins Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 You mean what's wrong with AV? Not one chance on the PP and bottom pairing minutes. What do you expect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigsaw99 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 AV and Rome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshinefe Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Where's the option for "Got outplayed by 2 better D-men on his side so got stuck on 3rd pairing"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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