Barry_Wilkins Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 No Plus mius is the ultimate stat when judging a defenceman. The true great d men all have ridiculous +/- stats. Why? Because they take it personally when they get scored on. They worry more about stopping a goal, then scoring one. Thats what a true great defenceman does. He not only has all the skill and hockey sense to be an elite scorer, he uses those skills to completely shut down the best of the best. Orr's +/- stats were off the charts, Lidstrom's as well. It is not a team stat, it is an individual one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrogZilla Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Ballard's a character guy who likes Vancouver & wants to be a Canuck. He doesn't complain & is willing to do whatever is asked of him. The only complaint anyone seems to have of him is his contract. Is it possible for the Canucks to buy him out over the summer & then resign him at a lower cap hit? I'd love Ballard at 2 mill a year. A great #6 D man with the versatility to be a 3rd line winger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 I am willing to bet that at some point this season another dman's +/- was twice as bad as Ballard's in a game or two as well. So what? He was scratched for NO GOOD REASON then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffraff Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Too bad Booth wasn't healthy, we could get him to play D. Maybe the role switch would get them better at the things they seem to be lacking on since they've arrived in Vancouver. Booth's defensive play is abysmal and I recall a Ballard that actually used to be able to score and contribute offensively on the back end... Oh well, at least Keith is getting some time out there- even if it is at forward. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallstreetamigo Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Ballard's a character guy who likes Vancouver & wants to be a Canuck. He doesn't complain & is willing to do whatever is asked of him. The only complaint anyone seems to have of him is his contract. Is it possible for the Canucks to buy him out over the summer & then resign him at a lower cap hit? I'd love Ballard at 2 mill a year. A great #6 D man with the versatility to be a 3rd line winger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallstreetamigo Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 You mean like Marek Malik, Ian White and Jack McIlhargey? +/- is often misleading, but the eye test doesn't lie. Ballard got caught out of position badly for several games leading up to his benching. Glad AV sat him out when he did. With the way the Canucks were going, he couldn't afford to give him Ballard a "chance" to track even more opponents like a blind Irishman just out of the pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Kneel Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I missed Ballards energy against Col and 'defense first' style of play..our forwards (Gordon Ebbett and Pinzo) seem to play smaller and softer than Ballard...and I think the team plays better 'for' him knowing all he has put up with to get into the roster..I think he has more game savvy that he adds to the team when he's in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vansicle Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 I wouldn't be surprised if he were dealt before the deadline given how many healthy scratches he's had of late. I think it would be best, too, despite liking what he brings to the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edlerberry Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Or be scratched so Andrew Gordon can keep his spot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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