Ballard's agent to talk to management

[thad]

The only time he exceeded expectations was his first year with a team full of grinders who played the trap.

If you want to see AV exceed expectations again, he should go to a team like Phoenix, Columbus because I think he could get them into the playoffs. We need a better high caliber coach who's primary strength is offensive attacking strategies

[wallstreetamigo]

Ballard got his whopping one assist this season while on the PP, not hard to actually look..

[CanucksJay]

I am loll'ing at you that think this is AV's call.

It is not.

You are mad at Gillis. This is his call.

You really think that Bones, who has coached Bally before, and knows him well, on top of lobbying to get him here, would scratch Bally???!!!!!!!!

[Gonz]

Here is the thing about consistency........the longer the sample period, the more accurate the comment.....so basing it on one bad game with a couple of fluke goals (and basing it on +/- at all as it is a team stat) makes me wonder why you think he should be scratched after one bad game.

[theminister]

Ballard got his whopping one assist this season while on the PP, not hard to actually look..

[Kass9]

This trade is going to be a win-win either way. Canucks never play him, trading him means we won't losing anything (he has been decent). However, we will gain something, and that's actually better than having a player that isn't in the lineup.

[wallstreetamigo]

I was going to get to this one, but I'm behind! Typing too much as is and working at the same time. Tanev has been good and gotten deserved minutes as a result, and Ballard has helped to an extent with that (they talk a lot I think and work on things together and overall). I like Ballard in particular for what he does in the room and to help the team, but I still have yet to see him being more deserving than others for what some are recommending.

It's a fair enough point from our (TOML and others) side that he hasn't deserved clearly over anyone else, just as you guys (wallstreet, minister and others) are welcome to your opinion he should get better minutes in place of other players.

Franson is hardly producing like crazy, he has 3 PP points this year. Some teams have players who are better overall than others at certain areas and can be used in a more specialized role to be effective. Franson is being used like that (he's 9th on the team in 5 on 4 minutes, but 13th in even strength and 15th at 4 on 5) and every team does it to some extent. The others are also good examples of players that can play more specialized roles.

I don't think anyone disputes that Ballard could play a more specialized role with increased PP minutes, but we're saying is he better than our other options and if not, should he get those minutes regardless just to spread out the workload. I say he's not and shouldn't. No one's convinced me yet otherwise.

[RunningWild]

If his contract was tradeable, they would have done it by now. Probably shortly after he was a healthy scratch in the biggest game in franchise history when their entire back end was playing with ductape holding them together.

I'm curious what the real story behind all this is.

[BedBeats™2.0]

Interesting thought. I was very inclined to think its AV's call when it came to lineup decisions.

Wh ywouldnt MG just trade him then?

[Brick Tamland]

He should ask for a trade. He has been mis-handled this year more so in years past.

[DIBdaQUIB]

MG needs to take some blame here for not dong enough due diligence on some of these players before bringing them and their huge contracts here (Ballard, Booth).

It has been clear for years that the Nucks lack true top 6 size with scoring ability. MG has tried to address this by signing "projects" that are really 3rd line two-way players (AV loves them) but can't effectively fill the need of the team which shows up badly in the playoffs when the real men come out to play.

AV is also guilty of not using players in a way that may maximize their contribution. Kesler may be good defensively adn in teh circle but he plays like a winger and should be used that way. He doesn't have the natural talent to beat guys one-on-one (like Toews or Kane etc) and is a pue shooter. Despite Schroeder showing tremendous on-ice vision and set-up ability, he is relegated to the 4th line C even with Kesler out. Talk about mis-casting a player!!

MG gives up on their #1 draft pic just as they make their playoff push and gets a guy to address top 6 toughness who is at least 2 years away. He gets benched in the playoffs and this year is basically a "floater" spending most of his time onteh 4th with 6 minutes per game.

The point is, MG and AV together have made numerous poor decisions in who they have acquired and how those assets have been used. All of which plays a part in why the team looks disjointed and confused at times.

[UFTcan]

Ballard has not received a single PP point in his time as a Canuck.

http://www.tsn.ca/nh...rs/bio/?id=3039

But my point was that he has never been given the minutes so how could he?

[TOMapleLaughs]

Actually, there was an article about it not too long ago where they talk about how Ballard discusses things with Tanev all the time, reviews their shifts on video, talks about doing things differently, etc. I will see if I can find it for you. But you really believe that he has not mentored Tanev at all? That is just blind Ballard hate, plain and simple.

[rkyway]

Look; he's only here because MG refuses to admit he made an incredibly stupid trade. (One of the greatest jokes going is that he still pretends he made a good trade! Every Gm in the league laughs himself silly.) AV never wanted him, and has always wanted him gone...but MG refuses to admit his mistake.

[BuretoMogilny]

You make some good points.

I personally don't think my post was a "panicked" one. We agree on some issues and disagree on others.

The Nucks are not firing on all cylinders, whether it's egos, coaching or whatever. Individually, what I mentioened earlier are not major issues and we could all be wrong on what the isues are., It just seems thre are a lot of little personnel "disconnects" happening that could be a sign of internal problems.

For the record...Sutter yells at his veteran SC champ team. He did it the other night against Detroit when they were trailing late and they took over the game and won. Quenneville yells, Carlyle, Therrrien, HItchcock...you get teh message. Llots of very successful coaches disagree with you. It's not the only style and not always necessary but even vets need a kick in the a$$ once in awhile.

[Canuck Surfer]

Yeah, well maybe you can turn a nut with an adjustable wrench, but a socket with a perfect fit absolutely works better. How many wannabe mechanics give up scratching their knuckles using less than ideal tools? AV has been creatively using all kinds of tools in odd places.

Drafting a BPA makes a heap of sense. But when the high paid vet (lets call him Steve Bernier to be generous) is displaced at RW; move him off the payroll and fill roles the team does need!.

Look at Montreal/Dallas who just swapped left and right wingers so they balanced their line up?

We needed to trade a LW when we acquired Booth.We needed to acquire a RW when we traded Samuelsson. We needed to trade Ballard when we acquired Hamhuis. We threw gas on the fire when we added Garrison. We needed a centre when we lost Hodgson. What could we have filled with $5.3 mill a year with Lou if we sign Schneider??? All of these could be potentially great moves if we balance the ship after the move!

We can't cry about letting guys go. In reality we do need a right handed shot D, a play maker to make all our wingers snipers, a centre, still some more size...Even if you give Ballard away for a 2knd or 3rd pick, we then have cap!

I think the coach is doing a good job all things considered. For crying out loud, we had a 5'7" rookie centring or 4th line last game? I put this on the GM to to get the ship back on track!

It's starting to look like things maybe coming apart in Lotus Land.

1) The way the Cody H deal went down was kind fo ugly

2) Manny's situation looks like it could have been handled better and is still an issue

3) the goalie situation, which is a hold-over form last year's SC exit

4) Some of Kesler and his agents comments and disagreements publicly with management

5) The apparent bias against Ballard - no room for error compared to other D

6) Hearing from the rookies that teh coach doesn't talk to them and explain what is rexpected of them but puts them in positions they can't succeed (Schroeder on 4th line C)

Just some examples bu the say where there's smoke there's fire. Seems to me there is far too much drama and personnel conflict/disconnect. along with questionable treatment of certain players.

Let's not forget Linden and Naslund , two of the greatest Nucks ever, both had issues with management.

Lots of little things can add up to a big thing and maybe it explains the disconnected team we are seeing on the ice. THe players are aware of all these things (and more) and are not immune to it.

[theminister]

Man its all there in NHL stats, just look dammit jeez,

plus Garrison/Edler/Bieksa/Hammhuis even Tanev are more effective PP players.

5 players with more upside on the PP, so who would you sit genius? It has to make sense other then Give Ballard some experimentation time because he is your man crush..

[brownky]

I'm so tired of AV, I would have fired him after the LA series.

[RockNroLLa.]

Ballard + to the wings or blues for Filppula or Perron

[wallstreetamigo]

I can see Ballard being useful as a mentor in a Malhotra kind of sense, i suppose. But to associate Tanev's rise to Ballard input might be overstated partially due to Ballard love. But you did say 'partially', so... Okay. However, I suppose any of Tanev's veteran partners would be doing the same thing.

Sidenote: If it were me, i would put Ballard on the 2nd power play unit. Not so much to give Ballard more time, but to give Hammer and Juice a bit less time. Those guys are facing TOUGH minutes game-to-game and could use the rest. But i do recall Ballard getting some power play time last season/prior and it didn't look good.