Toggle sidebar

Keith Ballard Discussion

Wizeman*

Guest
Many on here dont get it. They just hate AV and thus anyone who can get in Ballard's path such as Aaron Rome, who was not only well liked in the room but was popular with fans until he started getting the BELOVED Ballards ice time.

Like it was Rome's fault somehow.

Now I guess the GOAT will be Barker . good for Alberts that he is not allowed to be the goat.

Curiously, some have even included Bieksa as a GOAT nominee too.
 
vanuck

vanuck

Now with 100% less Benning!
Dec 28, 2009
16,801
4,019
Given Juice's somewhat fluky goals this season coupled with the fact that he hasn't been noticeably burned for his erratic play (going from memory), his PDO must be sky-high right now I'm guessing...
 

Tiranis

Registered User
Jun 10, 2009
23,097
28
Toronto, ON
vanuck said:
Given Juice's somewhat fluky goals this season coupled with the fact that he hasn't been noticeably burned for his erratic play (going from memory), his PDO must be sky-high right now I'm guessing...
Click to expand...

It is. Only Hansen and Henrik have higher.
 
Shareefruck

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
28,953
3,686
Vancouver, BC
Anyone familiar with my posts knows I'm a big AV supporter, and I still am, and I think people who want him fired are idiots.

But scratching Ballard due to lack of performance, considering the year he's had, and considering that his mistakes weren't even out of the ordinary compared to other guys on our team, is flat out hack coaching, IMO. I would still say he's been our best defenseman so far besides Tanev.
 
Aphid Attraction

Aphid Attraction

Registered User
Jan 17, 2013
5,066
1,702
I'm not saying AV is right, But if his complaint of Ballard was he was not passing it out of the zone, perhaps putting him with Barker will force him to take responsibility, he may be set up to fail but it is also a position to succeed, if he is as good as people are saying, it should not be a worry.
 

Chubros

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
1,526
22
Seems like there are a lot of people on here with their panties in a knot over Keith Ballard.

The fact is that he is the 6th defenceman on the team's depth chart. At $4.2m he is not in the team's long term plans. He'll likely be bought out at the end of the year unless he can be traded. Scratching him from time to time simply to give the 7th and 8th guys a bit of game time to prepare them to fill in for injuries later is not the worst idea in the world.

Sure, Ballard's play has been better this year, but a lot of posters seem to be overestimating his level of improvement. Saying he's been better than Bieksa? Get real... The team was noticeably worse when Juice was hurt and out of the lineup.

Realistically Ballard has been the 6th best defenceman on the team. That's not necessarily a slight against Ballard - the team's defence is just deep. Even if it wasn't so, he still wouldn't be able to provide value at $4.2m, especially with the cap shrinking next year.
 
Barney Gumble

Barney Gumble

Registered User
Jan 2, 2007
22,711
1
Chubros said:
Realistically Ballard has been the 6th best defenceman on the team.
Click to expand...
No he hasn't been if you take the season as a whole. That's been the problem with the blueline THIS season so far - he *should* be the 5th or 6th best defenseman on this team. Hamhuis, Edler and Bieksa all have been fairly inconsistant so far. Garrison had a rough start, but has settled in nicely. Tanev, IMHO, has been the best guy on the blueline to date. Sure, quality of opposition had a bearing on the performance - but that's why the top four are the top four - only they've largely underperformed.
 
DennisReynolds

DennisReynolds

the implication
Dec 11, 2011
5,269
0
Chubros said:
Seems like there are a lot of people on here with their panties in a knot over Keith Ballard.

The fact is that he is the 6th defenceman on the team's depth chart. At $4.2m he is not in the team's long term plans. He'll likely be bought out at the end of the year unless he can be traded. Scratching him from time to time simply to give the 7th and 8th guys a bit of game time to prepare them to fill in for injuries later is not the worst idea in the world.

Sure, Ballard's play has been better this year, but a lot of posters seem to be overestimating his level of improvement. Saying he's been better than Bieksa? Get real... The team was noticeably worse when Juice was hurt and out of the lineup.

Realistically Ballard has been the 6th best defenceman on the team. That's not necessarily a slight against Ballard - the team's defence is just deep. Even if it wasn't so, he still wouldn't be able to provide value at $4.2m, especially with the cap shrinking next year.
Click to expand...
He may not be in the team's long term plans but we are trying to win the cup now. And since he's been playing well lately, isn't it good to give him more ice time to boost his confidence so that our defence can all play well?

The problem is that the reason he was scratched two straight games wasn't to get Alberts and Barker some ice time, it's because according to AV, he's played bad in the last three games when the way most fans and I see it, he's been fine. In fact, he's been getting involved and played best hockey ever since coming to the Canucks IMO.

Note, he's been absolutely better defensively than Casual Kev so far from the beginning of the season.
 
JuniorNelson

JuniorNelson

Registered User
Jan 21, 2010
8,631
320
E.Vancouver
Ballard got sat for complacency. His game slipped and Vignault caught him at it.

Remember Hansen got sent down for a couple of games, three years ago? He didn't deserve it, but ever since then he's been a better player. Maybe this is like that? Vignault helping a guy see things clearly.

If the team had wanted to move Ballard they'd have done it by now. I think he'll play out his contract and probably get another in Vancouver. He is one injury away from being a top four defenseman. So for a team that exposes Dmen to a thumping every night, this is a good spare to have.
 
SpaceCowboy

SpaceCowboy

Registered User
Feb 2, 2012
510
34
I'm most terrified of the prospect that Alberts is our backup. If Ballard gets traded... mother of god.

Hamhuis will be the only consistent.
 
Cocoa Crisp

Cocoa Crisp

Registered User
Mar 8, 2006
2,820
0
NYC
JuniorNelson said:
Ballard got sat for complacency. His game slipped and Vignault caught him at it.

Remember Hansen got sent down for a couple of games, three years ago? He didn't deserve it, but ever since then he's been a better player. Maybe this is like that? Vignault helping a guy see things clearly.

If the team had wanted to move Ballard they'd have done it by now. I think he'll play out his contract and probably get another in Vancouver. He is one injury away from being a top four defenseman. So for a team that exposes Dmen to a thumping every night, this is a good spare to have.
Click to expand...

Next year's cap says otherwise. Maybe you're right that it's a wake up call. But with his caphit, Ballard and his agent just put two and two together and are justifiably concerned.
 
Nuckles

Nuckles

_________
Apr 27, 2010
28,338
3,494
heck
It's probably just a minor day-to-day injury, but AV will take Ballard to the back shed and put a bullet in his head to end his misery.

old-yeller-packshot-dvd1257131280078.jpg
 
Towel-Power

Towel-Power

GoCanucksGo
Apr 1, 2007
2,084
0
HomeoftheClassless
Is there a better human being than Ballard on the planet? *ignore hyperbole*
but really, he's a true professional.

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2013/0...he-may-be-frustrated-but-hell-never-want-out/

It either makes Ballard a mature, well-adjusted professional, or it suggests he’s prone to masochism. It depends on your point of view.

“I like it here,” Ballard said.

“It’s been hard. It’s been difficult. It’s been up and down. There have been a lot of adjustments. But the more I think about it, and I’ve thought about it a lot the past couple of days, I enjoy it here.

“This is the longest I’ve been anywhere in the NHL, three years.”

“You try not to keep anything at the rink, that’s for sure. Part of being a good teammate is handling that stuff professionally.
“When I go home, and I’m around my family, I’m frustrated for sure. But it’s not something that’s keeping me up at night. It’s not something I’m pacing around all day worired about.”
What Ballard hasn’t done is complained. Yes, his agent called the Canucks brass after the healthy scratches. He’s not the first agent to call a team to figure out what was going on after his client got benched. It wasn’t a call to demand more ice time or a trade. That’s because Ballard has come to terms with his position on the team. He’s seen the other side.
“Sometimes people get it in their head, I have to go somewhere else, I’m being held back,” he said. “How do you know how the next place will be?
“I’ve had that opportunity in the first five years of my career to play 25 minutes, to go over the boards every other shift up by one, down by one, power play, penalty kill. And I finished 26th, 27th, 29th and whatever in the league and it’s not fun.
“It’s fun playing a lot. It’s fun getting those opportunities. It’s fun getting the one time on the 5-on-3. But it sucks losing.
“I like it here for that fact. It’s a good group. It’s fun.”
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom