Who's the better: Matt Carle or Keith Ballard
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Lars
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OrrNumber4
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- Jul 25, 2002
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Ballard is very good. He is very skilled offensively and plays adequately defensively despite his small stature. Before this year, he was known to primarly be an offensive defenseman, but he has shown that he is passible defensively. And he already got 40 points this year! He could be a good second-pairing defenseman down the road (isn't he already in Phoenix?). However, the only thing he has over Carle is experience. Carle is bigger than Ballard, and is extremely smart in the defensive zone. To boot, Carle is a player who has the potential to win the Norris and lead the league's defensemen in scoring.
Carle no contest
Carle no contest
OrrNumber4
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44_bertuzzi_44 said:
Carle is clearly better defensively; only offensively could I see people saying Ballard is better.
superroyain10 said:
Yep - he's already a top four guy in Phoenix.
Carle isnt really notably bigger - he's one inch taller but is almost 30 pounds lighter (180 to Ballard's 208). Experience isnt the "only" thing he has over Carle. He's also one of the league leaders in blocked shots and hits.
I like Carle a lot and his potential is great. But "no contest" and "way better" is exaggerrating it a bit.
Keith Ballard was compared to Jordon Leopold. Jordon Leopold has 2 goals the whole year. Anyone who is compared to Jordon Leopold, will not be that good, not that leopold is not a good player.
Matt Carle.
Matt Carle.
Brandinho
deng xiaoping gang
nomoment said:
Leopold didn't have a poor season. He disappointed offensively but was great in his own end.
Dallas Flames Fan said:Kris Chucko >>> Tomas Vanek
Drouins Delauriers >>> Mikka Kiprussoff
ok enough.
I think Carle has the better potential. Safe pick would be ballard, but Carle has the more upside.
Kaizer
Registered User
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
I've only seen Carle play a couple of times, so I really don't know if he or Ballard is the better defeseman. So I do have a question, does Carle have the grit of Keith Ballard? While Ballard's end to end rushes are exciting, it's his grit and his heart that are his strongest qualities. Wayne Gretzky said that he is one of the best hip checkers he has ever seen. He is a walking highlight reel of huge hits. The kid fearlessly dove in front of shots all season long, always willing to sacrifice his body. Always a willing fighter, he took on super stars, and decorated pugalists alike, loosing damn near every fight he was in. He won the "Hardest Working Player Award", and was the co-recipient of the "Man of the Year Award". Kurt Keilback has been doing play by play for the Jets ever since they became an NHL team, and I can't tell you how many times he called Ballard "Old School", this season. I think that is a very good way to describe his game.
BTW, I am a Phoenix homer, and again, I haven't seen but a couple of Carle's NHL games.
BTW, I am a Phoenix homer, and again, I haven't seen but a couple of Carle's NHL games.
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Jori
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I think some people will look at his offensive stats and think that Carle is a poor defensive player, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Carle is a good two-way defenseman, while he isn't an overly physical player, he is very good positionally. I've seen both Ballard and Carle at the college level and I think their styles differ. I'll be called a DU homer, but I personally prefer Carle. However, as an Avalanche fan, I'd love to kick Lacroix in the backside for trading Ballard. Both are good young defensemen and it's not likely either team would trade one for the other.
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
nomorekids
The original, baby
Alright, get it back on topic. The Sabres, Marcel Goc, and Evgeni Malkin have nothing to do with Matt Carle or Keith Ballard.
BuppY
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Haute Couture
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Gwyddbwyll said:
First of all, Ballard is almost two years older, not to mention he already has two professional seasons to boot, while Carle has played in 14 professional games, period. And Carle is around 195, he was 180 when he was drafted. So I don't see any reasons while Matt cannot put 10-20 lbs of muscle in the next few years to reach his optimal condition.
Daaaaamn. With studs like Mara, Morris, Gauthier, Ballard, Z.Michalek, and the experience of O'Donnell... How did the Yotes miss the playoffs..
Going by how they played in college.
Ballard will score more goals. He rushes more and will jump up in the play more. I mean way in the play more like behind the goal line. Carle is more responsable. Will jump up but with more caution.
Carle will get more assists. Better passer and vision and calmer. Ballard with all that intensity rushes a bit.
Ballard will land bigger hits and crush people. Plays fearless. Will hit anything in the an opposing swearter. Carle plays solid but does not seem to throw his weight around as much.
Ballard will block more shots. Again fearless. Carle though will anticapte more passes and use stick work to break up passes and shots.
Ballard will give up more odd man rushes. That whole intense and fearless thing works agaist you sometimes. Carle will be more responsible.
So i do not know to me its one of those take your pick kind of things. I think it would be more of a need thing and not one is out right better type of thing.
Ballard will score more goals. He rushes more and will jump up in the play more. I mean way in the play more like behind the goal line. Carle is more responsable. Will jump up but with more caution.
Carle will get more assists. Better passer and vision and calmer. Ballard with all that intensity rushes a bit.
Ballard will land bigger hits and crush people. Plays fearless. Will hit anything in the an opposing swearter. Carle plays solid but does not seem to throw his weight around as much.
Ballard will block more shots. Again fearless. Carle though will anticapte more passes and use stick work to break up passes and shots.
Ballard will give up more odd man rushes. That whole intense and fearless thing works agaist you sometimes. Carle will be more responsible.
So i do not know to me its one of those take your pick kind of things. I think it would be more of a need thing and not one is out right better type of thing.
MN_Gopher said:
Curiously, what did you think of Jordan Leopold while he was in Minnesota? I thought he was a dominant player, and that he would become better than he is.
I'm honestly not trying to be antagonistic. I'm wondering if anyone else thinks Leopold has more ability than he's shown?
