Who's the better: Matt Carle or Keith Ballard

Transported Upstater

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SensGuy said:
I'm taking Ballard. I think whoever said Carle has the potential to win the Norris is crazy.


I don't know about crazy, but definitely jumping the gun by a mile. Carle's good, but not THAT good.
 
Mar 1, 2002
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SensGuy said:
Really? He said that?

Watching Carle at DU for 3 years, he'll be a very solid defenseman, but I don't think he'll come close to winning a Norris.

That's what the Colorado broadcasters claimed Joel said when they played the Sharks late in the year.
 

Jori

Registered User
I might be wrong, but I think Quenneville compared Carle to Leetch, I don't think he said he'd win a Norris.

Yet, if Q did say that, it's not like he didn't see the Carle play. He did attend DU games during the lockout. I actually ran into him one time with his kid.
 
Mar 1, 2002
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Jori_18_23 said:
I might be wrong, but I think Quenneville compared Carle to Leetch, I don't think he said he'd win a Norris.

He compared him to Leetch and said he COULD win a Norris. I mean, you compare someone to Leetch, who won a Norris, that's saying he could win a Norris.
 

Jori

Registered User
Wild GM said:
He compared him to Leetch and said he COULD win a Norris. I mean, you compare someone to Leetch, who won a Norris, that's saying he could win a Norris.
Again, we are basing this on second hand information. I have to assume that Peter McNab, who is a former Pioneer himself, was the broadcaster who supposedly heard this from Quenneville.

Perhaps it was Q trying to pay Carle a compliment. We know he's going to be a good NHL player. How good...remains to be seen.
 

Transported Upstater

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Brian Leetch also won the Hobey.




As a freshman, straight out of prep school.
 
Mar 1, 2002
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Leetch was nominated as a freshman, which is REALLY impressive.

Don't get me wrong, if Carle is 75% of what Leetch was, I'd be thrilled.
 

Transported Upstater

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Wild GM said:
Leetch was nominated as a freshman, which is REALLY impressive.

Don't get me wrong, if Carle is 75% of what Leetch was, I'd be thrilled.


Maybe that's what I was thinking. The nomination.



But keep in mind that Leetch is one of the Top 5 American-born players EVER. If Carle reaches 50% of that, consider yourself lucky.
 

Gophers

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Nov 23, 2004
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I think Carle wins this contest. I haven't heard much from Ballard since he left school, so I'm not so sure how he has handled the pros.
Although I do think that if Ballard had stayed one more year at Minny, he would have easily been 1rst team All-American and possibly even take the Hobey.
This doesn't have much to do with how they play today, but back in college they were both dominant players.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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wild_gopher said:
I think Carle wins this contest. I haven't heard much from Ballard since he left school, so I'm not so sure how he has handled the pros.

Do you mean personally heard from Ballard himself? Just curious as I imagine you probably know what he has achieved.

Since he left school, he's played for Team USA at the Worlds before he debuted in the NHL. He's notched up 39 points, played all 82 games at 20 minutes a game. 120 hits and 137 blocked shots puts him right at the top in those categories - only Meszaros and Phaneuf compare. He scored 3 short handed goals - only two other defensemen in the NHL managed more than 1!

I'm still a little incredulous that Carle is being described as "way better" and that it's "no contest". If that's really true then Phaneuf better step off, cos there's a new god on the block!
 

rt

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wild_gopher said:
I think Carle wins this contest. I haven't heard much from Ballard since he left school, so I'm not so sure how he has handled the pros.

I'll bet that's because you haven't seen any Coyotes games this season. Am I right?
 

MN_Gopher

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TransportedUpstater 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?


Leopold is one of those guys that will win first. He plays a very solid and smart game. If it is there he takes it if it is not he does not rush it. This was a bad year for him though. He did dominate in college. A lot like Carle did. But i think, and this in small amounts is a very good thing to me, Carle has a little bigger chip on his shoulder. Leopold needs to take that chance once in awhile. Also Calgary did not score that much anyway. Leopold is money on the PP. But i think he played behind Hamrlik and Phaneuf. I exept next year he will be closer to his 03-04 numbers. Closer to 40-50 point range and not the 20 he put up this year.
 

Gophers

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Nov 23, 2004
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rt said:
I'll bet that's because you haven't seen any Coyotes games this season. Am I right?
Yeah, I guess I meant that I haven't SEEN him play since he left UM.
I don't try to say things about players I haven't seen play for a period of time or even at all. Ballard absolutely controlled the powerplay at Minnesota. Opponents could not afford lose track of him.
I think that Carle's game is a bit better suited to the NHL though.
 

HuskyFlames

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superroyain10 said:
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

Wow, win a Norris. No offense but I do not see Carle in the same league as guys like Mezaros, Pitkanen, Phaneuf, Suter, etc.
 

HuskyFlames

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AgentNaslund said:
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.

Vert ignorant comment. Leopold doesn't have the big shot to score goals, he is the Flames best skater on defense, lethal passer (if given the chance) and solid defensively. But you are right, being compared to him, means you are bad... :shakehead
 

mazmin

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AgentNaslund said:
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.

No offense but that's probably the stupidest rationality I've ever come accross, seriously :help: .
 

HuskyFlames

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Wild GM said:

IMO, Suter has top end skill. Right now he is being eased into the fold in Nashville. Nashville has quite a solid top 4, so Suter isn't getting the time he really needs. If a guy like Zdlicky or Timonen is gone in the next season or 1-2 years after that, Sutter will get ice and run with it. Right now its just a matter of playing time in order to show his skill.
 

OrrNumber4

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Patrick - Flames Fan said:
Wow, win a Norris. No offense but I do not see Carle in the same league as guys like Mezaros, Pitkanen, Phaneuf, Suter, etc.

Why do you say that? What about Carle makes u say he is not "in the same league" as them?
 

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