Cap Floor & Mr Ballard

[Eddy Punch Clock]

EDDY...GRASS IS $180.00 A TON...I'M GETTIN' TWO!!!

Light weight.

[Fred]

I never new hay was worth that much LOL

Any way back to Ballard. Is this trade going to be an embarrassment like the Neeley trade ( well that's a bit of a strech ) But to quote Mike Brophy column

Michael Grabner last season? The 14th overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in 2006 kicked around the minors for the better part of three years and even failed to make the Florida Panthers -- the Florida freakin Panthers! -- last season before being grabbed by the Islanders. One of the fastest skaters in the NHL, all Grabner did was lead the Islanders in goals with 34 and was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL's rookie of the year. If this guy could learn to consistently convert on breakaways, he could be a serious threat for the Rocket Richard Trophy which is awarded annually to the league's top goal-scorer.

MG must be praying that Ballard has reinvented himself this summer and instructs AV to give this guy some ice time, or it may become a talking point for years ahead

[dbr]

"Talking point" is pretty apt when you consider the connotations of that term and the level of dialogue implied.

[ESQ]

MG must be praying that Ballard has reinvented himself this summer and instructs AV to give this guy some ice time, or it may become a talking point for years ahead

The Angry Canucks Fan in me hopes for Grabner to fall back to Earth as much as Ballard fulfills his role.

But does anybody have a quote from MG indicating he thought Ballard deserved more icetime? Or is it just based on the price MG paid for Ballard? I always got the impression from MG's interviews that he and AV were on the same page, it was up to Ballard to play his way back, etc etc.

[Fred]

I believe that MG has never interfered with AV, but he has to be longing big time that Ballard comes through. Another year like his last and he's going to look bad, That's a lot to give up Grabner + a 1st round pick. If he's a religious man I suspect he trying to call in a few

[ClamRussel]

I always got the impression from MG's interviews that he and AV were on the same page, it was up to Ballard to play his way back, etc etc.

Ya funny how AV's 'earned icetime' philosophy only applies to certain players.

[sagebrush]

Ya funny how AV's 'earned icetime' philosophy only applies to certain players.

When pointed questions show up, MG and AV have their media schtick down pat.

MG makes a face like he is at the dentist, then explains how it's all part of the master plan.
AV goes into his ah shucks, chuckle, that's no problem, chuckle routine.

[ESQ]

MG makes a face like he is at the dentist, then explains how it's all part of the master plan.

To be fair, when I got my wisdom teeth taken out my face was all red and puffy too.

Sometimes I did feel like I was watching a different Keith Ballard than MG and AV, particularly whenever they pulled him out because we needed to get more "physical". Ballard is one of few players on the team that can turn a game around with a hit (Rome on Horton notwithstanding ). Also after Game 5 against SJS I thought AV said on the radio that Ballard was our best defenseman that game (maybe a bit hyperbolic, I know)...but I'm prepared to give to them the benefit of the doubt.

Although my heart did skip a beat with the thought of Baumgartner dressing came up.

[sagebrush]

To be fair, when I got my wisdom teeth taken out my face was all red and puffy too.

MG must be running out of wisdom teeth.

Although my heart did skip a beat with the thought of Baumgartner dressing came up.

I was contemplating impending doom. It arrived, but in a different form. The injured Ehrhoff & Edler didn't look right in game 7. Ballard had a meltdown earlier in the series, but at least he responded physically.

[ClamRussel]

Also after Game 5 against SJS I thought AV said on the radio that Ballard was our best defenseman that game (maybe a bit hyperbolic, I know)...but I'm prepared to give to them the benefit of the doubt.

He was also in the lineup for that game 7 heart stopper against Chicago *and* the series clincher against San Jose. You'd think at some point between A & B he would have earned himself a regular roster spot. Instead he was yanked in & out of the lineup like a yo-you before getting a long stretch on the pine heading into the finals. Zero chance to get any sort of confidence or momentum....then thrown to the wolves late in the Boston series.

[dr.dork]

He was also in the lineup for that game 7 heart stopper against Chicago *and* the series clincher against San Jose. You'd think at some point between A & B he would have earned himself a regular roster spot. Instead he was yanked in & out of the lineup like a yo-you before getting a long stretch on the pine heading into the finals. Zero chance to get any sort of confidence or momentum....then thrown to the wolves late in the Boston series.

2011-2012 will be a new year for Ballard and I hope he gets a chance. But when he got his opportunities he didn't play consistently. And yes, maybe his leash was short and the pressure on him was high, but so what ? If you can't play well when the pressure is on what good are you ? Maybe AV deserves some blame for how he handled Ballard, but Ballard deserves a lot of the blame for not performing well CONSISTENTLY when he had his chances.

[BCReefer]

2011-2012 will be a new year for Ballard and I hope he gets a chance. But when he got his opportunities he didn't play consistently. And yes, maybe his leash was short and the pressure on him was high, but so what ? If you can't play well when the pressure is on what good are you ? Maybe AV deserves some blame for how he handled Ballard, but Ballard deserves a lot of the blame for not performing well CONSISTENTLY when he had his chances.

Totally disagree, any player being screwed like Ballard was by AV will not play well, he was neve given a chance though out the entire season while other 3rd and 4th line players could make mistake after mistake and not pay for it. Errorhoff was horrible the last part of the final series but he continued to play even when he had an injury and could barely move the puck.

AV for some reason never liked Ballard just as he does not like Hodgson so neither of these players will ever be given the same chances as slugs like Glass and Rypien. Those guys AV seems to have a hard on for and they can do no wrong.

[tantalum]

Also after Game 5 against SJS I thought AV said on the radio that Ballard was our best defenseman that game (maybe a bit hyperbolic, I know)...but I'm prepared to give to them the benefit of the doubt.

He was also in the lineup for that game 7 heart stopper against Chicago *and* the series clincher against San Jose. You'd think at some point between A & B he would have earned himself a regular roster spot. Instead he was yanked in & out of the lineup like a yo-you before getting a long stretch on the pine heading into the finals. Zero chance to get any sort of confidence or momentum....then thrown to the wolves late in the Boston series.

Not just that Clam but you have another coaching error when it came to putting Ballard into the game during the Finals...you had a player in Ballard that when you heard him speak about expecting to be in the lineup he was cleraly beyond nervous and scared he was going to mess up. It almost seemed to me like Ballard was pleading to AV not to put him in because he knew he was not in the right frame of mind to contribute anything to the game and would likely make costly mistakes. You either don't dress him or you put him in the most comfortable spot you can....alongside the youngster Tanev getting protected minutes. Instead, as you said, he was thrown to the wolves. AV has done a lot of good things to be sure but his playoff decision making leaves a lot to be desired. I had hope his thinking was changing a bit when he played Schneider a couple of times when Luongo was shaky but when those finals rolled around AV went back into panic mode (I'm sure it didn't help that all his go to players were hurt).

[BladesofSteel]

AV for some reason never liked Ballard just as he does not like Hodgson so neither of these players will ever be given the same chances as slugs like Glass and Rypien. Those guys AV seems to have a hard on for and they can do no wrong.

I'm not sure its a matter of like or dislike, rather, confidence Veenyo has in said individuals.

Frankly, I didn't have a whole lot of confidence in them either. Having said that, my expectations of both Ballard and Silent "g" are much higher for the coming season.