Zamboni Driver wrote:
Well that's perhaps the difference of opinion, as I don't think it was an "error" or mistake on MG's part. Kinda like buying a lottery ticket, if you don't win you didn't make an "error" in buying the ticket, because if you hadn't bought it you had no chance to win.
Of course there is risk associated with every move but trades and drafting are hardly akin to the lottery which is purely random.
It's the job of the GM and the scouting staff to gather information and increase the teams odds on player personel moves.
When they make good calls then deserve praise, when they make poor ones they deserve criticism.
Ballrd was a poor move.
Ballard was a reasonable gamble for the GM to take IMO, but he hasn't worked out here in part due to injury and also I feel partly due to the way the coach has managed him.
Perhaps you are right on both issues, but the main reason Ballard has failed is because he isn't a very good player.
He's mediocre defensively, mediocre offensively, he's undersized, he cant shoot a lick, his outlet passing is below average, his conditioning isn't very good, he lacks mental toughness, he's inconsistent etc, etc.
Even Ballards best games have not been particularly good and he's coming up on 150 as a Canuck.
There is a very clear gap between Ballard and the top4 on this team and there is also a decent gap between Ballard and our no5 in Tanev.
It's fairly clear the pro scouting was off on this player and that fall at the feet of the GM.