Will they wear capes?
- Marwood

I'll defer to Don.

Will they wear capes?
- Marwood

Hats for cooling themselves off on the way down....

I'll defer to Don.
- golfingsince

I like the Desert Lemmings. The mascot will be a giant lemming who wears a crown with a long cape. The cheerleading team will be called Donna's Dance Team

Raymond was producing at the time but what AV loved more was he could play PK and didn't see Grabner there at the time. But if they didn't trade him away for nothing he may have had another chance... that was Gilles move ....
- Nuck4U

True. That was a GM blunder. It seems like AV's distaste for Grabner definitely muddied the water for Gillis. GM's tend to do this much quicker when it's not their own first rounder. It was easy for Gillis to be influenced by AV's handling of the young players he was not familiar with. It didnt end there... because he was a throw in treated like this, the Panthers were easily influenced as well... chain reaction. Islanders scored a very useful player for nothing.

But back to the original point though,,, AV was too arrogant early on. He's a different person a decade later but he really made it hard for us to transition offensive prospects into the line up. It was almost like he was scheming to get rid of them to save himself the hassle.

Make no mistake, you would not see JV in the line up if we still had AV here this season. Horvat wouldnt have played his rookie season that early and the attitudes of both McCann and JV would most likely have been oil and water with AV. Not to mention that we had a dressing room (Moose)clique that AV heavily influenced at the time. It caused problems with young and new players...

I like the Desert Lemmings. The mascot will be a giant lemming who wears a crown with a long cape. The cheerleading team will be called Donna's Dance Team
- CanuckDon

Where is Vantel Lemming anyways? Did Master Lemming and Subban Shack squash their beefs over some lunch time pints?
- CanuckDon

I was at work all day. Were you guys talking about me ? That's so nice

This thread...

Nearly as good as when Vantel was anointed super scout

You are all good posters in my books

The Ballard trade ended up being really bad but at the time I seem to recall most people though the Canucks had done really well to get him. Grabner was part of the cost to acquire a top 4 D.
- belcherbd

Part of the cost? I doubt the Panthers thought that or would they have just simply thrown him away?

We make a stink over losing players like Corrado on waivers. That move still makes me laugh at the Panthers. Feels good because I think Gillis secretly worked for them!(joke)

Will they wear capes?
- Marwood

Glitter

to be honest, at the time, i didn't mind throwing him in the trade. that 1st round pick is what made the deal "over payment," in my mind.

further honesty, i thought that ballard was exactly the type of player the team needed at the time.

a durable and tough dman that wouldn't be heavily relied on but could provide an all around game to complement the pretty strong d corps (at the time.) yeah, he was all of those things except the opposite.

that worked out well.
- RealityChecker

I'm trying to remember... but wasnt he traded to us recovering from a string of injuries or did they just start when Ballard arrived and I'm thinking of Booth which we all knew was injury prone and dumb as a stick before he got here?

I'm trying to remember... but wasnt he traded to us recovering from a string of injuries or did they just start when Ballard arrived and I'm thinking of Booth which we all knew was injury prone and dumb as a stick before he got here?
- boonerbuck

I think Ballard was fine but ended up with a bum hip?

I like the Desert Lemmings. The mascot will be a giant lemming who wears a crown with a long cape. The cheerleading team will be called Donna's Dance Team
- CanuckDon

I trust you will swoop in on your Pegasus on opening night, as you anoint the first ever head coach of the Desert Lemmings, John Tortarella, with the gilded coaching sword.

I'm trying to remember... but wasnt he traded to us recovering from a string of injuries or did they just start when Ballard arrived and I'm thinking of Booth which we all knew was injury prone and dumb as a stick before he got here?
- boonerbuck

I think he just had surgery (or needed it) and wasn't quite 100% when he arrived. I wanna guess hip but I can't remember

EDIT: It was apparently a hip thing according to this article:

His first season with the Canucks was a telethon shy of a disaster. He had hip surgery before his June 2010 trade to Vancouver and wasn’t physically ready for the season. When his body came around, his confidence went away, scorched by the blast furnace of playing in a Vancouver market oversold on what Ballard could realistically deliver as a player.

http://www.windsorstar.co.../story.html#ixzz4OKrUreAJ

TSN Bio says he was concussed Oct 17 of his first season too

- RealityChecker

You think WD is doing that with what he likes to see in a player i.e. His type of guy..
- Nuck4U

No I don't see it. AV was like this on a grand scale.

I think Ballard was fine but ended up with a bum hip?
- golfingsince

Only player in the modern NHL to wear his hip out doing hip checks

I think he just had surgery (or needed it) and wasn't quite 100% when he arrived. I wanna guess hip but I can't remember

EDIT: It was apparently a hip thing according to this article:


TSN Bio says he was concussed Oct 17 of his first season too
- WhiteLie

Ya i remember him getting a concussion within the first couple of games on a hit from richardson

Only player in the modern NHL to wear his hip out doing hip checks

- boonerbuck

I wish this was true.....Hamhuis.

Sorry if I missed anyone!

- golfingsince

I was at work all day. Were you guys talking about me ? That's so nice
- VANTEL

Master Lemming! We aren't worthy

Master Lemming! We aren't worthy
- CanuckDon

Pshaw enough about me what about JV

McIlrath . Honestly could it be worse than Pizza Boy?

I know he is cheaper and tougher.

McIlrath . Honestly could it be worse than Pizza Boy?

I know he is cheaper and tougher.
- VANTEL

Right hand shot ....don't know if he can play on the left side

I'm trying to remember... but wasnt he traded to us recovering from a string of injuries or did they just start when Ballard arrived and I'm thinking of Booth which we all knew was injury prone and dumb as a stick before he got here?
- boonerbuck

Yeah he showed up on crutches after having surgery.