Music: {allcanada} Ballard adjusting to a new life, a new team and a new body part

Monday, September 27, 2010

{allcanada} Ballard adjusting to a new life, a new team and a new body part

No wonder Keith Ballard (notes) is struggling. Look at the upheaval he must overcome.

The defenceman has a new home, new teammates, new system, new scrutiny and a new hip. Yes, hip.

It has received far less attention than off-season surgeries to Canuck teammates Alex Burrows and Sami Salo (notes), but Ballard had hip surgery last May significant enough to put him on crutches for two months.

It delayed his summer preparation. Judging by Sunday, when Ballard was awful against the Edmonton Oilers, the 27-year-old is still trying to catch up.

"There's a few days where it has been sore," Ballard said after the 8-2 blowout loss. "The hip has actually been pretty good. I was on crutches for two months. I was non-weight bearing for two months. It was a long process."

Ballard said he had a stress fracture repaired in his hip socket and a cyst removed from the area. It was the second hip surgery of his career, but Ballard said the injuries were unrelated.

"I played last year with it," he said of the fracture. "It was pretty apparent at the end of the season that I needed surgery."

He conceded Sunday he hasn't been good enough in his two pre-season appearances, but insisted his hip is not the problem. "I'm just not quite there yet," Ballard said. "It feels I'm a step off. I wouldn't say I'm a step slow, but the reads aren't … to the point where they're automatic. It's a fast game and, being a defenceman, you can't hesitate. You have to use your instincts. Some guys can turn it on as soon as they get back, and other guys it takes a little longer to get going. I'm also making adjustments living-wise, family-wise. That [transition] is different for every guy."

Ballard was acquired from the Florida Panthers in a draft-day trade in June. He has five years and $21-million left on his contract.