Keith Ballard Autographed Card

I wrote about Keith Ballard over three years ago, seeing much promise in his play when he was with the Florida Panthers; I thought for sure he'd end up a top defenseman when he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately, he came to the team on crutches, and has been marred by injuries ever since. He never caught his stride, which may have cost head coach Alain Vigneault his job in the end, along with the goaltending situation, and the Sedin twins' lack of offensive production come playoff time.

Still, Ballard is a fine talent, a good defensive player with a flair for manning special teams. I met him in December 2011, prior to a game against my hometown Montréal Canadiens, and he signed this card for me in blue sharpie:

It shows him wearing the Phoenix Coyotes' red (away) jersey and is from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Mini Jersey set (card #75). He has two seasons remaining on his current deal, and I have a feeling the 6-time Team USA member (U-18, World Juniors, and four World Championships) will be a permanent part of the Canucks' top-4 for both of them.