This Fourth of July for the Minnesota Wild was a little less eventful than the last. Still, the Wild made another holiday splash by bringing in more help for their blue line. The Wild announced Thursday they agreed to terms on a two-year contract with defenseman Keith Ballard, who was available after being let go by Vancouver earlier this week with a compliance buyout to clear space under the salary cap.
Ballard was constantly in the dog house with AV, perhaps if the Canucks gave him a chance with Torts, we could have seen how that would've worked out... however Ballard will improve his game, he wants a fresh start and he's going to get one with the Wild. He won't be slated into the top pairing with Suter but perhaps a bottom 6 pairing or top 4 pairing if things work out well. Hope for the best for him as he will be missed by Canucks fans .