Heading into the B.C. Hockey League season it looked, at least on paper, that the strength of the Victoria Grizzlies would come in the form of a veteran-laden blue-line.

Stability on the back end — in the form of veterans Nick Buchanan, Sean Robertson, Taylor Pernerowski, Braxton Bilous, Braden Pears, and highly touted rookie Nolan DeJong — was expected to be the least of the team’s concerns, in September.

Forty-seven games later, it’s as obvious as the rather large nose on Cyrano de Bergerac’s face that team defence has, um, stunk.

With 221 goals against, the Grizzlies’ ability to defend — as a whole — has been non-existent at times, averaging a whopping 4.70 goals against per game. Only the Trail Smoke Eaters are worse at 4.95 a game, surrendering 213 goals in 43 outings.

It seems like only yesterday that Grizzlies owner/head coach Len Barrie was extolling the virtues of his defensive corps: “You’ve got Robertson, who is an all-star. Buchanan is in his fourth year and I think he’s going to have a really big year. Pernerowski can lead the league in scoring by defencemen and you’ve got Bilous, who should get drafted [by the National Hockey League]. The nucleus is right there,” he said at year’s start.

Buchanan is having a big year, albeit in Penticton, traded in late September.

Robertson was later moved to Vernon and Pears was shipped to Salmon Arm.

Pernerowski was enjoying a good year, but suffered a concussion and was eventually swapped at the trade deadline.

DeJong has been pretty sharp for a rookie.

Which leaves you at Bilous, who has been a bit of an anomaly. The six-foot-one, 192-pounder readily admits 2011-12 has been an unfortunate struggle at times. Looking back, maybe Barrie’s NHL draft comment was too much, too soon for the 17-year-old, who was just entering his second BCHL season.

“I had very high expectations for myself, as did Len,” Bilous said after a recent return from a shoulder injury. “I still hope I can prove myself and prove that those expectations are true as I finish off the season.

“We’re hoping we can turn things around and get back on the winning side,” added the Langley native.

The Grizzlies will have that chance with games tonight against Coquitlam and Saturday versus Powell River, both at 7:15 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena.

“We still come to the rink expecting to win every game. We try to put our best out there and whatever happens, happens,” said Bilous.

To date, Bilous has three goals and seven assists in 40 games played, well shy of goals established. But he was selected to the CJHL Prospects Game in Langley during the World Jr. A Hockey Challenge.

Bilous has committed to Merrimack University for 2013-14, but isn’t about to give up on this year.

“It’s been an up and down season with everything that’s happened,” he said. “The start didn’t go as well as I wanted it to, but it’s starting to pick up again now.

“We’ve been an up and down team all season, then we went on a down streak and that’s why everybody was traded away. Hopefully, we can rebuild and have a good season next year.”

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