BRILLIANT DEDUCTION: TREVOR GILLIES CAN'T PLAY

Let me start off by saying we'll see worse hits this week that won't make TSN Sportscentre than the one that Trevor Gillies put on Cal Clutterbuck last week.  Clutterbuck, by the way, should have also got ten games for his hit that caused Gillies to come barrelling in for retribution.

Still, a lot of the hockey experts out there are wondering why Gillies is on an NHL roster because 'he can't play'.  Well, they are right.  Gillies can't play.  He never scored more than 6 goals in major junior.  Still, that didn't stop Brian Burke from giving him his first big break with Anaheim in 2006.  That's right.  Brian Burke.  The same guy that offered a tryout to Michael Liambas this past Fall.  Maybe Burke should be suspended.  Burke is also the guy that thinks Jay Rosehill is a serviceable NHL player.  Rosehill had 16-points in 42-games in the AJHL with Olds in his final season.  Maybe Rosehill is just a dominant defensive defenseman?  If that's the case, maybe Burke should come watch TJ Wees of the Weyburn Red Wings.

Before you point out that not all players who make the NHL are goal scorers, keep in mind that some of the other players in the NHL that have a 'role' to play were actually good major junior performers.  Matt Cooke put up over 90 points one year in the OHL.  Matthew Barnaby once scored a two points per game pace in the QMJHL and even registered over 40 points one year with the Buffalo Sabres.  Daniel Carcillo scored 30 goals with the Sarnia Sting. 

To me, if you are playing 3-4 minutes a night in major junior as a pugilist then there should be no reason whatsoever for a National Hockey League team to look at you.  Instead of scouting Steve MacIntyre, why not spend the money and evaluate a guy like Travis Eggum, who came close to scoring 60 goals in the SJHL?  Maybe Eggum could become a Dustin Penner type.  Or, maybe Eggum tops out as the type of player he was for the first two years in his SJHL career, which was a hard working third line type who could contribute the odd goal and be a player who is tough to play against, while honoring the rules of the game.  Imagine that.