If this guy already lost his confidence now, wow just being on the Blue Jackets is going to destroy his mental state for the rest of his hockey career.
Came to read up on Colton and was thinking this very thing as I was reading your guys' take on him. Sucks to think that about my own franchise...
Still, a low-risk proposition. Not like playing him the rest of the year is going to make the Jackets any worse.
If anyone can separate from how poorly he's been playing... How are his hands? And I'm seeing mixed reviews on his skating. Thanks.
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"Every game, every point is a necessity." -- Ty Conklin, January 2007
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Came to read up on Colton and was thinking this very thing as I was reading your guys' take on him. Sucks to think that about my own franchise...
Still, a low-risk proposition. Not like playing him the rest of the year is going to make the Jackets any worse.
If anyone can separate from how poorly he's been playing... How are his hands? And I'm seeing mixed reviews on his skating. Thanks.
Do you remember the ESPN NHL commercial "Clement, Clement, hands of cement?" when referring to Bill Clement? Yea, that's Gillies. Nice kid, can skate, has a big body, but no confidence, no hockey awareness, and no hands. This is harsh but he seems like a 12 year old (mentally) in a man's body.
Came to read up on Colton and was thinking this very thing as I was reading your guys' take on him. Sucks to think that about my own franchise...
Still, a low-risk proposition. Not like playing him the rest of the year is going to make the Jackets any worse.
If anyone can separate from how poorly he's been playing... How are his hands? And I'm seeing mixed reviews on his skating. Thanks.
He's a good/great skater his size. He can hit very well because of his huge body, but rarely does for reasons unknown to everybody. His hands are not that great at all, his decision making is not that great at all, hand his hockey sense is not up to par.
Basically: he has the physical ability to be a good player(size + skating), but his mental ability is not up to par(hockey sense, decision making)
Assets: he's big and can skate very well in a straight line
Faults: has no hands at all, literally sub AHL stickhandling ability...no offensive instincts or abilities whatsoever...decision making is not good...cannot think the game at the NHL level...is not capable of playing a physical game as he cannot follow the play enough to use his body...doesn't fight at all...obviously he doesn't have a shot in the least
The only way he will become an NHL player is if he can manage to keep up with the play enough to throw his body around and develops either some fighting skill or is paired up with two solid offensive players and he drives the net to screen the goalie or go for rebounds.
The only thing sad about this was he was always the "last guy out" type thing during training camp for a roster spot. Made you think he was on the fringe at the very least.
oh well maybe Todd Richards will have a friend now
Thanks for the feedback all. Jackets needs skaters and bangers but should be trying to get away from stacking the lineup with guys with little-to-no hockey sense.
Came to read up on Colton and was thinking this very thing as I was reading your guys' take on him. Sucks to think that about my own franchise...
Still, a low-risk proposition. Not like playing him the rest of the year is going to make the Jackets any worse.
If anyone can separate from how poorly he's been playing... How are his hands? And I'm seeing mixed reviews on his skating. Thanks.
He's a very good skater for his size. Hands, non-existent. You could've chopped them off and his stat line wouldn't be much different than it has been. Hockey sense, non-existent or a player with his physical skills would not be on waivers. Confidence, shot again, overwhelmed in this league.
Colton had a "statement" game last year against Dallas. He crashed, he banged, he went to the net and scored a goal. Arguably the best player on the ice that game. His confidence soared shortly after in the AHL playoffs, scoring 7 goals(tied for 1st on our team reaching the finals). After those performances we as an organization were sold, giving him his contract. He played decent for the first 10 games or so this year, but then he tailed off. The winning streak hid his poor play for awhile, and Yeo/Fletcher gave him ample time to get something going, but he hasn't. Aside from Disalvatore(a great AHL scorer), I don't think we've iced a worse NHL player this year.
I did call for this waiving a few days ago. He's not cutting it and never will without a confidence boost. Maybe he gets it in Columbus, maybe he doesn't. He hasn't got the basics down by 22 its unlikely it happens now.
Colton was a good trooper. I wish him the best, and I still have some faith that he can become a 4th line banger in the NHL playing 8-12 minutes a night.
You can't say our other 4th liners are really outplaying Gillies. Our 4th line is pretty worthless in general.
Staubitz is Gillies + fighting, so he's better.
McIntyre has looked pretty good, no complaints about him at all.
Peters just wins faceoffs. He's not terrible on the ice, so having a single positive is enough to be better.
Aside from DiSalvatore or Ortmeyer, I don't think you can argue that anyone else has been as or near as ineffective as Gillies. There's a half dozen guys who started the year in Houston who can at least fully replace him.
