Donald Brashear Is As Useful As a Lead-Plated Life Jacket

And with those life jackets the New York Rangers are sinking fast, along with the fans' patience.

When GM Glen Sather inked the enforcer , and I now use that word lightly, it was a head-scratcher.

Donald Brashear signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with the Blueshirts this past offseason. Not only was signing Brashear pointless, but it came on the heels of Brashear cheap-shotting C Blair Betts right out of the playoffs.

Colton Orr couldn't get four years at $1 million per, but this washed-up thug was able to land two years at $1.4 million? Give me a break.

When the signing was announced, although I hated it, I figured I would at least give him a chance to change my opinion on him. It hasn't. It's worsened.

There was a time when Brashear was a valuable asset to a team—again, I use those two words more gingerly than board work by Petr Nedved—but clearly he has worn out his welcome.

He was brought here to be an enforcer, right?

Well, the only thing he has been enforcing is the fact that he is a washed-up, no-talent, roster spot-eating, 235-lb embarrassment.

The days of the dinosaur in the NHL are gone. Enforcers must be able to play the game. He clearly can't.

Besides, to be an enforcer you should be enforcing something, right? You know, like enforcing the notion into your opponent's head that "you are going to get your facial parts rearranged if you mess with me, or my teammates."

Brashear not only got handled once, but he was clearly out-matched twice against Ottawa's Matt Carkner Thursday night.

Everyone has a role on a team. Brashear's role is not to score goals. It's not to dish the puck and accumulate assists. His role isn't to be a defensive specialist and shutdown opponents' top players. No. Brashear's role is to fight. To win fights. He is not playing his role.

What irks me the most is that a guy like Enver Lisin is wearing a suit, sitting in a box, watching rather than playing. Hell, at least Aaron Voros can pitch in the occasional offensive spark and plays the game overall a hell of a lot better than Brashear.

I mean it's not like the Rangers are in desperate need of scoring. It's not like the Rangers haven't scored a goal in the past 144 minutes. Henrik Lundqvist isn't about to go ballistic because he's required to be perfect every night or anything. I'm just saying.

Clearly dressing a goon that has been depleted of his only value is a much smarter decision than somebody who can help put the puck in the net.

It's time to toss Brashear overboard, no life vest.

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