Heard from TSN/NBC analyst Pierre McGuire yesterday. Pierre was at Canada’s world junior development camp in Ottawa, and he reports Colton Gillies, who won gold with the Canadian world junior team last year, “looked great. Looked bigger, and faster than last season. He has huge upside.”

Still, Gillies has a shot at making the Wild next season, and if he does, it’s unlikely the Wild would release him for world juniors. But we’ll see.

Also, here’s a look at Brian Lawton’s busy summer as part of today’s article, which you can find here.

Let’s just go in chronological order after Barry Melrose’s June 24 hire as coach:

* June 25: buy out Marc Denis;

* June 28: Trade for the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts;

* June 30: Acquire Janne Niskala, sign Malone to a seven-year, $31.5 million

contract, Roberts to a one-year deal that could reach over $2 million with

bonuses and Vinny Prospal to a four-year, $14 million deal, and trade for Brian

Rolston’s rights;

* July 1: sign Radim Vrbata to a three-year, $9 million deal, Adam Hall to a

three-year, $1.8 million deal and Olaf Kolzig to a one-year, $1.5 million deal;

* July 4: persuade a sour Dan Boyle, who signed a six-year, $40 million

extension in February, to waive his no-trade clause so he could be dealt to San

Jose for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart and a first- and fourth-round pick;

* July 8: sign Mark Recchi to a one-year, $1.25 million deal;

* July 11: accept GM Jay Feaster’s, uh, resignation;

* July 13: sign Vincent Lecavalier to an innovative 11-year, $85 million

extension;

* July 14: sign Mike Smith to a two-year, $4.4 million extension.

* July 22: name Mike Butters GM in Norfolk, Darren Rumble coach

* July 23: announce prospect camp in Victoria, B.C.

* July 29: sign No. 1 overall pick Steven Stamkos to an entry-level deal.

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