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Vesey Update: 8/18/16

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As reported earlier, free agent Jimmy Vesey met with seven teams today as he continues to deliberate where he will sign. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs have joined the Buffalo Sabres on the not-so-short short list of teams that Vesey is officially considering. ESPN’s Joe McDonald learned that no decision will be made today, as Vesey will sit down with agent Peter Fish and other representation, family members, and advisors tonight to discuss options. A decision is expected Friday or Saturday.

There is no clear clubhouse leader among the teams in consideration so far. As could be expected, all of Vesey’s meetings over the past few days were reportedly “great”. Teams can only sway the Hobey Baker winner with their pitches of play time, team success, organizational culture, and more, as Vesey’s contract will be locked in at an entry-level $925K plus bonuses no matter where he chooses to play.

McDonald reports that star power has been in full effect thus far, with Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Cory Schneider, and several Bruins among those in attendance at Vesey’s meetings in Boston. Sidney Crosby has also reportedly reached out, and friends of Vesey’s like Jack Eichel and brothers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes have likely been in his ear all summer.

Those with an inside source within the Vesey meetings and mullings have not been shy about reporting their thoughts. Sportsnet’s Howard Berger says not to be surprised if Vesey signs with the Maple Leafs, but also warns that Buffalo is very much still in the mix. Mike Grinnel of ESPN New Hampshire confirms the theory of colleague Jimmy Murphy that the New Jersey Devils are leading the chase. DJ Bean of Boston’s WEEI hears that the Bruins excelled in their meeting with Vesey and are still considered major contenders, counter to cross-town rival Joe Haggerty of CSN New England who said that Boston is all but out. Many have become skeptical of the Penguins ability to sign Vesey, having just re-signed Matt Cullen and reportedly having reached an agreement with another college free agent, Notre Dame’s Thomas DiPauli. All is quiet on the NYC front as well, with both the Islanders and Rangers considered strong contenders, but little chatter to support either’s position. Perhaps the most accurate “insider information” out there is the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kruc’s take on Vesey and the Blackhawks, that they are just waiting for a decision from the Harvard star and that no known pecking order is in place.

With all of the noise out there about Jimmy Vesey and his destination, the best move for those following along with the storyline is to sit back and relax. A decision will come in the next couple of days, and no reports by Vesey’s sources (who have been all over the place thus far) will make any difference until the ink has dried on his first contract. In the end, one team will emerge triumphant, and our attention will turn to the seven who lost out and may look for additional scoring support before the start of the new season. Until then, #VeseyWatch rolls on.

 

Vesey Sweepstakes Reportedly Down To Seven Teams

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Update (4:30pm): Make that eight teams. Obviously the Buffalo Sabres are still very much in the mix, but were omitted from the original report because they were not one of the seven teams who met with Vesey today. The Sabres have had months to negotiate with the Hobey Baker winner, after acquiring his rights from the Nashville Predators, but Vesey’s plan has always been to test free agency and hear the pitches of other interested teams. This does not mean that Buffalo is out of the running as a possible destination, only that Vesey has heard their pitch many times and is now considering what other teams have to say as well. It’s eight teams right now, which is hardly narrowing it down, but the next 24 hours should be telling as #VeseyWatch continues.

ESPN’s Joe McDonald reports that the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes are down to seven finalists. The Blackhawks, Bruins, Devils, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Penguins, and Rangers are all listed as having a shot at the highly sought after winger from Harvard. Five of these teams were previously listed among our own speculative favorites for Vesey, with the Penguins and Islanders making a recent push.

This report would seem to suggest that other teams rumored to have interest, such as the Red Wings, Flyers, Hurricanes, and Blue Jackets, were unable to convince Vesey to join them.

With the exception of the Blackhawks, these are all Eastern Conference teams. Fully half the Metropolitan Division, whose pitches we discussed here, are among the seven finalists. While our above linked preview of Vesey’s free agency discussed what some teams have to offer, the Penguins and Islanders are certainly attractive situations themselves. The Islanders would likely give Vesey an opportunity to play with John Tavares, while beginning his career in New York City. Vesey’s agent, Peter Fish, has spoken positively about the lure of playing in New York. The Penguins on the other hand are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and would give Vesey a very high likelihood of playing regularly with one of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. It’s never a bad thing to get to start your career on a line with a veteran superstar.

The Vesey camp says that a decision will not come today.

Vesey Update: Harvard’s Ted Donato On ESPN Radio

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ESPN New Hampshire’s “The Stretch Run” with Pete Sheppard and Jimmy Murphy took #VeseyWatch to the airwaves today, debating the possible landing spots for Harvard star and one-man free agent frenzy Jimmy Vesey. Murphy revealed his prediction to be the New Jersey Devils, based on some inside information, as well as the plethora of USA Hockey connections in the organization and the ample cap space that the Devils have. New Jersey is in a unique situation compared to many of the major players in the Vesey sweepstakes, in that they are well below the NHL salary cap, so the roster that Vesey sees now is unlikely to change due to his signing there, and down the road the Devils could have the space to award Vesey with an expensive, long-term extension.

As a New England station, the pair then predictably analyzed the prospect of Vesey on the Boston Bruins. However, neither felt strongly about the Bruins’ chances. They felt that Claude Julien’s approach of being hard on young players and making them earn their play time, a system that sent Alexander Khokhlachev packing to Russia, may scare away a college free agent like Vesey. They also described the Bruins as a poor fit for Vesey compared to rest of the field, as they could not guarantee him success and playoff experience due to their poor defensive depth, nor could they guarantee him a top six role, with Brad Marchand, Matt Beleskey, and Frank Vatrano in the fold and Julien’s penchant for being tough on young players.

However, when Harvard University head coach Ted Donato, a former Bruin himself, joined the show, the mood towards the Bruins changed somewhat. He acknowledged  that Vesey “is and always will be” a Bruins fan, and said that he knows from experience that Boston has a great fan base and strong tradition, and that it is an honor for local kids to play for the team. Donato sounded skeptical about the current Boston team when asked about the state of the Bruins, but seemed optimistic about the moves they have made with an eye toward the future. Whether or not that is an obligatory remark from the father of Bruins prospect Ryan Donato, it seems like Donato considers the Bruins to be very much in the mix for Vesey’s talents.

Donato did stop short of endorsing the Bruins as the destination for Vesey though, and said that he has tried to stay away from that situation. He describes Vesey as being “smart”, “well-spoken” and “humble”, and that he, his family, and his agents are taking a “down-to-earth” and reasonable approach to finding the right spot for the Hobey Baker winner. Donato listed the Rangers and Blackhawks (who Sheppard and Murphy call the “Patriots” of the NHL) as great franchises who are in the mix, and said that every team will have something to offer Vesey and that it will be a difficult choice.

While Donato did not reveal any real insider information about Vesey’s decision, it was a good segment from a guy who knows Vesey very well and has NHL experience and a great hockey mind himself. Listen for yourself and learn more about the young man who already has the entire hockey world captivated.

 

Vesey Updates: 8/16/2016

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4:00pm: Teams not considered major contenders for Jimmy Vesey will nonetheless reach out to the representatives of the college star. Even if there is only the slightest chance that Vesey will even meet with the team, it is still worth it to inquire about this unique situation. Two such teams in this position are the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, though more will surely be calling.

12:32pm: The Boston Bruins are set up to make the final pitch to Vesey, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. This may or may not give the Bruins an advantage over the competition but it can’t hurt Boston to have the final word as they work to recruit the hometown kid.

12:00pm: Even though they haven’t been linked previously as a contender for his services, we can nonetheless now count the Detroit Red Wings out of the Vesey sweepstakes. Ansar Kan of MLive reports that the Wings did indeed make a pitch to Vesey’s camp, focusing on the team’s depth and potential playing time, but according to assistant general manager Ryan Martin, the club was told that Vesey “preferred to play closer to home.” This news might potentially impact the Blackhawks odds of landing the coveted forward since Chicago also is not geographically close to Vesey’s hometown of Boston.

10:36am: Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News confirms the probability that Vesey will also meet with Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers, “as soon as Wednesday,” before making his final decision by week’s end.

Jimmy Vesey, and speculation surrounding with whom the former Harvard star would sign his first pro contract, has dominated NHL headlines for weeks seemingly. With time having run out on Buffalo’s window of exclusivity to get the young forward under contract, any other club interested in bringing Vesey into the fold can officially begin negotiating with his representation as of 12:01am today. Even though it’s been reported Vesey will likely not sign until later this week, Pro Hockey Rumors will continue to monitor the latest news today using this post with updates appearing at the top of this post.

According to Mark Divver of The Providence Journal, Vesey is set to meet with the Isles, Penguins, Leafs and Devils today. While it was expected that essentially every NHL club would express at least some interest in adding Vesey to their ranks, the Penguins have rarely been listed among the top suitors up to this point. But the opportunity to play with two of the world’s best players – Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – and for a team fresh off a Stanley Cup win has to be enticing so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise Vesey would at least meet with the Pittsburgh contingent as he weighs his options.

It’s likely that Vesey and his reps will also take meetings with other teams throughout the week before making his decision. Chicago has often been listed as a potential front-runner in the sweepstakes and Boston is Vesey’s hometown team so expect both of those clubs to also get a shot to woo him in person.

 

 

The Jimmy Vesey Sweepstakes Begin

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After months of speculation, Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey finally has his wish and is now an unrestricted free agent. The Nashville Predators’ 66th 0verall pick in 2012 is now an unrestricted free agent as of 12:01 AM EST. However, Vesey isn’t expected to sign anywhere until later this week.

Vesey is not the only pending free agent coming out of college, but he’s definitely the biggest name on the list. He’s expected to be able to step right in to an NHL team’s top nine forwards and produce. The Hockey News’ 2016-17 Pool Guide predicted his output at 18 goals and 20 assists in 80 games. Thirty-eight points as a rookie would put him in the same neighbourhood as Sam Bennett, Joonas Donskoi, Robby Fabbri, and Nikolaj Ehlers in 2015-16.

Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, New Jersey, New York Rangers, and Toronto have all been talked about as potential landing spots. Each has certain charms that would entice Vesey. You can read Pro Hockey Rumors’ breakdown of each of those teams here.

Wherever he signs, Vesey will get the maximum allowable rookie salary $925K plus $2.85MM in bonuses for a potential total of $3.775MM per season for two seasons. This means his decision will be made based on the situation of the team, and not money.

Of course, signing college free agents hasn’t always turned out for NHL teams. When Justin Schultz signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2012, he was expected to be the Paul Coffey of the modern Oilers. Instead, his game stagnated and he was ultimately booed out of town; he was traded to Pittsburgh where he was slotted as a bottom pairing/ depth defenseman. TSN radio host Jason Gregor penned a piece on college free agents at Oilers Nation on Monday, where he quoted an NHL scout as saying “NCAA free agents have become the most overrated and over-hyped asset in hockey”.

It’s not that they’re not good players, the scout told Gregor. It’s that “teams treat them like they are going to be stars. They get into bidding wars and pay them like they are top-three draft picks. It’s crazy,” according to the scout.

Recent college signing Kevin Hayes represents a decent comparable. His two NHL seasons of 36 and 45 points would represent a solid start for Vesey as a future top six winger. That’s an impressive total for a rookie, but not in the first-overall-pick range. Adjusting for the lockout-shortened season and Connor McDavid’s injury-shortened campaign, the last five forwards selected first overall have scored an average of 59 points in their rookie season. Taylor Hall’s 42 points represents the low end, while McDavid’s 87-point-pace is the high mark.

More to come…

Potential Landing Spots For Jimmy Vesey

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Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey is one of the better college free agents to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in recent years. Let’s break down the main contenders for his services, and why he would choose each of them.

Boston Bruins –
Why he’ll sign: Vesey played at Harvard, which is just outside Boston. He told Joe Haggerty of CSN that he’s been a Bruins fan his whole life; he wears number 19 for former Bruins captain Joe Thornton and is friends with Bruins forward Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Torey Krug. Despite signing David Backes, the Bruins still need help up front and could offer Vesey playing time with one of their top two centers in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

Why he won’t sign: The Bruins have missed the playoffs for two straight seasons, and appear to be spinning their wheels as neither a bottom feeder nor a legit Stanley Cup contender. Read more

A Closer Look At Jimmy Vesey’s Suitors

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We’re quickly approaching the last day before Harvard Crimson forward Jimmy Vesey can sign with any team of his choosing. The Buffalo Sabres hold his exclusive negotiating rights through Monday because of a June trade with the Nashville Predators. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that there have been some last minute talks between the Sabres and Vesey. Still, both the player and his agent, Peter Fish, have maintained their desire to reach free agency.

That said, let’s take a look at which teams are said to be in the running, and what kind of fit they can provide.

  • Boston Bruins: The Bruins have been named as a potential suitor for a long time now. While more recent reports suggest they may not be serious contenders, there’s reason to think they’d be of interest to Vesey. Vesey is a Massachusetts native, and his father Jim was briefly a Bruin. Despite missing the playoffs in consecutive years, few think the Bruins are a bad team. They could reasonably provide a strong shot at contention if other prospects contribute right away. One impediment is in his position. With Brad Marchand, Ryan Spooner, and Matt Beleskey at left wing, Vesey wouldn’t necessarily have to disappoint to end up on the fourth line quickly.
  • Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres hold his rights for at least the next several hours, and as mentioned above, they’re still negotiating. They also have a group that’s fairly young, and their best players will peak with Vesey. Sabres forward Jack Eichel has been playing with and recruiting Vesey all summer. There’s a lot to like about the situation in Buffalo. The problem is that it raises questions about why he has not yet signed. It’s not unfair to wonder if he already has a location in mind. If the Sabres haven’t convinced him yet, it’s hard to imagine the ability to hear out rivals will help their cause.
  • Chicago Blackhawks: Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has reportedly been watching Vesey much of the summer. The team is perhaps the most intriguing suitor for Vesey. They’re constant contenders, with three Stanley Cups this decade, and have a hole at left wing on their top line. Assuming Artemi Panarin will stay on the second line with Patrick Kane, consider the sales pitch.  If you win a left wing spot fought over mostly by rookies, you could start the season on a line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Not a bad way to start your career. It’s not every day a team can offer both an easier path to ice time and a more serious chance to win.
  • New Jersey Devils: A recent addition to the Vesey discussion, the Devils stand out among the suitors. They’re not a recent contender, a huge market, in any way connected to him, or in particular need of a left wing. But maybe that’s why it makes sense. Fish told PuckDaddy’s Josh Cooper that Vesey likes to be under the radar.  New Jersey is a calmer market, having less media. With Taylor Hall and Mike Cammalleri at left wing, nothing will be handed to him. If he underachieves in New Jersey, he goes and learns what he needs to in the minors. If he underachieves in Chicago, he’s dragging down a Cup contender in one of America’s largest cities.
  • New York Rangers: Giving us a reason to take what agents say with a grain of salt, Fish also wondered aloud about the New York Rangers. Speaking to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Fish said “it’s special playing in the Big Apple.” Agents want every team to think they have a chance, or fans to, out of hopes it will drive the bidding war. Sometimes they’ll contradict themselves to achieve this. That said, the Rangers have never had a problem recruiting free agents. They do, however, run into the same problems other listed teams do. With Rick Nash and Chris Kreider both at left wing, there’s not an obvious open spot. This likely won’t stop them from bidding, because at Nash’s age, you can’t take anything for granted.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs: The original suitor for Vesey, many NHL fans originally heard of him through rumors surrounding the Leafs. Mentioned as a potential favorite in almost every report, the Maple Leafs drafted his brother Nolan in 2014, and employ his father as a scout. As a rebuilding team, they offer many of the same age-related advantages as the Sabres do. The problem as of right now is that he’d have no idea what he’s getting into. While the only real lock to play on the left wing is James van Riemsdyk, the Leafs gave solid looks to all of Nikita Soshnikov, Brendan Leipsic, and Josh Leivo last year. They also acquired left winger Kerby Rychel from the Blue Jackets at the draft. Even if you write off the Maple Leaf careers of Milan Michalek, Brooks Laich, and Colin Greening, the organization is stacked with players with potential. Not even have would have to pan out to cost Vesey ice time. It’s not every day players with other options sign on for a tough fight to make a last place team.

Training Camp Invite Tracker

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Over the course of the offseason more and more players will accept invitations to join team training camps. Usually these are players trying to resurrect their career or to show that they have one or two more years left before retirement. Notable training camp invites last year included Lee Stempniak and Jonas Gustavsson.

Making a team as an invitee is harder than just being one of the top-12 forwards or top-6 defensemen. Teams are usually looking for specific needs, such as a speedy second line forward or a defenseman who can eat minutes. Teams may want to save their bottom roster spots for developing prospects, so invitees risk being cut unless they meet a team’s identified need.

Here are the notable players who have been invited to training camps thus far. The list excludes players that are attending camps but are already signed to minor league contracts or prospects who are hoping to earn a minor league deal. Check here often for updates.

Training Camp Invites

Anaheim Ducks:
Sean Bergenheim
David Booth
Yann Danis
David Jones

Arizona Coyotes:
Zach Boychuk

Boston Bruins:
Peter Mueller

Calgary Flames:
Luke Adam
Jamie Devane
Matt Frattin
Nicklas Grossmann
Chris Higgins
Lauri Korpikoski
Colby Robak

Carolina Hurricanes:
Raffi Torres

Colorado Avalanche:
Gabriel Bourque
Rene Bourque
Jiri Tlusty

Columbus Blue Jackets:
Keith Aule
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Mike Brown
Aaron Palushaj
Jarret Stoll

Edmonton Oilers:
Eric Gryba
Kris Versteeg
Ryan Vesce

Florida Panthers:
Justin Fontaine
Adam Pardy

Los Angeles Kings:
Lucas Lessio
Tom McCollum
Devin Setoguchi

Minnesota Wild:
Ryan Carter
Tomas Fleischmann

New Jersey Devils:
Brian Gibbons
Anders Lindback

New York Islanders:
Steve Bernier
Stephen Gionta

New York Rangers:
Maxim Lapierre

Ottawa Senators:
Matt Bartkowski

Philadelphia Flyers:
Corban Knight

St. Louis Blues:
T.J. Galiardi
Eric Nystrom
Chris Porter
Yan Stastny
Mike Weber

Tampa Bay Lightning:
James Wisniewski

Toronto Maple Leafs:
Jeff Glass
Raman Hrabarenka
Brandon Prust

Vancouver Canucks:
Jack Skille
Tuomo Ruutu
James Sheppard

Washington Capitals:
Drew MacIntyre

Off-Season To Date: Atlantic Division

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While there’s still business to be done, most of the major moves are over with by now. Today we’ll be providing a run down of where teams stand, along with notes on what they have left to do. We’ll start with the Atlantic division. For our purposes, lists of arrivals, departures, re-signings, and remaining restricted free agents will include players without NHL rookie eligibility. Cap numbers and roster sizes are per CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Buffalo Sabres

Detroit Red Wings

Florida Panthers

Montreal Canadiens

Ottawa Senators

Tampa Bay Lightning

Toronto Maple Leafs

Latest On Jimmy Vesey

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11:57am: Speculation is running rampant now, but Adrian Dater of Bleacher Report is hearing that the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs are the finalists for Vesey, and that Jonathan Toews will be present at the Hawks’ recruitment on Monday.  He’s confirmed that Stan Bowman, the Hawks’ GM, has gone to see Vesey skate twice recently. With so many conflicting reports, the “Vesey Sweepstakes” has become the biggest story in the NHL, though he still has to prove his ability at the next level.

10:55am: Mark Divver of The Providence Journal reports that New York Islanders’ GM Garth Snow was in Foxboro yesterday to see Vesey skate. Assuming that most teams at least have some interest in the soon-to-be free agent this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, though it does add some intrigue to the next few days.

9:42am: All offseason, one of the biggest stories has been the upcoming free agency of Harvard forward Jimmy Vesey. After being selected by the Nashville Predators, Vesey would not sign and, after having his rights traded to the Buffalo Sabres a few months ago, will become a free agent on August 15th.  Here’s the latest:

Today, Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald tells us that the Vesey camp has narrowed their list down to six teams that still includes Buffalo. Vesey’s agent, Peter Fish, said:

What Jimmy wants to do is see it through. He’s wanted to go to free agency and he’s going to see it through. There’s about 4-5 teams other than Buffalo that he wants to hear from. And then after that he’s going to make a decision. I think he’d love for the Bruins to be one of those teams. I assume that we will be taking a call from them.

This, obviously, stands in the face of Joe Haggarty’s report yesterday that the Bruins had become an unlikely landing spot for Vesey. Haggarty had a source that said the Blackhawks, Devils, Rangers, Leafs and Sabres had all passed Boston on the list of likely suitors leaving the Bruins to try and make up ground in the next few days.

Fish of course, was at the Beantown Summer Classic when he spoke to reporters, making the addition of the Bruins note understandable. In the Herald piece, Harris writes that one “very-well informed area NHL scout” believes that the Blackhawks, Rangers and Bruins will eventually be the finalists. Vesey will ultimately choose whichever team he wants to play for regardless of money, since each club will likely offer him the same ELC. Fish lends credence to this, with another telling quote:

We’ve looked at depth charts with some teams and talked about them. . . . There’s obviously a lot of thought that goes into it: The city, the coach, the GM, the salary structure, how a team treats their players in the second and third contracts down the road.

Whatever happens, Vesey has a huge reputation to now uphold, as he’s been the belle of the ball this summer. If he struggles – and he likely will struggle at times – fan perception could turn quickly on the 23-year old.  We’ll keep an eye on the situation for the next few days, and look to bring you the news of his decision as soon as it happens – whether it be Monday or down the line.

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