Report: Penguins, Maple Leafs among first teams to meet with UFA Jimmy Vesey
The New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils will also reportedly meet with Vesey Tuesday
By
Chris Peters
•
5 min read
Highly-touted prospect Jimmy Vesey is officially an unrestricted free agent. After passing the August 15th deadline without signing with the Buffalo Sabres who acquired his draft rights from the Nashville Predators, he can speak with any team he likes and they've already started lining up.
Vesey's agents were expected to take calls from a lot of teams, but the Harvard University standout was only going to talk to a select number of them about potentially joining their teams. According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, Vesey and his reps will start meeting with teams Tuesday in the Boston area.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders are among the teams that have been granted an audience with the 23-year-old left winger in Boston Tuesday, per Divver. Vesey and his agents, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli, will also reportedly meet with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins by Wednesday, according to ESPN.com. The Buffalo Sabres, having acquired Vesey's rights in June, were able to meet with the prospect to make their pitch prior to the August 15th deadline.
It would at least appear now that if a team is not on that list already, they're not going to be added to the mix. While unconfirmed, this looks like the field set to battle for Vesey's services.
As a quick reminder (full Vesey free agency primer here), Vesey's earning potential maxes out at a $925,000 base salary under the NHL's entry-level system. He can make up to $2.85 million in performance bonuses. There is no bidding war since teams can't overspend those limits. It's a pure recruitment battle.
So let's take a look at the Vesey connections to each team he'll reportedly meet with and what they might have to offer the reigning Hobey Baker winner:
Boston Bruins: As the team Vesey grew up rooting for while growing up in Charlestown, Mass., they've long been believed to be a favorite. That has seemed less and less certain as this process has taken a few twists and turns. Vesey would help fix Boston's holes in their scoring attack, especially after winger Loui Eriksson departed. Meanwhile, Vesey has a chance to stay home, just as he has throughout much of his hockey career.
Buffalo Sabres: GM Tim Murray gambled by spending a third-round pick to acquire Vesey's exclusive negotiating rights after he eschewed offers from the Predators. Dealing from a surplus of draft picks, it was a low-risk acquisition that bought Murray a head start on the other teams. Vesey has spent the offseason playing in the same summer pro league with Sabres center Jack Eichel. Joining the Sabres puts Vesey in the mix to help them come out of their rebuild. The roster has a lot of potential and Vesey could potentially be a top-six winger in this group right away, or top nine at worst.
Chicago Blackhawks: It may be surprising given their stature in the league, but Chicago is in real need of forward help. They still haven't adequately replaced Brandon Saad on Jonathan Toews' wing. Vesey would be a realistic option at his price. While Chicago is unlikely going to be able to promise him anything with Joel Quenneville's control of the everyday lineup, they can float the option of playing with Toews to him. The Blackhawks can also point to last year's success story of Artemi Panarin as a rookie free agent making an immediate impact (and hitting all of his bonuses).
New Jersey Devils: One of the late arrivals to the Vesey sweepstakes, at least in terms of teams he was rumored to be connected with, the Devils have a real shot here. There is a prior relationship between the Vesey family and New Jersey assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald. Additionally, the Devils are really focusing on building up their forward corps. Adding Vesey to a mix that includes Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Mike Cammalleri and Adam Henrique would certainly boost the club's scoring attack.
New York Islanders: The Isles kind of came out of nowhere to enter the Vesey mix. It was reported only last week that Garth Snow was out scouting Vesey's summer league game and suddenly they're among the teams reportedly meeting with the player. After losing Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen in free agency, they could use some extra scoring help. Would the Isles float the possibility of playing with John Tavares? Or is that spot already spoken for by UFA acquisition Andrew Ladd? Either way, the Isles have something to dangle.
New York Rangers: Having successfully landed Kevin Hayes, a friend of Vesey's, as a UFA on expired draft rights, the Rangers could be looking to strike gold again. Vesey would be an interesting option to potentially sneak into New York's top six. They don't have a lot of cap space to work with, but they have more than enough to accommodate Vesey. He'd be a nice addition to NYR's forward group even though it's the Rangers' blue line that still needs a lot of work.
Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens had continually been mentioned on the fringes of the Vesey pursuit, but their interest shouldn't be terribly surprising. As a cap-strapped team, Vesey's affordability and potential to find a role among their top-nine forwards make him a good candidate for the defending champs. Pittsburgh's pitch is pretty easy: Come play on the same team as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, you might even end up on one of their wings. Pretty strong case.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Long tied to Vesey due to his father, former pro hockey player Jim Vesey, working as a scout for the team, the Leafs are going to be one of the first teams in. Toronto can always afford to add more scoring and Vesey very well could slot in at left wing behind James van Riemsdyk on the depth chart by next season. The Leafs can sell hockey-mad Toronto, Mike Babcock and his credentials, and the fact that they envision him as a part of their rebuild alongside the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.
The meetings should be completed by Wednesday, with a decision expected by Friday according to ESPN.com. If this is indeed the final list for Vesey to choose from, he's got a lot of good options to start his NHL career.
