Jimmy Vesey: Possible 2016 UFA Leaf signing?

[Heroic Shrimp]

Bob McKenzie covers a lot of ground in his TSN article today, but among the topics was the consideration of whether top college player and current Nashville Predator property Jimmy Vesey might end up with the Leafs next summer:

http://www.tsn.ca/preds-can-do-little-but-wait-for-prospect-vesey-s-decision-1.399719

Preds can do little but wait for prospect Vesey

One can only imagine that Nashville general manager David Poile?s heart skipped a beat this past summer when the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Jim Vesey Sr. as an amateur scout in the New England region.

That?s because Harvard Crimson senior winger Jimmy Vesey  currently regarded as the ?best player in U.S. college hockey? - is a Nashville Predator prospect who, if he so chooses, can become an unrestricted free agent on August 15, 2016, by simply not signing with the Preds before then.

The Leafs hiring the father of a top prospect, who could opt for free agency over the Predators, was widely viewed in the NHL community as an all-too-obvious inducement to perhaps skew the player?s decision-making process in Toronto?s favour.

All?s fair in love and war and recruiting of NHL-ready goal-scoring wingers?

Perhaps.

The Leafs, however, maintain it was the elder Vesey who reached out to Toronto about a scouting job. Also worth noting is that Toronto drafted Nolan Vesey, Jimmy?s younger brother, in the sixth round (158th overall) of the 2014 draft. Nolan is currently a sophomore at the University of Maine.

There is also a third-party connection between Maple Leaf president Brendan Shanahan and Vesey Sr. that actually led to the hiring. They have a good mutual friend in former St. Louis Blue Kelly Chase. Vesey Sr. and Chase were teammates in the Blues? organization for the better part of three seasons and remain good friends today. Chase and Shanahan were also NHL teammates and remain good friends.

(more...)

 

[wnc096]

Bob McKenzie covers a lot of ground in his TSN article today, but among the topics was the consideration of whether top college player and current Nashville Predator property Jimmy Vesey might end up with the Leafs next summer:

Burkie's infamous found money

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Yeah this has been rumoured ever since the summer. Unfortunately like Poile all we can do is wait, but it could be a decent coup for us. I remember before the playoffs last year some people were saying that if Vesey opted to turn pro  then he could have had some impact with Nashville in the playoffs. But he decided to return for another year of school and that's what set off all the speculation about him potentially leaving.

 

[Kin]

I think I've reached a point with college free agents where I really have to see them contribute and contribute in a significant way at the NHL level before I'm too excited by them. It seems like there's been one of these guys every year and as a general rule they've been marginal contributors usually.

 

[rdowdall]

I think I've reached a point with college free agents where I really have to see them contribute and contribute in a significant way at the NHL level before I'm too excited by them. It seems like there's been one of these guys every year and as a general rule they've been marginal contributors usually.

Wouldn't this guy be more of a Blake Wheeler, Justin Schutlz type as opposed to a Tyler Bozak, Casey Bailey type?  He was drafted.  He just doesn't want to sign with Nashville.

 

[Kin]

Wouldn't this guy be more of a Blake Wheeler, Justin Schutlz type as opposed to a Tyler Bozak, Casey Bailey type?  He was drafted.  He just doesn't want to sign with Nashville.

If draft position factors heavily into it I would think it's fairer to say that he would fit somewhere between those two extremes similar to someone like Jimmy Hayes.

But, on the other hand, it's not like when these undrafted guys are the big FA's people say "Yeah, but he's not going to be much of a prospect, after all he wasn't drafted".

 

[hobarth]

If I were Vesey I don't think I'd sign with TO, TO is all about development, AHL seasoning and no matter the resume TO wants it's prospects to percolate. I would think Vesey believes he's ready for the show, Nashville is also a develop first type of team, so I'd be surprised if he signed with a team that probably isn't prepared to put him on the roster, now. I think that how Nylander is being handled might be sending a message to quality RFAs like Vesey?

 

[Highlander]

The reverse could also be possible, a lot of younger people know they are not ready and may need some seasoning in the AHL to have a year there before shooting at the bigs. And the Marlies/Leaf systems has turned into probably the best or one of the best outfits to have that opportunity and to develop. 

 

[Frank E]

If I were Vesey I don't think I'd sign with TO, TO is all about development, AHL seasoning and no matter the resume TO wants it's prospects to percolate. I would think Vesey believes he's ready for the show, Nashville is also a develop first type of team, so I'd be surprised if he signed with a team that probably isn't prepared to put him on the roster, now. I think that how Nylander is being handled might be sending a message to quality RFAs like Vesey?

I used to think that guys like Bailey and Hyman were only signing with the Leafs because they thought they had a shot at the big club right out of camp.

Now I see that they're not even upper echelon AHL players at this point.  So my opinion of good/great 23 year old US college products has changed somewhat.  I would think that most expect that they would need to get a little pro-hockey development before they're ready for prime-time in the best hockey league in the world.

Vesey may or may not be of this opinion, but I'm sure he's seen the development paths of some of the best college hockey players over the past little while....and he isn't an RFA, he is a UFA. 

I actually think the message being sent from the Leafs' side is more about developing a perennial contender, which I think would be pretty appealing to a youngish player looking to make a mark.

 

[Tigger]

Plus, his dad is a scout for the Leafs and they drafted his brother, so there's that for whatever it's worth too.

 

[hobarth]

If I were Vesey I don't think I'd sign with TO, TO is all about development, AHL seasoning and no matter the resume TO wants it's prospects to percolate. I would think Vesey believes he's ready for the show, Nashville is also a develop first type of team, so I'd be surprised if he signed with a team that probably isn't prepared to put him on the roster, now. I think that how Nylander is being handled might be sending a message to quality RFAs like Vesey?

I used to think that guys like Bailey and Hyman were only signing with the Leafs because they thought they had a shot at the big club right out of camp.

Now I see that they're not even upper echelon AHL players at this point.  So my opinion of good/great 23 year old US college products has changed somewhat.  I would think that most expect that they would need to get a little pro-hockey development before they're ready for prime-time in the best hockey league in the world.

Vesey may or may not be of this opinion, but I'm sure he's seen the development paths of some of the best college hockey players over the past little while....and he isn't an RFA, he is a UFA. 

I actually think the message being sent from the Leafs' side is more about developing a perennial contender, which I think would be pretty appealing to a youngish player looking to make a mark.

At this point he's neither RFA or UFA, he's unsigned Nashville property.

 

[Frank E]

At this point he's neither RFA or UFA, he's unsigned Nashville property.

Correct.  But within the context of this thread, with the whole entire discussion being about him being a possible signing for the Leafs next summer, he'd be unrestricted at that point.

 

[Kin]

Yes, clearly by virtue of the fact that the Leafs decided not to expose their small-ish 19 year old top prospect to the crummy realities of a rebuilding team it's firmly established them as a team that buries prospects for no valid reason and will do so for everyone.

 

[hobarth]

Yes, clearly by virtue of the fact that the Leafs decided not to expose their small-ish 19 year old top prospect to the crummy realities of a rebuilding team it's firmly established them as a team that buries prospects for no valid reason and will do so for everyone.

Do you think the Leafs are playing like losers, is it not possible to learn in the NHL when you are obviously suitable even on a losing team, is culture change(improvement) not possible even tho the bottom line might look worse?

Who is TO's top prospect, Nylander, I think he's already big enough to face an extremely punishing AHL which is a goon league but somehow he's not big enough for the NHL?

If Vesey is doing his homework and I can't think of a reason he wouldn't, Bailey, Hyman and Nylander not playing in the NHL should tell him a lot.

 

[Kin]

Bailey and Hyman have combined for 4 goals in 30 AHL games. I'm pretty sure they're not examples of how the Leafs are unreasonably keeping pro-ready players in the minors.

 

[Highlander]

I really can't see Baily or Hyman even being 4th line fodder in the future. Bozak worked out pretty well and perhaps Vesey is better than both of them. He is rated higher than his Bro who we drafted last year, or was it two years ago, can't remember

 

[Tigger]

I've got an old Condemned 84 song stuck in my head, Jimmy Davey, and I blame this thread. Nothing quite like Oi! music stuck in yer grey matter.

 

[hobarth]

Bailey and Hyman have combined for 4 goals in 30 AHL games. I'm pretty sure they're not examples of how the Leafs are unreasonably keeping pro-ready players in the minors.

And Nylander? I think you avoided his name?

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Bailey and Hyman have combined for 4 goals in 30 AHL games. I'm pretty sure they're not examples of how the Leafs are unreasonably keeping pro-ready players in the minors.

And Nylander? I think you avoided his name?

Unless the discussion took a turn, Nylander isn't a player signed out of college.

 

[Kin]

And Nylander? I think you avoided his name?

No, I said what I had to say about Nylander. Chiefly, whatever you think about Nylander and how the Leafs are handling Nylander it does not constitute a pattern that they will necessarily apply to every single prospect the team might have. Only someone who doesn't understand the most basic concept of numbers would argue that one occurrence constitutes an identifiable pattern.

There's a separate discussion to be had about how the Leafs are handling Nylander and whether it's ultimately the best for him and for the club but I'm not interested in having it with you. I'm just pointing out that "This is how the Leafs are handling Nylander, therefore it's the same decision they'll make for every prospect until the end of time" is, in the most literal definition of the word, ridiculous.