As of midnight, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be able to engage in conversations with college free-agent Jimmy Vesey as they look to add another young forward to their developing core.
For those who need a quick refresher, the former Harvard captain elected to explore his options in free-agency instead of signing with the Nashville Predators, the team that originally drafted him in the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs have eyes on him.
With Vesey looking towards free-agency, the Predators decided to cut ties with him as they traded him to the Buffalo Sabres, who were banking on the friendship he has with Jack Eichel would sway him towards signing with Buffalo instead of testing free-agency.
However, once the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. tonight, the former Hobey Baker winner will be free to weigh his options which will include the Maple Leafs and if the reports are true, they are one of the favorites to land him.
BTW, Jimmy Vesey isn't UFA until midnight tonight. Quite possible he won't choose a team until Thursday or even the weekend. #VeseyWatch
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) August 15, 2016
Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes, starting Tuesday, will likely come down to bids from the #Leafs, Boston, Chicago and the Rangers.
— Howard Berger (@Berger_BYTES) August 15, 2016
What makes the Maple Leafs one of the favorites to land Vesey?
For starters, they currently employ his father Jim Vesey as an amateur scout and drafted his younger brother Nolan Vesey in the 2014 NHL Draft, so there are already family ties in the organization which can only help the Maple Leafs since Mark Hunter has been in a similar situation when he was with the London Knights.
More from Editor In Leaf
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Healthy and Ready
- Ryan Reaves Will Have Zero Impact on Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
Back in 2005, Sam Gagner was ready to commit to the University of Madison-Wisconsin which allowed for the Knights to select Gagner in the fourth round of the OHL Draft. Then the Knights hire his father Dave Gagner as an assistant coach and next thing you know he commits to play in London.
The fact that there are two members of his family within the Maple Leafs organization goes to show that the family ties will undoubtedly be use by management in order to sign the 23 year-old forward.
Although the Maple Leafs have the family connection, the Boston Bruins are his hometown team and one of the front runners as they look to keep the local boy in Boston. Also, teams like the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks will be in talks with Vesey as he decides where he will play next season.
Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman are ready to go into action at midnight tonight in the attempted recruitment of Jimmy Vesey
— Adrian Dater (@adater) August 16, 2016
My Bruins pitch to Jimmy Vesey would be the possibility of playing with Bergeron and Marchand. What more needs to be said?
— Nicholas W. Goss (@NickGossNBCSB) August 16, 2016
Many will want to see if back up the attention he has drawn to himself, so there will be a target on his back next season after he decided to forgo signing with the Predators and opting for free-agency instead.
Nonetheless, signing Vesey will bolster the already strong forward group of prospects, they will be able to net a forward with top six potential for free if the Maple Leafs are able to sign him.
Now, let #VeseyWatch begin.