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Q Hawking Vesey

July 27, 2016, 5:59 PM ET [62 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
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The Chicago Blackhawks just don't give a damn.

For the third consecutive Wednesday night, the Blackhawks have sent a high ranking team official to Foxboro, Mass. to scout Jimmy Vesey live and in person.

Last Wednesday and the one before it, Hawks GM Stan Bowman was the scout in the building watching Vesey.

Tonight, Hawks head coach Joel Quenneville was at Foxboro Sports Center, just outside of Boston, and he was watching Jimmy Vesey skate in men's league hockey.

Bowman and Queeneville should stop at Party City and buy disguises before they go and scout Vesey in person. Mike Loftus of the Patriot Ledge busted, er, spotted Q in the crowd on Wednesday night.












Vesey will become an unrestricted free agent on August 15. The NHL CBA states that if a player completes his four year commitment to an NCAA institution then he reserves the right to say "no thank you" to the team that drafted said player into the NHL. In Vesey's case, its the Nashville Predators who were left at the alter when the 2016 Hobey Baker winner informed David Poile and Peter Laviolette in April that Vesey was not interested in signing with the predators, who were holding a top six roster spot open for Vesey for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. When Vesey bailed on the Preds, it left a very bitter taste in the mouths of Nashville fans and team personnel.


In late June, Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray traded a third round draft choice to Nashville in exchange for Vesey's exclusive negotiating rights. Murray and the Sabres have had two face to face meetings with Vesey in the past month. Tim Murray, Vesey's agent and Vesey himself have said that the meetings with Buffalo were very positive and productive. Yet Vesey's agent is intent on playing the neutral zone trap on the team selection process until August 15.


Earlier this week, we learned from one of Vesey's agents that the Chicago Blackhaws are on his short list of teams that he will meet with on August 15 or 16. So, then, why do the Hawks persist on showing up to to the municipal rink in Foxboro, Mass. to watch the kid play river hockey? Is this the behavior you expect from the NHL team that has won three of the past seven Stanley Cups? Not me. I expect this type of desperation from a perennial doormat or a bubble team that is looking for their next savior.

If I were Tim Murray, I would have phoned the NHL offices in NYC to file a formal tampering complaint against Bowman and the Hawks.

I know. Vesey isn't under contract to Buffalo. They just own his negotiating rights until August 15. Where is the professional courtesy, Stan? Where is the professionalism?












**








Trevor Linden is the president of the Vancouver Canucks hockey club.

Linden is a respected and beloved figure in Canucks history. Linden starred on the ice for the Canucks and is now in the unique position of leading re-shaping the franchise for future successes both on and off the ice.

Make no mistake about it. Linden wants to restore his Canucks to the upper echelon of NHL hockey clubs. His team has floundered since losing the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins in 2011.

Linden and his GM Jim Benning are serious about rebuilding their team on the fly this summer.
Earlier this month, Benning lost out on acquiring beastly UFA power forward and Vancouver native Milan Lucic. Benning wanted to sign Lucic, however, Peter Chiarelli and the Edmonton Oilers beat him to the punch. Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray swooped in quickly on July 1 and signed power winger Kyle Okposo to a whopper of a contract. Benning also lost out on the P.K. Subban trade opportunity. After a year long song and dance, Steven Stamkos left a chuck of money on the table and re-singed with the Tampa Lightning.

Benning, needing more scoring, added free agent winger Loui Eriksson.

Still, Benning searches for scoring forward who can added size, speed, snarl, and skill to the Vancouver lineup.

President Linden supports Benning's desire to add more scoring pop to the Canucks roster.

Listen to Linden tell it in his own words.


Thanks, TSN 1040

Linden's words are very poignant.

It seems to me that Linden is speaking about Evander Kane without naming the player by name. Linden could not say whether the Canucks will pursue Evander Kane because he’s under contract to Buffalo. The Canucks have already gotten slapped with a $50,000 fine for tampering earlier this summer. Kane will be in a court room in Buffalo on August 1 to answer four counts of non-criminal harassment stemming from an altercation that occurred at a Buffalo nightclub on June 24.

As a former NHL player, Linden knows that players can lose their way when they leave the structure of the team once the season has ended.

“I think with any situation, they’re all unique to themselves,” Linden said.

Unique indeed.

“Ultimately we’d prefer not to have that situation arise, certainly with our own players,” Linden said.

“It’s a big world out there. Obviously, the challenges are significant for young guys who make a lot of money and get themselves into spots that they make mistakes.”

Evander Kane trade rumors will continue to percolate until he is traded from Buffalo.

The Canucks would be wise to acquire the Vancouver, B.C. native.

It's been reported that the owners of the Canucks are fans of Evander Kane. Jim Benning is said to be a Kane supporter as well. Is Linden a Kane supporter? Linden may be willing to look past Kane's off ice shenanigans if it means that the young power forward assists his Canucks in getting back into the playoffs this season. Kane's family still calls Vancouver home. Maybe what Evander needs the most right now is to be surrounded at all times by his parents and siblings to help curb his off ice enthusiasm.

Let's assume that Tim Murray and the Sabres decide to trade Kane to Vancouver. At what price?

Murray would need a winger if he were to trade Kane and if he were to lose the Jimmy Vesey lottery.

Jake Virtanen is a Tim Murray style of player with his size (6'1” and 210 lbs.), strength, snarl, skating, and skill. Virtanen isn't guaranteed a top nine roster spot in Vancouver this season. He'll likely start the season in AHL Utica. Virtanen may well be a solution to skate with Jack Eichel and Samson Reinhart. In 55 games last season, Virtanen scored 7 goals and added 6 assists. Virtanan ewas the 6th overall pick at the 2014 NHL Draft. Virtanen had 45 PIMs in his rookie NHL season.

Another area of need for Murray is defenseman/QB. Ben Hutton is the type of player that Murray and Dan Bylsma covet. He's big (6'2” and 190 lbs.), fast, strong, skates well, is a one man break out, and moves the puck with relative ease. Huttin scored a goal and added 24 helpers in his rookie NHL season. The former University of Maine standout controls the puck in all three zones and is a responsible defender. Tim Murray has been looking for the defender to play alongside his number one D Rasmus Ristolainen. Hutton and Ristolainen are represented by the same agent.






**









Imagine a world where Chris Drury breaks the hearts of Buffalo Sabres fans for a second time in a nine year span.


Brace yourself, Buffalo. It could happen.



On July 1, 2007, an unrestricted free agent named Drury stunned Buffalo Sabres fans and sent shock waves through Western New York when he signed a lucrative long term contract with the NY Rangers, the team he grew up idolizing. Drury grew up a Blueshirts fanatic in nearby Trumbull, Connecticut.

To add insult to injury, the Sabres lost their then co-captain Daniel Briere to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Drury played four seasons with the Rangers from 2007-08 to 2010-11.

In addition, Drury served as the Rangers captain for three seasons from 2008-09 to 2010-11 after being named the 25th captain in Rangers history – as well as the second American-born captain in franchise history – on October 3, 2008.

In 264 regular season games with the Blueshirts, Drury recorded 62 goals and 89 assists for 151 points. Over his first three years with the Rangers, Drury led the team in goals (61) and points (146), ranked second in assists (85), and tied for second in game-winning goals (10). In addition, the Rangers made the playoffs three times during Drury’s four seasons with the team.

Mention Drury's name today at a Buffalo area gin mill and you will be met with a gamut of emotions by Sabres fans. The majority of folks will tell you that they were blindsided by the departure and hated seeing Drury leave in the manner that he did. Others will tell you that they saw the handwriting on the wall and that they were at peace with Drury's decision before he left for Gotham.

Drury's name and reputation loom large these days as he now plays a prominent role with one of the NHL teams that is said to be on the short list of former Harvard star forward Jimmy Vesey.

Last September, Drury was promoted to the position of Director Of Player Development of the NY Rangers.

Today, Drury is responsible for working with the Rangers' hockey operations department to assist in the development of team prospects, both on and off the ice. Drury also serves as a liaison between the hockey operations department and prospects in the organization, and assist in the evaluation of the team’s prospects. Drury works closely with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, to further enhance the progression of Rangers prospects who are in professional hockey by providing encouragement and guidance. Drury also assists in overseeing and evaluating all players at the collegiate level.

Did I just say “collegiate level”?

Yes. Yes, I did.

ESPN's Craig Custance has reported that the Rangers should be one of the teams in the running for Jimmy Vesey on August 15th.

Custance touched on a several of Drury's professional relationships that could ultimately tip the scales in the favor of the Rangers.

Drury is close personal friends with Vesey's agents Peter Donatelli and Peter Fish. All three men are Boston University graduates. They are active participants in the BU alumni association.
Fish has a close relationship with Rangers GM Jeff Gorton.

Fish told Custance that he knows Gorton very well and has a lot of respect for him. Fish added that whenever he has a had a free agent client in the NHL “Jeff (Gorton) is one of the first people that I call."

Things that make you go Hmmmmmm......

Earlier this week, Scott Powers at The Athletic wrote about his recent conversation with one of Vesey's agents Peter Donatelli.

“He (Vesey) really has no idea where he’s going to be,” Donatelli said. “It’s going to be up to the teams to sell him”.

Those teams include the Buffalo Sabres who have met one-one-one with Vesey since the end of June. Tim Murray holds Vesey's exclusive negotiating rights until August 15.

Add the NY Rangers to the list that includes the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks.

Donatelli said that the teams on Vesey's short list will get their chance to sell the Harvard grad on their respective programs just like a college recruiter would do.

“Yes, [we have criteria], but we’re interested in what the teams say rather than telling the teams what they have to say.”

Donatelli said Vesey will likely meet with 2-3 teams a day over a few days in Boston beginning August 15 or 16.

After his meetings have concluded and have been reviewed with Fish and Donatelli, Vesey will either trim his list or make his final decision. Vesey's friend Kevin Hayes just signed a two year contract extension to remain with the Rangers.

 “We’re not going to pigeonhole ourselves in how we’re doing it,” Donatelli said.

Vesey is a Boston kid. Drury is a New England guy who became a Boston hockey hero. Drury, Fish, Donatelli, and Gorton are colleagues and friends away from the rink.

Don't sleep on Drury being the the agent of change who can help the Rangers to get Vesey's autograph on his entry level contrac
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