Serious question. Do any players actually want to help and be part of the solution to win a cup or do they always want to take the easy rout and just go to the team that won the cup last?
- Doug50

Answer:

What if you can do both?

Who the coach is, how the team is coached and the style they play might be a factor.

It is very nice to think Jimmy Vesey (or any untested rookie) has the ability & upsdie to eventually score and garnish those fat contracts after the initial ones.

And we HAVE seen variuos organizations throw big contracts at on the job training potential / upsdie players...but that was when the Cap was continuing to rise and rise consistently.

I think it is safe to say that any youngster has to have on-ice success and more importantly production to garnish the fatter long term deals later on.

So don't disregard the core of players he is surrounded by, and how they help and share in generating the rookie chances as well and those impact players capitalizing on Vesey's passes to boost his assists too.

So where would provide the best NOW linemates to help him produce, gorw and learn?

I am pretty much getting tired of the various fan posters trying to provide these arguments for and against (including me, lol).

I think the kid has an idea, and what you try and post negative about the Chicago franchise bounces of the reality that the league now openinly sees it as one of the best landing points for players, new, or veteran.

You notice that all vet NHL player movement of the guys left are basically on hold until Vesey dismisses Chicago b/c it looks like some of the available left overs are interested enough to not rush into signing elsewhere, right?

Not to be a nit-picker but wouldn't it be Tuesday the 16th? I thought Buffalo has his rights through the 15th. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone?
- EbonyRaptor

It depends upon how the Vesey camp sets up the process.

Remember when #91 Brad Richards was leaving Dallas as a UFA, they had each of the suitors come in by appointment to propose and pitch from a central location, and since richrads was the bets of a weak UFA class teams filled the trash bags full of money to attmpt to get hi to sign.

But if the jimmy wants to tour the organizations it might in fact take a bit longer like you suggest.

So think he has decided, and just doesn't want hard feeling in his hometown.

Others think it really is a decision.

No one knows which or the order of interest on his part - it is all media filler.

Adrian Dater who is a well respected beat writer tweeted earlier this week that he heard the Hawks will be brings Toews to the Vesey pitch. Take it FWIW

Like the oiler fans when they traded hall?
- Doug50

. I'm good with the trade.

The Blews are not a contender this year. My opinion is they will be in a fight for the wildcard. Hawks, South Stars, and Mustard Tigers take the top 3.

Well, considering when you produce more you get paid more, then even if he was McDavid level good and a free agent he'd probably want to go to the team with the best supporting cast (if that second contract was his end goal)

I watched an interview he just did recently and said he plans to meet with 4-5 teams when he's able to do so. I don't know how long these pitches/meetings take but wouldn't they have to be lined up in advance? Or is it just a free for all and the phone starts ringing at 12:01 am? Pardon my ignorance on the subject. It just seems to me that if he signs right away, everything he's been saying up til this point about going through the process was just smoke and mirrors on his part.

The Blews are not a contender this year. My opinion is they will be in a fight for the wildcard. Hawks, South Stars, and Mustard Tigers take the top 3.
- WJDiedrich

I think if anyones not going to be a contender it will be Dallas and/or Minny. The central may go from one of the toughest to one of the easiest considering

A) Minnesota is getting worse and has been a wild card team for a long while

B) Dallas' supporting cast is going to get older with no one to replace them, the Defence is still pretty freaking bad, goaltending is worse.

C) Colorodo is what we thought they were, sans a very interesting (bad) coach

It may just be a 3 horse race with the Hawks, Preds, and Jets for a long while.

Adrian Dater who is a well respected beat writer tweeted earlier this week that he heard the Hawks will be brings Toews to the Vesey pitch. Take it FWIW
- golfbard

That's huge for the Hawks. That is definitely a major plus. Bowman, Toews and whoever else can probably put out a good pitch.

The Blews are not a contender this year. My opinion is they will be in a fight for the wildcard. Hawks, South Stars, and Mustard Tigers take the top 3.
- WJDiedrich

They are a contender. Even a wildcard team in the Central is a contender. The Central is that good.

For a player being this selective about where he will go will not select the Hawks. Yes the Hawks are a contender thanks to Buffalo's Patty Kane, however, the Hawks will have to send Vessy away next year or year after because they cannot afford a contract larger than ELC. This means when he selects Chicago he could be sending himself to a market he does not want to be and can say nothing. Secondly, Hawks cannot not give him TOI, to deep. This means his stats will not be as high to pump his second contract. Lastly, he could have signed with Nashville and had a similar playoff experience as the Hawks. He doesn't want to play in the West and Cup Contender is not important as he had both in Nashville. He plays at home for the Bruins or he plays in Buffalo with his buds on a growing Team that gives him TOI in all situations and have the opportunity to play against his home team several times a year. Oh yeah, and if Boston or Buffalo, that is where he will stay as they have the cap room to keep him.

Adrian Dater who is a well respected beat writer tweeted earlier this week that he heard the Hawks will be brings Toews to the Vesey pitch. Take it FWIW
- golfbard

Dater is absolutely not well respected

It's either Vesey OR Hudler, not both. With potential bonuses, the Hawks simply don't have the money under the cap.

An NHL source (haha) told me the second contract is the most important aspect to his decision. So whatever.
- John Jaeckel

The other thing that hasn't been talked about is how much pressure this 23 year old will come under to sign other than in Chicago - and how much pressure he'll be able to withstand even if his personal choice would be Chicago.

Friends and family in Boston, friends in Buffalo, family in Toronto - my guess (only a guess) is that he's been hearing a lot from each of those constituencies recently, and the pressure will keep up until the announcement.

No pressure from Chicago - maybe a plus, maybe a minus....

Dater is absolutely not well respected
- Feds91Stammer

Your opinion. I'll trust what I see and the Hall of Fame media who say it as well.

An NHL source (haha) told me the second contract is the most important aspect to his decision. So whatever.
- John Jaeckel

Which begs the question is it more important the second contract be maximized or that it be with the same team. If the former, the Hawks are a good choice for him. If the latter, the Hawks are not a good choice for him.

For a player being this selective about where he will go will not select the Hawks. Yes the Hawks are a contender thanks to Buffalo's Patty Kane, however, the Hawks will have to send Vessy away next year or year after because they cannot afford a contract larger than ELC. This means when he selects Chicago he could be sending himself to a market he does not want to be and can say nothing. Secondly, Hawks cannot not give him TOI, to deep. This means his stats will not be as high to pump his second contract. Lastly, he could have signed with Nashville and had a similar playoff experience as the Hawks. He doesn't want to play in the West and Cup Contender is not important as he had both in Nashville. He plays at home for the Bruins or he plays in Buffalo with his buds on a growing Team that gives him TOI in all situations and have the opportunity to play against his home team several times a year. Oh yeah, and if Boston or Buffalo, that is where he will stay as they have the cap room to keep him.
- CrossBarDown

Not at LW. Big gaping hole there in top 6.

Told my sisters about Vesey and his decision making process as well as his background - Harvard guy fluent in Manderin. They said sounds like he's approaching the decision like a Harvard business major.

EDIT: Nashville is no where near the same experience, exposure etc as Chicago. No. Where. Near.

For a player being this selective about where he will go will not select the Hawks. Yes the Hawks are a contender thanks to Buffalo's Patty Kane, however, the Hawks will have to send Vessy away next year or year after because they cannot afford a contract larger than ELC. This means when he selects Chicago he could be sending himself to a market he does not want to be and can say nothing. Secondly, Hawks cannot not give him TOI, to deep. This means his stats will not be as high to pump his second contract. Lastly, he could have signed with Nashville and had a similar playoff experience as the Hawks. He doesn't want to play in the West and Cup Contender is not important as he had both in Nashville. He plays at home for the Bruins or he plays in Buffalo with his buds on a growing Team that gives him TOI in all situations and have the opportunity to play against his home team several times a year. Oh yeah, and if Boston or Buffalo, that is where he will stay as they have the cap room to keep him.
- CrossBarDown

How do you know they'll send him packing and not someone else

Serious question. Do any players actually want to help and be part of the solution to win a cup or do they always want to take the easy rout and just go to the team that won the cup last?
- Doug50

Serious answer....Chicago didn't win the cup last.

An NHL source (haha) told me the second contract is the most important aspect to his decision. So whatever.
- John Jaeckel

As one of my grad-school prof's used to say, ".....therefore it is intuitively obvious". His ELC is capped, even bonuses, correct?

So then it comes down to this: With which team can he shine the greatest during his ELC? Therefore, it is intuitively obvious that team is the Chicago Blackhawks. Period.

For a player being this selective about where he will go will not select the Hawks. Yes the Hawks are a contender thanks to Buffalo's Patty Kane, however, the Hawks will have to send Vessy away next year or year after because they cannot afford a contract larger than ELC. This means when he selects Chicago he could be sending himself to a market he does not want to be and can say nothing. Secondly, Hawks cannot not give him TOI, to deep. This means his stats will not be as high to pump his second contract. Lastly, he could have signed with Nashville and had a similar playoff experience as the Hawks. He doesn't want to play in the West and Cup Contender is not important as he had both in Nashville. He plays at home for the Bruins or he plays in Buffalo with his buds on a growing Team that gives him TOI in all situations and have the opportunity to play against his home team several times a year. Oh yeah, and if Boston or Buffalo, that is where he will stay as they have the cap room to keep him.
- CrossBarDown

That could be true, however, Panarin is a year ahead of him and they may not be able to afford him which means they may trade his rights for a nice haul of young ELC players or picks and that would free up enough cap space to re-sign Vesey the following year. So your premise is not a given.

Which begs the question is it more important the second contract be maximized or that it be with the same team. If the former, the Hawks are a good choice for him. If the latter, the Hawks are not a good choice for him.
- EbonyRaptor

I think both of are equal importance, but it's the second part that might make him leery of signing with Chicago, in that he could end up in the same situation as Saad was and have no say about where he goes.

I think both of are equal importance, but it's the second part that might make him leery of signing with Chicago, in that he could end up in the same situation as Saad was and have no say about where he goes.
- kingcong39

Again, I'll ask the question, if he is that good, and performs well enough to get a big deal after his two years in Chicago, why do you assume that 2 years from now they would move him and not someone else?

A lot changes in a couple years, if you don't think so, look at the roster two years ago today

Garth read this and is tearing his house apart as we speak.
- doon

Why?

Because I'm suppose to believe a..... HOCKEYBUZZ.........BLOGGER, thinks he's an actual journalist with real sources.

Haha

The Buffalo "source" is probably Garth.

How do you know they'll send him packing and not someone else
- vabeachbear

Think this is my second ever post about Vesey and it's about the same thing. Anyone knows the Hawks have bled talent due to the flat (earth) cap and to answer your question the Hawks let a kid go who had a much much higher upside than Vesey in Saad...... When faced with the same situation that will occur with Vesey, should he become a Hawk, they moved the talented kid (Saad) to COLUMBUS. Saad had zero say so or leverage in where he would be moved to and he landed in Columbus.

Admittedly if this happened it would be a few years down the road from the Saad situation, does StanBow recalibrate the core and move a Crow or Seabs, but Vesey has to see the precedent of what no leverage looks like in a cap hell environment.

The kid has already shown he'll use every bit of leverage to allow him as much leverage as he can get. Signing with the Hawks gives all that leverage away with a very real possibility the Hawks can't give him a big second contract and will move him to a Columbus type.

He's approached this as a business man not a wide eyed kid.