Heard the following from a source yesterday:
"Chicago has a very legitimate chance to land Vesey . . . His "desire" to be in the Northeast may be overstated. What people forget, is that just because his brother plays for Toronto, and everyone says they would like to play with their kin, it also brings with it a very specific set of challenges when one is fully in the spotlight and the other is not, it can create unwanted tensions between family members and lead to less than stellar performances on the ice. Chicago has a very simple pitch. We win cups. Championships last forever, and launch hall of fame careers. We have a spot to play with some of the best in the game and A REAL chance at winning a cup right now, unlike Buffalo and Toronto. Example A: Brandon Saad."
"Also, there is a reason that Hudler has not signed anywhere yet. He knows Chicago is interested, but he also knows that they (off the record) are interested in Vesey. Could he sign somewhere else sooner? Of course, but if the Hawks don't land Vesey, he could be a very attractive option for Chicago and he knows it, and therefore not in a rush to sign anywhere. For now."
So, there you have it.
The calculus is this: the Blackhawks are maxed out against the cap, but that they offer is a legitimate chance to win. Either Vesey or Hudler becomes the last piece to the puzzle—that missing top six winger, that, once added in to Chicago's obvious defensive improvements this summer (Brian Campbell, Michal Kempny) is maybe that player who puts the team over the top—and puts himself in position to enhance his career (Vesey as a rookie, Hudler as an aging veteran).
Now, it is certainly possible the Hawks whiff on both players—Hudler, for example, may not wait to see what the Hawks do—and adjust plans accordingly. But that, according to my source, is where they have set their sites for now.
When does August 15 get here?
JJ