AtlantaWhaler
Thrash/Preds/Sabres
- Jul 3, 2009
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Prospect Info: Jimmy Vesey (Harvard University, 2012 66th overall)
- Thread starter AtlantaWhaler
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I think it speaks to the number of forward prospects we have that are either almost NHL ready or are thought of highly that a prospect doing this well is basically generating no chatter amng the fan base.
This is uncharted territory for this organization, having more good forward prospects than you know what to do with....
This is uncharted territory for this organization, having more good forward prospects than you know what to do with....
Agree with this. I was thinking about how many projected top 6 forwards we have in the system now. It's the most in my time as a Preds fan.
I don't think I've seen him at any of the camps. I've heard a lot about him but haven't seen him yet.
arent NCAA players not allowed to attend camp unless they pay their own way?(which is an idiotic rule but thats the NCAA for you)
Nashville Transplant
Registered User
BigFatCat999
First Fubu and now Pred303. !@#$! you cancer
RCola88
Registered User
I've been saying this kid is a solid pick, he was a mid round pick in the NCAA, don't expect him to get a lot of hype with the way he has played. Also played well in the WJC a few years ago.
Paxon
202* Stanley Cup Champions
I've been making Eichel shift videos of all the Team USA World Championship games. Given that Eichel played on a line with Vesey and Trevor Lewis for the first game as well as the 1st period of the second, I thought some of you guys might be interested.
Kebs
Def not just a zombie tiger typing
WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US? YOU ARE SICK. He's going to leave us, and be a free agent I know it. He went to the drive through in Boston, and ordered a #12. That's a sign, he's going to hit the free agent pool. His mother's uncle's 2nd cousin was wearing a Red Sox hat, it's a sign!! Just stab the knife through my heart now, and push me off the cliff. No one wants to stay in Nashville.......
(All seriousness, thanks for the clips!)
Rookie Camp will definitely throw the spotlight on Jimmy. First, the good news is, Jimmy will be in camp (at his own expense since he’s still an NCAA player). If you don’t remember the dilemma we have with Vesey, here's the skinny. We drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft. He elected to play at Harvard. His stock has risen since 2012 and is now considered an elite prospect. In his junior year, he led Harvard with 32 goals and 58 points in 37 games. Poile was ready to sign him and put him in the line-up for the playoffs in April after his junior Harvard season was over. Instead, Jimmy decided to stay for his senior year and get his degree.
Jimmy said:
“Harvard is the best school in the world with a great alumni network, so the degree is really invaluable. Ultimately, I know my hockey career isn’t going to last forever. I’m definitely going to play as long as I can, but I wanted to solidify my future after hockey.” He continued, “Additionally, my teammates and I firmly believe that we have the potential to make a run at the national championship next year.”
Poile said:
"We've been in contact with his family through his mom and his dad and family representative. We're just going to give them the time. We've told them what we think of their son and how he is as a hockey player. It's their decision as to whether this is the right time for him. We would never tell a player to leave school."
Assuming Vesey plays his senior year, Poile has until August 15, 2016 to sign him. “Team Vesey” consists of Jimmy and his Dad, Jimmy Sr., who played 7 years in the NHL. Team Vesey is positioning Jimmy to have all the cards next year. He plays his senior year, hopefully propelling Harvard to an NCAA Championship, maybe a Hobey Baker in the trophy case, a gold-plated Harvard degree, and then either leverage huge bucks from Poile to sign or decide to control which team he plays for by waiting until after Aug. 15th.
The Preds have a few things going for them. One is the 4 year relationship. All the Development Camps and contact with the organization. Poile has been respectful and nice but as we learned with Suter, that and $0.75 gets you a coke out of the vending machine. A more aggressive chip the Preds can play is instant playoff experience. Jimmy’s season will end sometime late March, early April. NHL Playoffs begin mid-April. Just like this past year, if the Preds are in the playoffs, Poile can sign him and put him right on the 3rd line with a chance for the Cup.
The Preds have a few things going against them. The biggest is lack of control. Jimmy just needs to wait until Aug. 15th, and become a free agent, ensuring max $$ and choice of team/city, and be ready for the 2016-2017 season. Preds can’t match media markets or NHL lineage. The Wings, Hawks and Bruins all offer Original Six lineage which huge market exposure, something his Dad knows well. You have to think they will favor the bigger markets, especially with his Boston roots.
You can almost close your eyes and see our glad-handing, noble, respectful GM getting the short end of the hockey stick again. Imagine the kind words from Vesey as he thanks the Preds for the development and the relationship but the (fill in the blank) was a better choice for me and my family.
So we’re left with our final secret weapon. During the Development Camp, some honorable Nashville co-ed needs to get Jimmy’s attention and show him …….. the town. We need a love interest at Belmont or Vandy to draw Jimmy to Nashville. Tell you what, if an enterprising college female is willing to give this a go, I’m sure Mike Fisher could arrange a couples night out with him and Carrie.
You think Poile thinks this way???? I doubt it. That’s why we’ll be left at the alter again.
Jimmy said:
“Harvard is the best school in the world with a great alumni network, so the degree is really invaluable. Ultimately, I know my hockey career isn’t going to last forever. I’m definitely going to play as long as I can, but I wanted to solidify my future after hockey.” He continued, “Additionally, my teammates and I firmly believe that we have the potential to make a run at the national championship next year.”
Poile said:
"We've been in contact with his family through his mom and his dad and family representative. We're just going to give them the time. We've told them what we think of their son and how he is as a hockey player. It's their decision as to whether this is the right time for him. We would never tell a player to leave school."
Assuming Vesey plays his senior year, Poile has until August 15, 2016 to sign him. “Team Vesey” consists of Jimmy and his Dad, Jimmy Sr., who played 7 years in the NHL. Team Vesey is positioning Jimmy to have all the cards next year. He plays his senior year, hopefully propelling Harvard to an NCAA Championship, maybe a Hobey Baker in the trophy case, a gold-plated Harvard degree, and then either leverage huge bucks from Poile to sign or decide to control which team he plays for by waiting until after Aug. 15th.
The Preds have a few things going for them. One is the 4 year relationship. All the Development Camps and contact with the organization. Poile has been respectful and nice but as we learned with Suter, that and $0.75 gets you a coke out of the vending machine. A more aggressive chip the Preds can play is instant playoff experience. Jimmy’s season will end sometime late March, early April. NHL Playoffs begin mid-April. Just like this past year, if the Preds are in the playoffs, Poile can sign him and put him right on the 3rd line with a chance for the Cup.
The Preds have a few things going against them. The biggest is lack of control. Jimmy just needs to wait until Aug. 15th, and become a free agent, ensuring max $$ and choice of team/city, and be ready for the 2016-2017 season. Preds can’t match media markets or NHL lineage. The Wings, Hawks and Bruins all offer Original Six lineage which huge market exposure, something his Dad knows well. You have to think they will favor the bigger markets, especially with his Boston roots.
You can almost close your eyes and see our glad-handing, noble, respectful GM getting the short end of the hockey stick again. Imagine the kind words from Vesey as he thanks the Preds for the development and the relationship but the (fill in the blank) was a better choice for me and my family.
So we’re left with our final secret weapon. During the Development Camp, some honorable Nashville co-ed needs to get Jimmy’s attention and show him …….. the town. We need a love interest at Belmont or Vandy to draw Jimmy to Nashville. Tell you what, if an enterprising college female is willing to give this a go, I’m sure Mike Fisher could arrange a couples night out with him and Carrie.
You think Poile thinks this way???? I doubt it. That’s why we’ll be left at the alter again.
alexmanu
Registered User
The whole system needs to change when it comes to NCAA players, if you draft them you should have exclusive rights to their first contract.
Remember, with an ELC the money will be the same no matter where he signs. So if he doesn't sign with us it will be because he wants to play elsewhere, and that's it. Problem will be most teams will want to have their NHL rosters pretty well sat by August 15, so if he wants to be sure he can play sooner rather than later, he will go ahead and sign with us as soon as he finishes with Harvard
...Plus Poile can sign Vesey this season, after the college semester ends, and put him on the roster going into the playoffs to burn off a year of his ELC and get him to his next, larger contract a full year earlier than any other team can offer. That's not a bad incentive.
NSH615
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alexmanu
Registered User
A quick Google search says all classes at Harvard finish April 24th. I'm not sure if that includes finals. However, I believe Vesey could sign a contract as soon as the college hockey season ends and still finish the semester before joining the team. I could be wrong about that, though.
NSH615
...
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Per the link below Harvard finals start May 5 and end May 14. Graduation is May 26.
http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/calendar/five-year-calendar
Edit: I had the wrong year I was looking at
I somehow have a feeling that they will work something out so if he wants to sign with us as soon as the NCAA season is over he will be able to and still graduate.
Gnashville
HFBoards Hall of Famer
Predators season will be over before he graduates. On August 16th 2016 he will sign somewhere else (probably Boston) 100% book it! Why by even have him in prospects' camp? It's a waste of time and resources.
I am with you in the sense that he will go the free agent route after he graduates. Why not go sign wherever he wants? Not against the rules.
Gnashville
HFBoards Hall of Famer
The rule itself is the problem. What incentive is there to not play out your college career? Free agency at 22 instead of 27? At least make the drafted players be RFA with compensation being returned to the teams. The rule was intended for undrafted players but Blake Wheeler and his agent opened up this can of worms. Vesey will go the free agent route and sign somewhere else and Poile can't stop it. Nothing against him for doing so, but I would never draft a U.S. college player ever again (unless it's a top ten player ie Eichel). Honestly we lucked out that Smith signed when he did.
first, there aren't a lot of players who are late bloomers in college, such that they would be so good that they can call the shots when they graduate. Most college kids who are that good sign after a year or two of college and start making money.
additionally, the "free agency" at age 22 may allow you to choose your destination(assuming that the team at your preferred destination wants you) but it doesn't get you any more money, you still have to sign an ELC.
as others have stated, the advantage for Vesey to sign with us when his season ends(and as I have stated I suspect a way could be figured out for him to finish his classes and graduate while playing with the Preds)is that he could potentially join a team making a run at the Cup, and maybe even burn a year of his ELC in the process. Plus there are no guarantees that his preferred destination will have a roster spot available by August 15.
additionally, the "free agency" at age 22 may allow you to choose your destination(assuming that the team at your preferred destination wants you) but it doesn't get you any more money, you still have to sign an ELC.
as others have stated, the advantage for Vesey to sign with us when his season ends(and as I have stated I suspect a way could be figured out for him to finish his classes and graduate while playing with the Preds)is that he could potentially join a team making a run at the Cup, and maybe even burn a year of his ELC in the process. Plus there are no guarantees that his preferred destination will have a roster spot available by August 15.
NSH615
...
- Feb 13, 2013
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Except he still has finals until after our season is likely over. They go until May 14th.
http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/calendar/five-year-calendar
And while he could finish classes while playing for the team, it could negatively affect his grades and if the degree was as important to him as he is saying it is, I don't think he will risk that.
AtlantaWhaler
Thrash/Preds/Sabres
- Jul 3, 2009
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