Just two days removed from the firestorm around the revelation that Jimmy Vesey would not sign with the Nashville Predators, and the Boston Herald has a “well-placed” source saying that Vesey intends to sign with the Boston Bruins.
On Monday, it was revealed that Vesey would not sign with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him. He instead plans on exercising his rights under the CBA to test free agency. He’ll be eligible to be signed by another team on Aug. 15.
The news came as a shock to Nashville General Manager David Poile. “His dad had told me, had told [Predators coach] Peter Laviolette, Scott Nichol, Paul Fenton, that his son was going to sign with us,” Poile said Monday. “And Jimmy himself told Paul Fenton prior to the trade deadline, which was an important time for us because it was our last opportunity to change our team.”
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Vesey’s camp hasn’t had any public comment on Poile’s accusations so far, but a source told ESPN’s Joe McDonald that Vesey’s camp will speak on Wednesday and that they deny these accusations. McDonald wrote that a representative of Vesey says they told the team prior to the trade deadline that he had no intention of signing with the Predators.
The decision not to sign with Nashville may be great fortune for Bruins. According to the Herald’s report:
If Vesey reaches free agency it would be a crushing loss for the Predators, and maybe fantastic good fortune for the Bruins.
According to an extremely well-placed source within the Boston-area college hockey community, the forward will opt for free agency and sign with the B’s.
Vesey’s camp is expected to make a statement around noon on Wednesday, reports ESPN.