The Chicago Blackhawks are a team that needs young, effective players on entry level contracts. The newest target to fill that need, as well as their need for a top-six left winger, is Jimmy Vesey. Arguably the most notable name not yet in the NHL, Vesey will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15. That date is fast approaching, and while teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs have made their intentions of courting Vesey clear for months, the Blackhawks are new players in the “Vesey Sweepstakes”.
Stan Bowman in Foxboro again tonight watching Jimmy Vesey.
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) July 21, 2016
As reported by Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, Stan Bowman is in Foxborough, Massachusetts to watch Vesey play. Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sportsnet New England reported that this is the second time that the Blackhawks general manager will be heading to Massachusetts to see the 23-year-old in action. There is a lot to like about Vesey’s game, and the fact that many scouts believe he can be an impact player in a team’s top-six immediately is clearly enticing enough to merit a second look from Bowman.
The Blackhawks recently saw one of their own draft picks leave without signing a contract following his tenure in college in 2014. Kevin Hayes spurned the Blackhawks and signed with the New York Rangers after the Blackhawk spent a first-round draft pick on him back in 2010. While Vesey was taken in the third-round of the 2012 draft by the Nashville Predators, his value is still through the roof. The Blackhawks have made a habit out of finding young, talented players on entry-level deals to step in and contribute quickly. It’s possible that Jimmy Vesey could be the next Blackhawks player to do so.