The Buffalo Sabres dogged pursuit to get Harvard forward Jimmy Vesey under contract reached its highest level on Thursday. According to multiple reports, the Sabres brass -- including general manager Tim Murray -- flew to Boston to give their pitch to Vesey and his agent.
The hope was that it would convince Vesey to forget about waiting until his free agency period starts on August 15, and to instead sign on the dotted line with Buffalo. While no news came from it in the form of a signing, there was at least a step in the right direction.
According to The Buffalo News, Vesey's agent said the meeting with the Sabres "went very well." However, he did not conclude if that meeting had changed Vesey's mind, and said they'll need to sit back and assess the situation.
The Sabres presently hold Vesey's exclusive negotiating rights until August 15, after trading a third-round pick to Nashville for them. If he is not signed by then, he can officially sign with any team as a free agent.
NHL.com reported on Wednesday that Vesey was only interested in a small number of teams, and it also insinuated that he'd like to stay in the Northeast. Vesey won the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's most valuable player.
