The Jimmy Vesey saga ended Friday when word leaked out via Bob McKenzie that the North Reading native and Harvard graduate after winning the 2016 Hobey Baker Award, agreed to terms with the New York Rangers.
The decision, made some four-and-a-half months after Vesey declined to sign with the Nashville Predators, who owned his rights after drafting him 66th overall in 2012, was met with disappointment and disgust in some Boston circles, but shouldn’t be all that surprising given some of the warning signs that pointed to the 23-year-old leaning away from choosing his hometown Bruins as one of seven teams he formally met with this week.
Like Kevin Hayes two years ago, the B’s were in the running, but the player decided to play close to home but not with the Boston organization. Not surprisingly, Hayes himself, the younger of two hockey brothers who both played at Boston College, was instrumental in helping to convince Vesey to choose Broadway over Causeway.
For those familiar with this blog and typist, you know that I have had a personal connection with the Vesey family for more than five years, but throughout the process, I purposefully stayed away from trying to leverage that connection for information. In many respects, not really knowing which way Vesey was definitively leaning was refreshing, as it allowed for a shared experience with the vast majority of fans and non-insiders. When the word came down that it was the Rangers, I was hearing it for the first time, and I was also wrong- my own guess was that he would go with the New Jersey Devils because of a personal connection to Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils’ assistant GM. Shows you how much I know…
There are a lot of different views out there on the subject, so these notes are based on my own personal knowledge and insights gained from several conversations over the weekend with NHL insiders who have knowledge of the Vesey situation. This is why I didn’t rush to post something on it Friday or Saturday, as I wanted to get my ducks in a row first. But truth in lending: take my observations with a grain of salt. There is a personal element to it so I am not completely free of bias in all of this, nor do I pass myself off as completely objective here. I am writing an opinion piece, so you have the choice to agree or disagree with any or all of the points made.
- My gut feeling is that the Bruins lost their real shot at Vesey five years ago, when they drafted Norwegian goalie Lars Volden in the sixth round. In doing that, they snubbed the Belmont Hill star who had been told by someone in the organization that they liked him and were going to take him. That’s the tragedy in all of this from Boston’s perspective- they *knew* in 2011 that he had some big time potential and recognized it, but at the draft table in St. Paul, they went with someone else and it cost them what could have been a huge success story for their scouting staff. This kind of stuff happens all the time, but when you look at the attention Vesey has received (much of it earned), it’s something the B’s have been kicking themselves over. There is no doubt that had Boston drafted Vesey, he would not have pursued free agency in the manner he did and none of this would have been necessary. That snub motivated Vesey to destroy the EJHL in 2011-12, smashing all major offensive league records, but even then- the B’s could have spent a first-round choice on him over Malcolm Subban, especially since they didn’t have a second-rounder and knew deep down he wouldn’t be there in the late third. In effect, the B’s chose two goaltenders over Vesey- one is a complete washout and the other has yet to deliver on significant promise. It goes to show that scouting future NHL players is more of an art than a science, and projecting stars between the pipes is even more difficult. The B’s didn’t do what they allegedly said they would, and you have to know that Vesey didn’t forget it. When you add in all of the other factors that went into his decision, it’s not surprising. Boston did it to themselves- they had two legitimate shots at really showing Vesey that they wanted him, but didn’t take them. That left the Bruins in the position to ask for him to choose them this week, and all he did was return the favor.
- Give Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and his staff credit- they put together a compelling pitch, leveraging New York’s natural draw as a big market destination and myriad celebrities and sports figures associated with the Big Apple to put the finishing touches on a successful pitch. It’s easy to hate the Rangers as a natural extension of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, and given Gorton’s history with the B’s, you know he enjoyed sticking it to Boston on this one, just as was the case with Hayes two years ago. Former Hobey Baker winner and Stanley Cup champion Chris Drury captained the Rangers and is the team,’s developmental guru- he had a major hand in convincing Vesey to sign on in Broadway, and don’t underestimate the lure that someone with Drury’s cachet brings to the process. In the end, there can only be one destination for a player’s services, and everything counts (not necessarily in large amounts as Depeche Mode once sang). While Vesey had close friends like Matt Grzelcyk, Ryan Fitzgerald and Harvard teammate Ryan Donato in the Boston organization, none of them have ever played a professional game with the B’s. Kevin Hayes, on the other hand, is the only close friend of Vesey’s in the NHL- he was able to identify with the signing process, but even more important- Hayes could tell Vesey firsthand what he was in for if he signed with New York. The other NHL teams in the running all brought out some of their biggest stars to try and sway Vesey, but none of them had the powerful personal connection Hayes does…that was big. Game, set and match. Remember- Boston is in some good company- the NHL’s modern dynasty Chicago Blackhawks and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins were also told “thanks but no thanks” by Vesey. The Rangers might seem like an odd choice to some, but for him, the team was the best fit. Now, time will tell how well he plays there and if he regrets that choice in the long run.
- In talking to one key insider, it was pointed out that Vesey has a large family and everyone is in the Boston area. It’s not just about Vesey taking heat during the inevitable times when he might not play as well as he’s capable of or like the human he is, goes into a slump. You have to take into account the effect that the media and fan negativity will have on Vesey’s immediate and extended families. It’s easy to dismiss that when you’re sitting behind a keyboard and have no concept of what it’s like to have your every move scrutinized and thinking about the possibility of rude, socially-stunted strangers accosting you in public to demand to know why your son, brother, nephew or cousin isn’t living up to the lofty expectations the modern information age created. It might sound like a cop out, and I’m sure there is an element of people that will scoff at the notion no matter what. That’s fine- I’m not trying to reach them, but the more fair-minded of those in hockey fandom will get it. “We know everyone,” came a quote via text yesterday. “And in the offseason (Jimmy) can come home and get away from it.” If he had signed in Boston, there would be no escape from the scrutiny of his profession. By going to the Rangers, he can go home to Boston in the summer months and decompress rather than stay in what could be a crucible of discontent if the B’s fortunes don’t improve. That’s a lot to put on someone’s shoulders, even if there is a case to be made that by embracing the challenge, Vesey truly could have made himself into a legitimate Boston star. It was probably not meant to be, and that’s okay.
- It’s unfortunate that there is an element of sour grapes already taking hold and a segment of fans rejected by Vesey are already bringing out the sharp knives. It’s predictable. And lame. Look, the biggest mistake us “mortals” make is in assuming that because we would kill for a chance to play professional hockey for our favorite teams, everyone else should think the way we do. Observations 1 and 3 have already laid out why Boston was not the obvious choice for him, and to be honest- the B’s should be glad they were even in the final running. A more petulant, immature person would have stuck it to them and made a public spectacle of that rejection. Vesey is not that guy, and I think he showed the team respect by giving them a chance. Some might say he “used” them, but I would argue he leveraged every team in the running to determine his final landing spot.That might be what a Harvard degree teaches you, but that’s just me. It would be nice if people could show the same kind of maturity by respecting the decision and not seeking to point fingers or play the blame game. It might be human nature to lash out when things don’t go your way, but take a step back and evaluate your life and priorities. If you spent more time than you should have getting yourself worked up over the idea of Vesey skating in Boston and now feel hurt or betrayed after he chose the Rangers, then there are probably some important things in your life that you are neglecting. To put it another way (Ben Stiller style): It’s just a game, Focker.
- What was distasteful to everyone was the amount of attention the whole thing got for as long as it did, and the comparisons to Kevin Durant are valid. This is something Vesey will have to deal with and the best way to put it behind him is to simply go out and prove himself at the NHL level. At the same time, he probably invoked the old Shakespeare “Methinks thou doth protest too much,” when he commented about not enjoying the spotlight. A couple of points- I know Jimmy and believe him on that score: he’s not an attention-seeker. His handlers have more to do with that than anything, but as the player, he’s got to own that this became something that got out of hand. Second- there’s little doubt that deep down, he enjoyed being able to dictate the terms to NHL teams. Remember- all 30 clubs snubbed him in 2011 and 2012. Any one of them could have drafted him before Nashville in the 3rd round in his second year of eligibility. He went from being a kid who was hurt and disappointed at being skipped in his first year (who wouldn’t be?) to someone just about everyone would have gladly taken on their team. It’s human nature to enjoy an element of revenge when the tables are turned. I don’t blame him. Finally, the timing stunk- there just isn’t any hockey news to be had in mid-August and that fed the beast of the media circus surrounding Vesey, especially since he’s the reigning Hobey Baker recipient. Many of us might find the kind of hype surrounding him ridiculous, but this is the world we live in. Had Jonathan Drouin been able to leave Tampa Bay at midseason and become a free agent open to bidders, we likely would have seen the same exact thing. And those Canadian CHL-centric folks who wagged their fingers and tut-tutted at Vesey leveraging his right in the CBA would probably have made the same allowances for a player like Drouin that they seemed unwilling to extend for Vesey. That’s life, but again- you know who you are. Take a step back and be honest with yourself- every team seeks an edge, and Vesey is a good risk to take. We might not like the attention he got, but if it wasn’t him, it would likely be someone else. Besides, it made for an interesting story to follow at least. I’m just glad it’s over and we can now focus on the next big things: the World Cup of Hockey and the start of the new NHL season.
The onus is now on Vesey to go out and prove himself at the NHL level. There will be many out there rooting for him to fail, but he’s done a nice job of silencing the critics so far. Playing for the Rangers will be business as usual for him, and if the past is any indication, he’ll likely build more fans and supporters than detractors.
***
So, where do the Bruins go from here?
They accepted risk in waiting to see what happened with Vesey because by bringing him into the fold, they would have built a bigger war chest with which to make a trade for much-needed defensive help.
That ship has now sailed for Don Sweeney, so he needs to reset and figure out how he can address a very mediocre defensive group (and that’s being charitable at this point). He’s talked about the difficulty of finding the right players in a constricted market where skilled two-way defensemen are at a premium, but as the GM, the fans aren’t interested in that kind of reasoning. They expect action, and so it will be interesting to see what he and the team does between now and the start of rookie camp in about 30 days or before opening night in October.
The Bruins have some impressive young defenders coming down the pipeline via recent drafts, but those kids aren’t realistic options to help the 2016-17 NHL roster, so something has to give. Sweeney needs to find a way to close some deals and get some wins under his belt. Here’s guessing that he might re-open the lines of communication with St. Louis or Anaheim to look at Kevin Shattenkirk or Cam Fowler. 29-year-old free agent Kris Russell has not yet been signed (boy, is THAT ever telling!) and at this point, you have to think that someone will land him, especially if the right money makes his shortcomings easier to swallow. But how much of an upgrade is he on a team like the Bruins? Again, it will come down to contract term and AAV, but that he’s still sitting out and available in mid-August is interesting.
Yes, it would have been easier for Sweeney and staff to make a deal with Vesey on board to free up other assets to be moved, but Boston also has to play the longer game with Brad Marchand headed to unrestricted free agency in July 2017 if the B’s don’t extend him. And let’s face it- they can’t afford *not* to extend him unless they work an unreal trade that the majority of fans can get behind. To lose Marchand in the wake of so many other grievances fans have about the team is as unpleasant an outcome as you can find right now.
The major priority is to improve the defense. You can’t “fix” this group, but Sweeney can build a more sturdier unit than what we saw last season with one move. When you look at the promise of players like Charlie McAvoy and perhaps Brandon Carlo or Rob O’Gara plus others in the next 1-3 years, the defense will improve. However, the status quo in 2016-17 is simply not going to work. Sweeney has to find a way to identify and acquire a bridge player or two.
It won’t be easy, but if it were, then anyone off the street could manage an NHL team to a Stanley Cup championship.
scoutingpost 
Hi Kirk,
You’re always a great read!
You had me jumping with that latest piece! Your caveat settles the basis of discussion. I realize those are your observations. I’m just reacting to some of them.
No problem with point 2 and 3. I can understand him going to the Rangers. I even said on an Internet board, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him choose the Rangers.
I greatly disagree with some other things you said.
The premise. In point 1, you seem to suggest that he wanted to return the favor to the Bs.
First, if one gives Vesey the excuse of human nature for exacting revenge on the Bs for not drafting him, one has to do the same for those fans who express sour grapes (would have to define what are sour grapes). Why is it lame to express sour grapes but not to exact revenge?
Second, I don’t see how he showed respect to the Bs. He let them into the dance even though he seemed (see the premise) to have his mind set on « returning the favor ». Vesey looks pretty bad here. All this, just to stick it to a team? To exact revenge on people that are mostly not there anymore? He should have acted like the better man and taken the high road then. It’s been 5 years!
Lastly Kirk, my life priorities are pretty much in order, at least I think so (LOL). Maybe I should not feel targeted here. After all, I didn’t take on the Twittersphere, or Facebook, or any other media to vilify Vesey. I know some people went way too far in their criticism of Vesey, and that shouldn’t be.
But still, I’m a Bs fan and in my heart and in my mind, I’m disappointed with his decision and I lost a lot of respect for him with the way he handled the situation. Sorry, but he didn’t showed Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand, McQuaid and others any respect. They all gave their time in the middle of summer to meet him, to sway him to play with them, when he already knew it was not to be. Why didn’t he say right off the bat (on August 16th or 17th) « You didn’t want me then, I don’t want you now. Boston is not on my list. » Is it so hard to play it straight?
Anyhow, that will be pretty much forgotten next week, until the first time he’ll face the Bs, and then, I hope Belskey and co will return the favor.
No hard feelings there
Thanks Kirk and keep it up.
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I’m not speaking for Vesey in terms of him sticking it to Boston- it’s a conclusion you can draw based on the outcome, but that’s not something anyone in his camp shared with me. However- the 1st point stands. The Bruins were interested. They told him as much & then didn’t take him. Years later, they took a harder road to get him & came up short. That’s on them, not him.
As for “feeling targeted” that’s up to you. Are you now saying Bruins were better off without him? If not, then you aren’t the target of those comments. Enough said.
Jimmy doesn’t owe the Bruins a damn thing. Every team made a pitch & he chose the Rangers. There are reasons for that & I explained a big one in paragraph #3. What you or I would have done is completely irrelevant. We should not expect Vesey to lve by any other values save his own.
I am finished with the whole Vesey debate. Bruins fans have right to be disappointed & can ascribe whatever motivations they wish to the situation. He was a player the team should have drafted when they had a chance. Chances are very high he would have signed. They brought this on themselves.
Thanks for reading.
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First of all I have to say I was very disappointed, still are that the Bruins couldn’t come to terms with a talent like Jimmy Vesey.
Secondly it has more to do with our beloved Bruins having a chance of improving their team. Not as much as the reason why Jimmy Vesey chose the New York Rangers.
I was almost as disappointed when Kevin Hayes signed with the Rangers two years ago.
To get a young big skilled wing at 6’3 200 lbs for cash is not happening every day. I remember being surprised but happy when Blake Wheeler signed for the Bruins. It wasn’t as many expected it and I for one has always like the skillset Wheeler brought to Boston and later Atlanta and Winnipeg. It’s hard to argue that trading Wheeler was a mistake since the Bruins won the Cup in 2011.
Of course it was another star player Boston traded along with Wheeler’s pal Rick Kessell and later the likes of Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton.
It isn’t farfetched to think all this fractured some in Jimmy Vesey desicion not to sign here. I can also agree, Kirk, on selecting a completely unknown goalie, Lars Volden in the 2011 draft instead of at least given a local talent a chance.
I don’t think there was a revenge or getting back at Boston.
Probably was a very hard desicion and you have to respect Jimmy Vesey for doing what he thought was best.
For me and the hard core Bruins fan it isn’t the first time we lose out on a gifted player.
It’s now one month to training camp start and another exciting part of the hockey season. Even though the Bruins missed the playoff’s and a long summer seemed due. I think this has really kept interest of most fans at high during this offseason.
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Sorry, it’s of course Phil Kessell.
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Not gonna lie, Rick Kessell made me lol
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Maybe I’m just a bit sore but I can’t just turn a blind eye, because of the way Vesey jerked the city and fans around through this whole process. Interviewing with Haggerty, making comments about how he’s a homebody and how Jimmy said it’s awesome to play here and how he’s friends with Krug, etc.
Maybe next time, don’t make those kind of comments, then put on the media circus, just to sign elsewhere. I get what you’re saying about fans being upset and taking it personally, but I’d argue Jimmy, in no small way, by words and actions of his own, made it personal. If he toned down the media exposure, if his agents didn’t constantly update the press every day about what teams where in the running, if Vesey didn’t make all the comments about Boston, he’d get a better reaction. It’s akin to leaving your Mercedes parked in a bad neighborhood. At the end of the day, when you come back and your rims are missing, do you really have anyone to blame but yourself?
Yes, the media circus wasnt his fault entirely. Yes, the fan’s reaction is overboard. However, that doesn’t abdicate Vesey of all responsibility. If he wanted everyone to like him, but still not play in Boston, there were better ways to go about the process.
That said, he has a few million reasons not to care, and if that’s the case, good for him. I don’t think anyone can fault him for doing what he wanted to, maybe just the way he went about it.
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He’s human. No matter how we feel we don’t have the right to judge him. We can disagree in life without taking things so personally, which seems to be the case for quite a few Bruins fans.
You don’t have to be a Vesey fan or respect how he went about it but he doesn’t owe anyone an explanation nor an accounting of the process he pursued within the parameters of the CBA.
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I’m not excusing the profane attacks on the kid – all those do is provide a reason for him not to play there. But for your average Bostonian, to see a hometown kid have the opportunity to play for his hometown team where money isn’t the immediate object for once, and he turns it down for New York of all places? You’re going to begin to feel insecure about your team and city.
I think we certainly do have the right to judge people, but I guess that’s more of a metaphysical discussion. Jimmy is now a public figure so either way it’s gonna happen, and all the information Bruins fans have about him is really just what amounts to his indictment of their city and team. I think that’s why it’s personal.
At the end of the day, I’ll take your word on it. You know him better than anyone else in the Bruins/media circle so I’m sure you are capable of making a more informed decision than me.
Appreciate your writing and response. I always enjoy reading your perspective. It’s always calculated and refreshing. Thanks for the hard work.
P.S.
For what it’s worth I wouldn’t want to play in Boston either, I don’t blame him for that. I can only imagine how awful being told your hometown team is drafting you, just to go undrafted would be. I just would have quietly signed elsewhere, with making the comments he did. But then again, he was probably devoting all his tone to becoming a great hockey player, so I guess expectations in the public relations department should stay low haha. In the end, he did what he wanted to do and that’s completely fair.
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Hello Kirk
Thanks for the background in no 1. I was unaware of that. I was not on the bandwagon to go after Vesey only because I want the Bruins to address the immediate need of a #1 or defenseman. I also (personally) didn’t want another good forward in the mix as with the signing of Backes they are loaded with a top 6 plus and as you know I want Ryan Spooner to stay in Boston. I dnt think we win the cup or become that much better with Vesey this or next year. Although I think we have a chance if we can solidify the top blue line. Will be back at the Garden soon enough. Ready for some Hockey.. Tessa
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I think he handled himself fine for a 23 year old. What was he supposed to do, not listen to a handful of teams’ pitches? Without hearing directly from a potential employer, you don’t have all of the information you need to make a decision like this. I don’t know Jimmy Vesey, but I doubt he had his mind completely made up before the Aug. 15th process started.
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I think the collateral damage in all this will be Jimmy Hayes. Fans already had a negative view of him and a lot of talk coming from “insiders” is that he/his family influenced Vesey’s decision to not sign with the Bruins. That may be incorrect but perception is often greater than reality.
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Speaking of Jimmy Hayes, I recall Vesey saying he is one of his best friends on multiple occasions. So where was he on the Bruins recruitment team? There’s no mention of him being at the final meeting, even though he is one of his best friends. You have to ask why!:
1. Jimmy didn’t want to participate, and possibly his treatment from the fans/ media last year- brought on by his play mind you- caused him to not want to be there. If this is true, do you keep a guy like that on the team???
2. Bruins did not ask him to be there/ want him there. It’s a no-brainer if he is one of Veseys best friends, so either this is more personnel management incompetance, or some reaction to him not morphing into the 2nd coming of Neely. Again is this a good situation for the team, let alone Hayes?
3. Something I’m missing- probably the case lol!
Maybe Jimmy did all his recruiting behind closed doors and out of sight. Maybe he is the biggest champion of trying to get Vesey to town.
Or maybe not.
Either way, how management is handling Hayes is another in a line of very questionable personnel moves that the Charlie Jacobs/Neely/ Sweeney triumvirate have been responsible for…
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Great article Kirk. I didn’t realize the Bruins snubbed him twice, I only knew about the second time. Knowing that, I can see how maybe he got a little measure of satisfaction by not signing here. I wouldn’t call it revenge so much because I think anyone in his position would take a little extra pride in proving them wrong for not taking him after telling him they wanted him. That has to hurt a bit. I also don’t put the blame on him or even his agent for the circus this became. From what I read, they played it pretty close. The only time they seemed to comment was when the rumors started and even then just to quiet things down. Still, as a fan, I wish he had signed here and I agree with another poster who said that Jimmy Hayes could become a casualty in all this, rightly or wrongly, just based on perception.
Now that the circus is over hopefully the Bruins can get to work on this defense.
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Great article Kirk, love getting some more insight into the whole process. But my big question is where was Jimmy Hayes in all of this? If Vesey has such a great connection with Kevin, you’d think Jimmy should have been involved. Is that more telling of Jimmy Hayes or the Bruins that he wasn’t involved?
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“Had Jonathan Drouin been able to leave Tampa Bay at midseason and become a free agent….” Well, I think “had” is the key word here. The fact of the matter, is that he couldn’t do it. I think that until something is done, whereby college players have to respect and accept the NHL team that drafts them, all franchises should be extremely careful about drafting NCAA players. Justin Schultz played the same game, when he entered the NHL. Kevin Hayes is another one, as you mentioned in the article. But you know, Brian Burke got it right, when he mentioned that the contributions to professional hockey of the NCAA guys who became free agents, equal a “pimple on an elephant’s butt”.
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Hi Kirk,
Lifetime Bruin fan here,,unlike alot of fans and media types, I do not take the Vesey non-signing as a failure.
Afterall, he has proved nothing as of yet, and I really do wish him well, but he has 0 NHL games played.
As for the Bruins being big losers in all of this,well,I strongly disagree. They need help on defence and I truly believe it will come before Christmas and the key signing was Backes. He will be able to replace a centre( Krejci or preferably Spooner) who will be dealt in order to obtain a top flight dman. Who will it be?? My pick would be Shattenkirk for the shorter term, if they are looking longer term it would be Trouba. they could easily package a centre, a pick and a prospect for one of those 2. And Backes then steps into the open spot.
As for the wing spot Vesey was touted for, well Vatrano deserves a true chance within the top 3 pairs on the wing.
Before assessing the D situation, I believe they will take a long look at what they have in futures. I am sure they know that they still need a 2-3 slot player to chew up 22-25 minutes but it will be a group effort until they decide on who their man will be..
I believe this is a playoff team and that it also was the last 2 years( missing both years by 3 points total.)
Great read by the way!!
Here is my lineup as of today:
Bergeron-Backes-Marchand
Krejci-Beleskey-Pastrnak
Spooner-Vatrano-Heinen
Nash-Hayes-Acciari-Randell
Chara-Krug
Liles-C.Miller
Mcquaid-K.Miller
Morrow
Rask
Khudobin
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