The Predators traded the rights to Jimmy Vesey – a player that was never going to sign in Nashville – to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third-round pick at this year’s NHL Draft. Thank you, David Poile, you magician you.
David Poile: “Just as the rights to Jimmy Vesey were an asset for us, so is a third-round pick. We just moved forward on this.”
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) June 20, 2016
The question many of you may be asking yourselves is why make this trade if you are Buffalo and give up a pick for a player that was set to hit the open market? The answer is simple. The Sabres now have the ability to try and sign him before everyone else has a chance to. Buffalo will have until August 15 to get his signature on a contract.
With a trade like this, the Sabres have to have full confidence in the idea that Vesey wants to be a part of their organization. If so, it’s a win-win situation for both sides as Vesey could very well turn out to be a line mate of Jack Eichel for years to come and the Predators received some type of compensation for Vesey simply not wanting to sign with the team that drafted him in 2012 and to all indications courted him like an actual prince.
The fact that Nashville was able to get anything for the rights to Vesey is a work of art.
The third-round pick the Predators received was originally Minnesota’s and they are now the sixth team to hold the Wild’s pick (Buffalo, Anaheim, New Jersey, Florida and Minnesota).
Nashville now has eight selections in this weekend’s NHL Draft.
Update:
And just when you thought this trade could not get any better for the Predators…
Vesey isn’t set on signing with the Sabres at all and still wants to test the free-agent market come August 15. This is unbelievable. More power to Sabres’ general manager Tim Murray if he can get Vesey’s signature, but this has more drama written all over it.