With their 3rd pick today, the Nashville Predators have chosen Jimmy Vesey, a left winger out of Boston (would Tim Thomas approve?) who is slated to play for Harvard.
This, from HockeyJournal.com:
After being passed over a year ago, Vesey (who was NEHJ’s No. 3 draft prospect for 2011) put his energy and focus into proving all 30 NHL clubs who passed on him wrong for doing so.
“I think Vesey’s the best draft-eligible player coming out of the area,” one NHL scout said recently. “He may be a year older, but you can’t deny the fact that he has size, skill and hockey sense. He put everything together and was a man on a mission for South Shore (of the EJHL) this year.”
Much like Craig Smith previously, Vesey went undrafted in his first year of eligibility before taking a big step forward this season. It looks like he will have a chance to become a 2nd-generation NHL player.
The Boston Herald also has this:
Vesey, a 6-foot-2, 198-pounder, broke the EJHL single-season scoring record (48-43-91 totals), won the league MVP award and also took home the Bruins‘ John Carlton Award for combining exceptional hockey skills with academic excellence (he is a recent graduate of North Reading High School).
“He’s a guy who likes to carry the puck,” Jim Vesey said. “He sees the ice exceptionally well and he makes good plays. I mean, I’m his dad, but he has a natural ability to score goals that you can’t teach. He learned to play in the (EJHL), because guys came after him. I told him that’s part of the game; guys are going to try and intimidate him. He learned to play with more of a chip on his shoulder. Jimmy learned to give it back as well as take it, play with more of an edge.”