Tim Murray might have learned his lesson with Connor McDavid.

After admitting he was thinking too much about the top prospect heading into the 2015 draft and calling him "our franchise-changing player" before the Buffalo Sabres had even won the lottery, the Edmonton Oilers landed the top pick and selected McDavid.

The Sabres general manager seemed far more passive when asked about highly-touted pending free-agent forward Jimmy Vesey on Tuesday.

"I've talked about this literally less than anyone else in Buffalo," Murray told reporters at the Sabres' development camp, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

"I hear the guys on the radio, and people are mad. This is like top-end news. I think I've paid less attention to this than anybody. It is what it is. We made a trade. We traded one of our four third-round picks to be able to talk to him."

The Sabres acquired Vesey's exclusive negotiating rights from the Nashville Predators, with whom the Hobey Baker Award winner and his camp refused to sign.

Vesey's camp has repeatedly stated they intend to explore free agency when eligible on Aug. 15.

Buffalo's brass sat down with Vesey and his representatives in Boston last week. The 23-year-old's agent said the meeting went "quite well" and that his client felt "very comfortable" with Murray and Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma.

Murray didn't seem eager to share any details of the rendezvous Tuesday.

"We went down there. We spoke to him. I told him he doesn't owe anybody anything," he said. "He went to school for four years and he (is about to become) a free agent, so now he's got to make the right decision for him. There's no timetable."

The GM echoed the sentiments of Vesey's camp but admitted he wasn't sure if a second meeting was going to happen.

"I felt really good about the meeting," Murray said. "I got great feedback about the meeting but this is his show right now. If he wants to come in here or he wants to reach out to us and have another meeting then we're there. But for me, this is in his court."

Vesey could have a plethora of suitors on Aug. 15, but Murray cautioned against getting carried away with speculation in the meantime.

"I don't sit at home and speculate about this," Murray said. "He's either going to sign here or he's not. If he doesn't, it's going to be obviously not the decision we want and you guys will call me a dummy for trading away a third-round pick. I've got all the scenarios and I'm ready for it all but it's up to him. It's his time."

What a difference a year makes.

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An event normally associated with optimism became the site of a scary scene Tuesday morning.

Michael Campoli, an undrafted invitee to the Buffalo Sabres' development camp, had to be stretchered off the ice after taking a hard hit from prospect William Carrier along the boards during a 3-on-3 tournament.

Players were sent to the dressing rooms while Campoli was attended to by medical personnel, according to NHL.com's Joe Yerdon.

Trainers stabilized Campoli's neck as he lay flat on the ice while waiting for EMTs to arrive. He was eventually removed on a stretcher and taken to the arena elevators, with Sabres general manager Tim Murray looking on.

The players were called back on the ice and play resumed after Campoli's departure.

The 18-year-old defenseman is committed to Boston College for next season. He played for three years in the U.S. National Team Development Program.

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For the immediate impact that they're expected to have, the reigning No. 1 and No. 2 overall NHL draft selections, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, must be considered the betting favorites for the Calder Trophy.

But as Artemi Panarin and Shayne Gostisbehere proved while finishing one-two in the last rookie vote, it's not as simple as banking on the horse with the most hype.

Here are five players who could emerge as next season's top freshman:

Dylan Strome

The third overall selection in the Connor McDavid-Jack Eichel draft, Strome will take his first strides as a professional next year, and presumably make his long-awaited debut for the Arizona Coyotes.

Strome returned to Major Junior after netting 129 points in his draft season, winning the Ontario Hockey League scoring title with 111 points and a 1.98 point-per-game production rate.

The Coyotes have two returning top-six centers, but are in no way indebted to Antoine Vermette or Martin Hanzal. Strome, who might have the highest ceiling among their collection of quality prospects, figures to have a highly productive debut season working out of Arizona's top six.

Jimmy Vesey

When Vesey finally inks his first NHL contract, he'll have a host of factors in his favor as it pertains to making a mark as a rookie - many of which are the same variables that helped Panarin nab top rookie last season.

To wit, in successfully waiting out his former rights holder, David Poile and the Nashville Predators, the Harvard graduate will be five years older than the incoming rookie class. But his greatest advantage will be a luxury he's waited patiently to achieve: calling his own shot.

And potentially finding his Patrick Kane?

Zach Werenski

Werenski left Michigan at the end of his sophomore season to continue on his accelerated path to the NHL. And after making a seamless transition to the professional game, it appears his momentum will carry him to opening night with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The second defender chosen in last summer's draft pushed the Lake Erie Monsters over the top in their run to the Calder Cup title, providing five goals and 14 points in 17 postseason games.

Werenski's not expected to be an attacking force at the next level, at least not to a near point-per-game degree, but could immediately step into a top-four role on the Jackets' thin defense, and have a major impact next season.

Ivan Provorov

We'll see the next phase in Philadelphia's transition from an unimaginative, overpaid, and ineffective defense corps to leading light when it rolls out the decorated Ivan Provorov this season.

The displaced Russian has dominated at every level since coming to North America at 16 to entrench himself in the NHL brand - a decorated run that includes being named Canadian Major Junior's top defenseman this year.

He may not have a Gostisbehere-sized impact out the shoot, but will most certainly upgrade the unit as it continues to turn over.

Sebastian Aho

The understated fulcrum of Finland's mega-talented top line from the World Junior Championship, Aho may carry less hype, but could see his impact exceed that of Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi.

Carolina's second-round pick last summer outproduced the pair, scoring 20 goals and turning in a point-per-game average in his second season in Finland's top division.

Aho will be immediately thrust into a scoring function with the up-and-coming Canes, and should have a productive debut campaign that arrives relatively unannounced.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up one of their best young forwards for the long term.

Victor Rask agreed to a six-year contract with the club worth $4 million per season, the Hurricanes announced Tuesday.

The 23-year-old ranked second on the team with 21 goals and tied for second with 48 points in his second season with Carolina.

He led the Hurricanes with 18 power-play points and ranked fourth on the team in ice time, averaging 16:58.

"Victor has gotten better every season that he's been a part of our organization," general manager Ron Francis said in a statement Tuesday. "He is a big part of this team's present and future, and we are thrilled to sign him to a longer-term deal."

The move brings Carolina above the 2016-17 salary cap floor ($54 million), giving the Hurricanes a total cap hit of about $55 million, according to General Fanager.

The Hurricanes extended a qualifying offer to Rask on June 27. He was a restricted free agent.

Carolina selected him 42nd overall in 2011.

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Make it 21.

Shane Doan and the Arizona Coyotes have agreed to a one-year contract that will prolong the veteran forward's career, reports Arizona Sports' Craig Morgan.

No salary information is yet out there, but Morgan writes that the pact will be worth close to $5 million when a bonus, incentives, and deferred payments are included.

Doan will be 40 in October, but can still light it up. He scored 28 goals last season, highest on the team, and his most since 31 in 2008-09. He finished with 47 points. Let's face it: at his age, the captain deserves a season shooting 16.5 percent.

Drafted seventh overall by the then Winnipeg Jets in 1995, Doan's been with the franchise his entire career.

The Coyotes finished fourth in the Pacific Division last season with a 35-39-8 record. Goals against were a problem, but youngsters Max Domi and Anthony Duclair had strong seasons.

Domi finished with 52 points, good for second on the team, while Duclair scored 20 goals and had 44 points while averaging only 14:23 in ice time per game. Between the two kids and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and hopefully Dylan Strome next season, the Coyotes appear to have a bright future, with Doan continuing to play a part in where, eventually, the club ends up.

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When Bobby Orr speaks, you listen. It's as simple as that.

The legendary Hall of Fame defenseman shared some thoughts on the modern game with TSN's Gino Reda, and No. 4 believes the NHL must bring back the red line in order to slow the game down - it's too fast, the players too big, and the game too dangerous as a result.

"I think the center line, with the size of our players and the speed of our players, we're shooting the puck from the goal line to the other blue line, and guys are going through the middle looking back for the passes, I think our game has become more dangerous," Orr said.

Now 68, Orr said far too many players are being lost to injury due to too much open ice.

"I just don't think (hockey is a game) we can play without borders. And we need that center ice line back in to slow it down. ... With the size, the strength, I don't think we can play like that."

Orr added that he isn't concerned with a decrease in scoring if the red line comes back into play. He pointed out, in fact, that all of the rules implemented to increase scoring haven't worked.

"The coaches just coach around the style," Orr said. "If the red line was back in, now the players have to make plays coming out of their end. I think that's going to help create more offense. Forechecking can be more sustained."

Orr would know - he revolutionized his position, after all. Injuries limited him to only 657 career regular-season games, but he left hockey having averaged a remarkable 1.39 points per contest.

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It was probably slashing, but, whatever.

Tyler Bertuzzi put a new spin on playing the man and not the puck at Detroit Red Wings development camp, abusing his defender by knocking the stick out of his hands - literally - before scoring on his backhand.

The prospect was even polite enough to send the discarded stick back into the slot, so it could be more easily retrieved. Never forget your manners, kids.

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