Jimmy Vesey's long-anticipated decision on where he'll begin his NHL career is coming down to the wire.
The former Harvard star and Hobey Baker Award winner has reportedly narrowed down his list to a half-dozen teams, according to Stephen Harris of The Boston Herald.
Vesey's exclusive negotiating rights were acquired by the Buffalo Sabres - who are believed to be in the mix - in June from the Nashville Predators, who drafted him in the third round in 2012. Buffalo has since been unable to sign him.
Set to become an unrestricted free agent on Monday, Aug. 15, Vesey held a meeting Wednesday with his agent and family to discuss options.
"Just to kind of finalize our thoughts," his agent, Peter Fish, said. "We've all been running around doing stuff this summer, but we're finally getting down to the nitty-gritty."
Other teams linked to the 23-year-old are his hometown Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs - who his father is a scout for - and the Chicago Blackhawks, but it's reasonable to believe all 30 teams will at least put in a call.
Fish said his client wants to see things through, and is thoroughly considering all factors before making a final decision.
"We've looked at depth charts with some teams and talked about them ... There's obviously a lot that goes into it: The city, the coach, the GM, the salary structure, how a team treats their players in the second and third contracts down the road."
The Tampa Bay Lightning were the first to kick off the annual professional tryout contract sweepstakes on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to such an arrangement with defenseman James Wisniewski. And many other teams could follow suit.
Ever since the craziness that was July 1, teams have been quiet, appearing unwilling to risk valuable dollars on players whose best years are behind them.
That silence has left many players who could still have some valuable miles there for the taking.
The 34-year-old has seen his offense drop the past few seasons, but what he lacks on the scoresheet he makes up for in intangibles.
Vermette has a Stanley Cup to his name and remains one of the better faceoff men in the game. He would be a great fit on a young team looking for a veteran presence. And though he might need to prove that he still has game, a tryout would provide the perfect opportunity.
Jiri Hudler
It's hard to believe a player just a year removed from a 31-goal, 76-point campaign remains without a contract heading into next season.
That's the case with forward Jiri Hudler, who, after a career season, put up just 16 goals and 46 points in 72 games split between the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers in 2015-16.
Hudler saw a drop in production on a Flames team that regressed last season, and never quite found his mark with the Panthers. That aside, he still has a great scoring knack, and can produce at even strength and on the power play.
Radim Vrbata
Radim Vrbata's agent claimed his client was in talks with as many as four teams back in mid July, but nearly a month later, Vrbata appears no closer to a contract.
The 35-year-old is clearly nearing the end of his career, but, much like Hudler, is only a year removed from some fantastic output.
During the 2014-15 season, Vrbata led the Vancouver Canucks with 31 goals, chipping in another 32 assists for a career-high 63 points.
He showed a significant drop in production last season, but considering the Canucks fell from fifth in the Western Conference with 101 points in 2015 to 13th with 75 points, maybe it wasn't all his doing.
Brandon Pirri
Brandon Pirri appears to be another victim of an off year.
The 25-year-old scored a career-best 29 points in a career-high 61 games last season, but saw his goal total plummet.
During the 2014-15 campaign, Pirri proved his pure goal-scoring ability by netting 22 goals in just 49 games. In fact, only Alex Ovechkin and Rick Nash scored more goals per 60 minutes than he did.
Unlike many on this list, Pirri is still young, and, given the right chance in the right environment, he could prove to be a steal.
Cody Hodgson
Cody Hodgson is by far the biggest risk on the list.
The former first-round pick has nearly fallen out of the league after being plucked 10th overall in 2008.
Hodgson hit a career high with 20 goals and 44 points with the Buffalo Sabres during the 2013-14 season - the first year of his six-year, $25.5-million contract. As fate would have it, though, he was bought out at the conclusion of the following season after compiling just six goals and 13 points.
Hodgson failed to stick with the Nashville Predators this past season, with just three goals and eight points in 39 games. However, while playing in the American Hockey League, he managed just under a point per game with 11 in 14 contests.
He is definitely a gamble, but with little to lose and Hodgson likely trying his best to resurrect his career, it might pay off for one lucky team.
Vesey, 23, is playing in the Foxboro Sports Center Pro League this summer with Team Harlow.
A former second-round pick of the Nashville Predators, Vesey's negotiating rights were traded to the Buffalo Sabres, but he'll hit the market officially on Aug. 15.
A CSNNE.com report Wednesday cited two anonymous sources who said the Boston Bruins, thought to be very much in the mix for Vesey, are not among the forward's top three choices. One of those two sources said the top three is comprised of the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Devils.
With speculation rampant over Vesey's final destination, WKBW in Buffalo managed to get a statement from the player's representatives:
There are no front runners. Jimmy will go through the process and Buffalo will be part of that process. Everything said or read until that time is speculation.
As part of Toronto's centennial season celebrations, the club's creating new banners to replace those that hang in the rafters at the Air Canada Centre, of players who've had their numbers honored.
On Wednesday, with The Tragically Hip in town, one of those banners was back in its usual spot - Bill Barilko's.
The Hip, of course, pay tribute to Barilko in their legendary hit "Fifty Mission Cap," and in what is likely their last three shows in Toronto due to the ailing health of Gord Downie, the banner is precisely where it belongs.
It's been almost 18 years since Felix Potvin played goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his legacy is strong.
Antoine Bibeau, a 22-year-old goaltending prospect drafted in the sixth round by Toronto in 2013, is doing his part to make sure Potvin - who was in the crease during two remarkable playoff runs in 1993 and 1994 - is never forgotten.
Check out Bibeau's new mask, which pays tribute to a fellow goalie from Quebec:
Bibeau had a .909 save percentage with the AHL's Toronto Marlies last season, and will be back with the farm team in 2016-17.
Potvin burst onto the scene in 1993, finishing as a Calder Trophy finalist and taking over in the crease after Toronto dealt veteran Grant Fuhr to the Buffalo Sabres in a trade that netted the club Dave Andreychuk.
Known affectionately as "The Cat," Potvin's best years came in Toronto. He spent eight seasons in blue and white, winning 160 games and finishing with a .908 save percentage. The mark was the highest of his career, which saw him play in Los Angeles, Long Island, Vancouver, and Boston.
Zach Parise can't wait to put on American colors. Especially after the way his season ended in the spring.
A lower-back injury cost the Minnesota Wild winger his chance to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but he's on the mend and looking forward to taking the ice in Toronto at the World Cup in September.
"I feel like I'll be fine to play," Parise told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. The veteran will get the final word from doctors before he heads north, but he isn't harboring doubts about his availability.
Parise called the opportunity to play for the U.S. "special."
"I hate saying it," the 32-year-old added, "but especially where I am in my career as it's going by, you just don't know how many opportunities again you're going to get."
Parise had 25 goals and 28 assists in 70 games in 2015-16. His next regular-season goal will be No. 300 in his career. Injuries were the story in 2016, though. He played through leg issues before his back forced him out of the Wild lineup. He watched as his club lost in six games in the first round to the Dallas Stars.
The Minneapolis native called his injury troubles "scary," and while he didn't have surgery, intense physical therapy has led to progress. He's skating and hopes to be "back to normal" before leaving for Toronto.
The World Cup begins Sept. 17, with American training camp opening up Sept. 4.
The 32-year-old played just 47 seconds in his first game in his lone campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes after suffering a severe knee injury that required season-ending surgery.
While he has not seen action in nearly a year, prior to last season, Wisniewski split time with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks and hit a career high of eight goals in 69 games. During the 2013-14 season, Wisniewski managed a career-best 51 points in 75 games.
With just six defensemen under contract heading into next season and Nikita Nesterov still without a contract, Wisniewski could prove to be a valuable depth option for the Lightning.
Considering the game's pageantry, beauty, and finesse, is there any question that hockey is a work of art?
The answer is no, according to Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who explained in exquisite detail what makes the game an art form in his latest ad for Canadian Tire.
Toews' name, of course, already appears three times on the greatest masterpiece in sports, the Stanley Cup.
Age will not be a factor when John Chayka picks the Arizona Coyotes' roster next season.
The 27-year-old general manager is entering his first NHL campaign, and has the luxury of one of the deepest prospect pools in the league, which he plans to utilize during training camp in September.
Among the prospects knocking on the Coyotes' door are 2015 third overall pick Dylan Strome, who claims to be done with junior, and Christian Dvorak, the 20-year-old center coming off a 121-point season with the Memorial Cup champion London Knights.
Of all things Chayka will consider when piecing together his final roster, age won't matter, as he aims to ice a team of the best players at his disposal.
"We're not going around looking at birth certificates making decisions," Chayka told Nicholas Cotsonika of NHL.com. "If they're ready to play, they're ready to play."
Other prominent prospects in the Coyotes' system include 2016 seventh overall pick Clayton Keller, 2014 first-round pick Brendan Perlini, 2015 first-rounder Nick Merkley, and defenseman Jakob Chychrun, taken 16th overall in in this year's entry draft.
While Chayka is willing to give the youngsters a shot, he understands the balance between asset management and rushing a player into the pros.
"We put ourselves in a good position with a good group of young players, and you don't want to rush anything," Chayka said. "You want to do it right."
Chayka, whose made a massive splash in his first three months on the job through drafting, signings, and trades, appears to have Arizona fast-tracking to sustainable success.
The NHL announced its full 2016 preseason schedule on Wednesday, which will begin Sept. 25 when the St. Louis Blues play a pair of split-squad games versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Afterward, the 106-game schedule features plenty of new venues, including T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where the Los Angeles Kings will take on the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche Oct. 7 and 8 respectively.
