https://theathletic.com/17255/2016/...eparing-for-jimmy-vesey-to-become-free-agent/
This is a good breakdown from the Blackhawks perspective from Scott Powers
Keys:
- I’ve always thought he was Chicago’s to lose,” one NHL team executive recently said.
- Fit because Chicago is desperate for LW's
-“Stan Bowman is really honest. That’s one of the best things about him,” one agent recently said. Bowman isn’t likely to promise Vesey a top-6 spot or even an NHL roster spot.
-Panarin’s rookie season is something the Blackhawks can use to their advantage as well. Panarin stepped into a top spot and thrived as a rookie. Panarin earned accolades and a lot of bonus money. Like Panarin, Vesey will be given the maximum amount of performance bonuses on his entry-level contract.
- There’s no doubt Vesey and his representatives are already thinking about his second contract. Vesey’s first contract will be simple. It’ll be a two-year entry-level contract with a max base and max bonuses. The next contract will be more complicated.
-The Blackhawks barely have space to fit Vesey’s cap hit and potential bonuses this season. On the horizon is Panarin’s long-term deal. Panarin will likely get $6-7 million for seven or eight years. There’s the possibility of even more difficult decisions next offseason if the Blackhawks are hit with more cap overages. Looking even further ahead, the Blackhawks already have nearly $50 million committed to seven players in the 2019-20 season, and Nick Schmaltz, Marcus Kruger and Niklas Hjalmarsson will be up for new contracts prior to that season.
- It’s three Stanley Cups since 2010. It’s eight consecutive playoff appearances. It’s Kane and Toews. It’s all of the consecutive sellouts, the national anthem, the annual convention and the general fan base. Selling Chicago as a world-class city is something the Blackhawks also like to use in their presentations.