On Jimmy Vesey …
Scott Powers of The Athletic: Jimmy Vesey’s agent, Peter Donatelli, said yesterday that the Chicago Blackhawks will be on Vesey’s shortlist of teams when he becomes a free agent on August 15th.
“Chicago will be a team we want to talk to on Aug. 15,” Donatelli said by phone on Monday. “Chicago will be on the list, but it shouldn’t be read as they’re ahead of anyone else.”
Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has watched Vesey twice in summer league games in Foxboro, Massachusetts this summer.
“He really has no idea where he’s going to be,” Donatelli said. “It’s going to be up to the teams to sell him. … Yes, , but we’re interested in what the teams say rather than telling the teams what they have to say.”
On the Colorado Avalanche and Matt Duchene …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slaphot: Avalanche center Matt Duchene has had his name come up in trade rumors in the past. He was on Sportsnet 590 and was asked to put a percentage on the likelihood that he’d finished the season in an Avs jersey?
“I have no idea.”
“We’re a team that has not been where we want to be the last couple of years, and hopefully we get it back together this year. But if things don’t go that way, I’m sure they’ll be looking to make some big changes. That’s already obviously been talked about a lot in the media.
“All I can do is just prepare myself the best I can to help first of all Team Canada win the World Cup, and then after that, the same applies for Colorado. So that’s all I’m really worried about. The rest is out of my control.”