Sabres GM insists he's not getting caught up in Vesey sweepstakes
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.