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Vesey will get the Sabres’ best pitch next week, but he still intends to go to free agency on Aug. 15

2015 Beanpot Tournament - Consolation Game

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 23: Jimmy Vesey #19 of the Harvard Crimson skates against the Boston College Eagles during the second period of the 2015 Beanpot Tournament consolation game at TD Garden on February 23, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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Jimmy Vesey hasn’t been sold on Buffalo.

Not yet anyway.

“I’m still going to go to free agency and explore all my options,” Vesey told Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe late last week.

But the 23-year-old forward can’t explore all his options until Aug. 15. Until then, he’s exclusively Sabres property. Because of that, he’ll get GM Tim Murray’s sales pitch before anyone else’s.

“The next step is next week go and meet with him and extol the virtues of the organization and the city of Buffalo and tell him how much we like him and we need him,” Murray told reporters yesterday.

Perhaps Murray can convince him to forego his options. The Sabres are an up-and-coming team, and the opportunity to play with Jack Eichel could be tempting.

On the other hand, Vesey didn’t bow to the considerable pressure to sign in Nashville. It’s tough to see him changing his mind now that he’s so close to free agency. He could still sign with the Sabres in the end, but why not hear what the Bruins, Maple Leafs and others have to say first?

Update: Click here for the full Boston Globe story.

Related: ‘The Bruins will definitely be on my list’