A former Colorado Avalanche could be on his way to the KHL. Specifically, we’re talking about Jimmy Vesey.
Vesey, who was acquired at last season’s trade deadline, could be heading to Russia after the Avalanche passed on signing him this offseason.
A report in RG Media published on July 29 cited a source close to Vesey, stating:
"Jimmy has been asking a lot of questions about how things work in the KHL and is seriously considering offers from the top European league."
The article names the Ak Bars Kazan and Dinamo Minsk of the KHL as the main suitors for Vesey. Also, the Chinese team Kunlun Red Star is believed to be in the mix to land the former third-round pick from 2012.
The 32-year-old forward joined the Avs in the Ryan Lindgren trade. The deal included Vesey and prospect Hank Kempf.
The former Harvard University player appeared in 10 regular-season games for the Avs. He registered a goal and an assist. He did not play in the postseason.
The Avalanche acquired Vesey hoping to bolster the bottom six. However, Vesey failed to impress. And, amid a lineup crunch, lineup spots were hard to come by. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Vesey found himself on the outside looking in.
Why Colorado Avalanche passed on Jimmy Vesey this summer
It’s mildly surprising that the Colorado Avalanche didn’t bring Vesey back this offseason. Vesey could still fill a depth role for a reasonable cap hit.
But therein lies the issue. The Avalanche have had to make sacrifices this offseason for the sake of cap space. Those sacrifices included trading Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
So, bringing back Jimmy Vesey could be seen as a luxury the Avalanche cannot afford at this point. PuckPedia shows the Avalanche have about $3.35 million in cap space. That space will be valuable as the club heads into training camp.
Said cap space could be utilized on one or two other depth players. While Vesey could still be in the mix, it’s likely the Avalanche wants to keep their options open. So, committing to Vesey at this point may not be in line with the team’s plans.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Avalanche have plenty of internal options for the bottom six. So, Vesey would have to compete with younger players like Nikita Prischepov, Ivan Ivan, and Danil Gushchin for a bottom-six role.
Ultimately, Vesey found himself in a crowded Colorado Avalanche bottom six, prompting him to seek opportunities elsewhere.