Jimmy Vesey getting pushed out the door in Toronto

It might be the end of the road for forward Jimmy Vesey in Toronto… He hasn’t had a great start to the season with the Maple Leafs and now there is an immediate threat to his ice time and his presence on the roster or even taxi squad. 

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the latest trade in Toronto is putting a lot of heat on Vesey. On Monday, the Maple Leafs acquired forward Alex Galchenyuk from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Egor Korshkov and defenceman David Warsofsky.

Friedman explained in his latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet that the move could mark the end of the Vesey experiment in Toronto :

“The Alex Galchenyuk trade  is a sign the  Jimmy Vesey experiment is in trouble. Both players have salaries that can be stashed on the taxi squad/in the AHL, if necessary. It also drops the Maple Leafs from 47 contracts to 46 (maximum 50). Flexibility is never negative.”

In the past week, Vesey’s ice time has been dropping considerably, he who was on the lineup on Monday night when the Maple Leafs collapsed at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. 

In 16 games so far this season, he has posted two goals and an assist, along with a -2 rating. Joe Thornton has been back on the roster and now with Galchenyuk hungry for some ice time and looking to make a good impression, Vesey’s luck might be running out. 

This is what head coach Sheldon Keefe had to say after Galchenyuk's first practice with the team, per Chris Johnston of Sportnets: "With his skillset and what he's accomplished in the league we see great potential there for him. But obviously he's a guy that's trying to find his way, find his game."