Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma met with prospect Jimmy Vesey for the first time Thursday in Boston.
The Sabres acquired the exclusive negotiating rights with the 23-year-old forward from the Nashville Predators on June 20. Vesey still intends to become a free agent on Aug. 15, but the Sabres are on his short list of teams.
"Meeting went very well," said Peter Donatelli, one of the agents for Vesey. "It was a first meeting and very informative."
The Predators originally selected Vesey in the third round (No. 66 overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He informed the Predators in March of his desire to test the free-agent market before the team traded his rights to Buffalo in exchange for a third-round draft pick. He completed his college career at Harvard and won the Hobey Baker Award in the spring.