In a surprising move, the Buffalo sabres have traded a third round pick, which was originally Minnesota's and is 76th overall, to the Nashville Predators for the rights to two-time Hobey Baker award finalist and 2016 award winner Jimey Vesey.

Vesey was drafted by the Predators in 2012, but continued his college career at Harvard through to completion and announced his intention to not sign with the Predators, but rather to seek free agency. As a college draftee who remained unsigned, he becomes a free agent on August 15 if Buffalo doesn't sign him before then.

The Maple Leafs and the Bruins were thought to be the front runners in the Vesey sweepstakes, but they both seem to have lost this one to Tim Murray and the Buffalo Sabres.

It's not a sure thing. Vesey could decline again to sign with the rights-holding team. We won't know for sure until he signs his name to a contract, but there is no indication this was a conditional trade, so Buffalo seems confident.

Vesey had 46 points in 33 games in his final year at Harvard, showing a small decline from his previous year's goal scoring.