Jimmy Vesey has built himself a new identity that fans have come to appreciate with the New York Rangers in his second era with the franchise – but that doesn’t mean there are any guarantees going forward.
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Before the 2016 Hobey Baker Award winner arrived in The Big Apple, there was a big chase for his services. He opted to play out his college career and become a free agent, with the expectation that he could immediately become a top-six NHL winger on entry-level contract value. The Rangers wound up winning the bid after big celebrities including former New York Mets star Noah Syndergaard and former New York Giants edge rusher Justin Tuck used the #JVtoNYR on social media to lure the Harvard Crimson product to Broadway.
Unfortunately, Vesey never lived up to the hype and peaked as a third-line scoring winger. The Rangers decided to trade him to the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round pick after the Original Six franchise decided to enter a rebuild. After the Sabres swung at his talents, Vesey turned out not to be the best fit.
Young Competition Coming
Vesey played for four different organizations in two years before the Rangers became interested in a reunion. But he wasn’t guaranteed a contract right away. He needed to prove himself on a player tryout – and he did just that to earn himself a one-year deal. Since then, he’s taken advantage of his opportunity. His game has been reinvented from the once 30-plus goal-scorer in college to a gritty bottom-six winger, who can kill penalties. With a different set of expectations, Vesey has given the Rangers supreme value at under a $1 million cap hit for multiple seasons. Fans have come to appreciate what he’s turned into in his second New York run.
That said, the Rangers have a few prospects that can at the very least challenge for spots. The greatest strength in their prospect pool is on the wing. Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, and Adam Sykora will have at least a chance to push for a spot. Even head coach Peter Laviolette admitted in training camp, according to Colin Stephenson of Newsday, that “There is always an opportunity for you to jump out of your shoes, knock us in the head, and say, ‘I am here, I have arrived.”’
Why Vesey’s Spot Could Be Jeopardy
Simply put, if one or two prospects make the team out of training camp – then somebody gets sent down. So how could that wind up being Vesey?
Well, let’s first assume the all but guarantees to make the roster for the forward group. That would be Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Reilly Smith, Filip Chytil, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere. Plus, Will Cuylle coming off his strong rookie campaign, and Sam Carrick, who just signed a three-year deal in free agency as a center, are both likely to make the team. You would also have to assume the Rangers would want at least one of Adam Edstrom or Jonny Brodzinski on the roster because of their versatility in playing both wing and center. Under that scenario, 11-12 forwards would make the team.
That could mean Vesey will be fighting off one of Othmann, Berard, or Sykora, who will all be hungry to show the coaching staff they belong. The players, coaches, and fans all know what Vesey can bring to the table – but he’s coming off a tough postseason where he generated just 37.09 percent of the expected goal share at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. That was the second lowest among Rangers players that appeared in at least a dozen playoff games in 2023-24. Plus, he’s coming off a separated shoulder injury that he sustained in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post.
Vesey has brought a ton of value to the Rangers – but his roster spot isn’t as safe as some may think. If a prospect or two outperforms him, the organization could justify keeping him as the 13th forward or sending him to the minors. His cap hit is only $800,000 and is easy to manage either way. But because of what Vesey has done in the past, even if the postseason wasn’t pretty, he’s still the favorite to nail down a regular spot. He just may have to earn it.
