Rangers Wait on Jimmy Vesey

Jimmy Vesey (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Much like their pursuit of Kevin Hayes in 2014 the New York Rangers are hoping to sway first round want away Jimmy Vesey to join them. Hayes was drafted in the first round by the Blackhawks but elected not to sign with them causing him to become a free agent before ultimately signing with the Rangers. This gave the Rangers’ first round talent without having a first round draft pick of their own that season.

Fast forward to 2016 and the Rangers are faced with a similar situation. Vesey wasn’t a first round pick – he was drafted in the third round – but the talent is still there, and so he has become wanted by many teams around the league including the Rangers. The Rangers did not have a first round pick in this year’s draft so they would be receiving top talent despite having dealt away their pick.

Vesey was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators but refused to sign with them forcing them to trade his rights to the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres and Vesey did not come to a contract agreement and thusly Vesey became a free agent this past Monday. And now the courting begins for the Rangers who would love to add a 23 year old forward to the mix.

It’s a strange time for the Rangers who are battling the salary cap and trying to stay in contention for the Stanley Cup with an aging Henrik Lundqvist. The ability to add young and cheap talent to the squad would further solidify the roster going forward and help get them closer to their goal of winning the Cup without getting into deeper financial troubles.

The Rangers aren’t the only team on Vesey’s list however. He will also meet with the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the New Jersey Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It will be a tough sell for a team that already has a lot of young talented forward but if they can prove to Vesey that they’re the right landing spot for him than the Rangers will look very bright going into this season.