04-09-2025, 01:32 PM
Jimmy Vesey'sluxury was one seldom afforded to high-talent NHL prospects he got to hand-pick where his career wouldbegin. That decision dropped Friday, with the free agent former Harvard standout announcing he'll sign with the Rangers after a one-week courting period. OFFICIAL: have agreed to terms with free agent forward Jimmy Vesey. New York Rangers (@NYRangers) At least seven teams met with Vesey, the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner as the NCAA's top player, near his Ma sachusetts home this week in attempts to win him over. Money wasn't a factor Brayden Willis Jersey , as Veseywas limitedto a maximumentry-level contract regardle s of where he signed. MORE: His two-year deal pays$925,000 annually plus $2.85 million in performance bonuses making him a salary cap Ricky Watters Jersey darlingfor New York asthe skilled 23-year-old power forward will be expected to step right into the top six and contribute immediately. Drafted in the third round (66th overall) by the Predators in 2012, Vesey, a left winger, blo somed into one of the best all-around players in the NCAA during his four seasons at Harvard andtotaled 104 points in 70 games over his final two seasons. He was on the fast track to join the Preds for their playoff push last season, but negotiations never really got off the Raheem Mostert Jersey ground when Vesey decided he would exercise a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that allowed him to become a free agent. That led toNashville flippingVesey's rights to the Sabres, who sacrificed athird-round draft pick for a two-month windowof exclusive negotiating withVesey and his agents, to no avail. Touted as Vesey may be, there are no sure things in the NHL. MORE: Every once in a while, a college star of Vesey's ilk slips through the cracks to create a free agency sideshow for their services. But they can be a mixed bag, too. For every Adam Oates andEd Belfour, there's a Drew Leblanc andMatt Gilroy. And the Hobey Ronnie Lott Jersey Baker Award does not always foretell NHL succe s; historically,it means very little on the pro stage. The jury's still out on a few of the more recent cases like Kevin Hayes, the one-timeBlackhawks top pick who bolted to the Rangers in a situation not unlike Vesey's;or JustinSchultz, whose 2012 free agency touralmost rivaled that of Zach Parise.Vesey, though,should fit in well with the Rangers. Instead of money, teams relied on playing time, roster composition andpersonal ties to recruit him. Some brought a who's who contingent of top players for a meet and greet, with Chicago'sPatrick Kane and Islanders star John Tavares present fortheir teams' pitches. Others were counting on other connections. The Bruins, for instance, held ahometown advantage withthe North Reading, Ma s., native. Then there was budding NHL star Jack Eichel, last year's second Leonard Floyd Jersey overall pick, who spent much of the summer working out and playing with Vesey in Ma sachusetts, trying to sell him on Buffalo.