Archive for Jimmy Vesey
Final impressions of the 2016-2017 season
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I feel ya, Hank
The Rangers’ 2016-2017 season has come to an end. I, like many of you, I’m sure, was left with a disappointed taste in my mouth following the Blueshirts untimely exit to a fairly mediocre Senators team. Fortunately, my writing schedule allowed me to digest for a couple days before committing my final impressions of this season to the interwebs. In thinking about concepts, angles and a final position for this article, I cycled through many emotionally driven think pieces. The title “What a Waste” stuck in my head for several days.
I was seriously considering a sanctimonious diatribe about wasting another of Hank’s prime years and the complete unfairness of the generational level of performance he has given the organization over the past decade plus only to be rewarded with consistent disappointment. Though this isn’t ultimately the point of this article, I do want to touch on that concept briefly.
Breaking up the “Kid Line” would be a bad idea
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Photo Credit: AP / Jim Mone
Over the weekend, Alain Vigneault decided to put Pavel Buchnevich, Oscar Lindberg, and Jimmy Vesey together on the fourth line. The trio clicked immediately, despite some concerns they might be defensively deficient. It provides even more evidence to support the speed/skill fourth line over grit/toughness.
Now don’t get me wrong, every team needs snarl. We got a little bit of that last night with a good Old Time Hockey brawl. It wasn’t a staged fight. It was one of passion that involved Vesey dropping the gloves, teamed with Brendan Smith and Nick Holden against three Devils. That same Vesey has been involved in a few other tussles this season.
Jimmy Vesey and the NCAA wall
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Photo: Brad Penner-USA Today
As the prized offseason signing for the Rangers, Jimmy Vesey burst onto the scene in his first month of NHL action. The highly touted rookie put up a line of 6-3-9 in his first ten NHL games, as the Rangers blew teams away to start the season. But as the Rangers dealt with injuries and the scoring regressed to a more realistic pace, Vesey’s scoring has disappeared. In his past 38 games, Vesey has scored just five goals and five assists, a far cry from the near point-per-game pace.
The dip in scoring was to be expected. It’s rare you get rookies that can score at a point per game, and those kids are usually taken in the top-five picks. Vesey was a third rounder and not an elite talent like McDavid or Matthews. Beyond the expected drop off, this is also the most hockey Vesey has ever played. He has played 48 games thus far, and the last time he even touched 40 games was in 2011-2012.
Thoughts heading into All-Star Weekend
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As the NHL heads into All-Star weekend, regular season games have been suspended until Tuesday. With the loss to the Flyers on Wednesday, the Rangers go into the break in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, nine points back of the Caps for the top spot. With sixty percent of the season behind us and just a month to go before the trade deadline, I have some thoughts…
1. Even though it was a small sampling of games over the past week or so, it was nice to see a real bounce back in performance from Henrik Lundqvist. He has looked much sharper since the barnburner against Dallas. Much more poised on his feet, more precision in his angles and movement and more in sync with the team in front of him.
Inconsistencies shown by Miller, Vesey and Hayes suggest patience is required
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Miller hasn’t been productive recently. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Rangers have been the definition of inconsistency recently, going 4-4-1, as the team noticeably took a step back after its hot start to the season. During that start the Rangers were arguably led not by Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash and Derek Stepan but by their kids; most notably Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Hayes and JT Miller.
What we’re seeing right now is all three players go through some growing pains, inconsistent form and quite simply stretches of games where the puck doesn’t go in for them. This isn’t time for panic however. Far from it in fact and this despite Hayes being pointless in four, Miller goalless in six and Vesey with one goal since November 13.
Calming the Jimmy Vesey hype
Posted by: | CommentsPhoto: Brad Penner-USA Today
We have a Blueseatblogs Fantasy Hockey league where one of the divisions is called The Jimmy Vesey Hype Train. It’s fair to say that if it isn’t already full steam ahead on the hype front for Jimmy Vesey then one or two more impressive performances in the near future and the hype train will definitely be out of control.
While Vesey has been hugely impressive thus far, it’s important to temper expectations (sorry folks). Vesey has exceeded expectations thus far with his production, the way he has eased himself into the line-up, as well as his play both on and off the puck. He looks destined for a strong rookie year and is clearly justifying all the excitement and buzz that was created during his free agency tour of the league. With that all said, Rangers fans shouldn’t panic if he cools off, or hits some rough patches and the media around the team shouldn’t put too much pressure on Vesey.
Rookies making an impressive early impact
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Buchnevich’s extra time in the KHL looks like it’s paying dividends
The Rangers’ 2016-2017 season is still in its infancy, but already positive signs abound for the vaunted rookie class. All of Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich and Brady Skjei have looked very strong in the early going and they’ve quickly emerged as key contributors to a team in transition.
Perhaps that shouldn’t come as a tremendous shock. These aren’t your typical rookies, who are often lanky teenagers from Canadian junior hockey that wow in camp but are still a ways away from growing into their bodies and recognizing their potential.
Each of the Rangers’ rookies reached New York under unique circumstances, but prior to this season one thing they all had in common is that they’d established themselves against adult-level competition.
Rangers sign Jimmy Vesey
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Vesey
The Rangers have landed their guy. Jimmy Vesey is now a Ranger, signing a two-year entry-level deal to be in New York.
Vesey was the most sought after NCAA player that became a free agent on August 15. In landing him, the Rangers get a middle-six forward for the bare minimum, a huge need for a team that needs bargain scoring.
Vesey, originally a third round pick of the Nashville Predators, was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he did not sign. It’s expected Vesey will make the roster out of training camp.
Calming some of the Jimmy Vesey hype
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A lot has been made all over the internet about Jimmy Vesey’s free agency. Vesey became a free agent on Tuesday, and has met with several teams, including the Rangers. Celebrities were tweeting at Vesey to sign in New York. That’s how ridiculous this has become. It’s kind of humorous, but it may actually wind up shooting Vesey in the foot with ridiculous expectations.
Here’s the thing with Vesey: He’s not Gretzky. He’s not Crosby. He’s not Ovechkin. He’s likely a middle-six forward who at his peak could be a consistent 20-goal, 50-point player. That’s a solid NHL player, but not a top line, can’t miss guy.
Rumor: Rangers to be a finalist for Jimmy Vesey
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Photo: American Sports Net
Per the Boston Herald, the Rangers will likely be one of the finalists for soon-to-be free agent Jimmy Vesey. The former third round pick by the Predators is the most highly sought after NCAA free agent since Justin Schultz, and has made it clear he will be going to free agency. Vesey put up 24-22-46 in his senior year at Harvard, which was actually down from his 32-26-58 line his junior year.
Vesey would likely jump to the NHL right away on a team’s top-nine forwards at a bare minimum of cost. Vesey can only sign for a max $925,000 base salary with roughly $3.5 million in max bonuses. Since the Rangers don’t have many players that qualify for bonuses, it’s likely that all of Vesey’s bonuses would hit the bonus cushion with no impact on next year’s cap. This is unlike the situation in Chicago, where bonuses are becoming a problem as they spill over into future seasons.
For the Rangers, landing him would mean tremendous flexibility to deal a forward to address some of the blue line issues. I’m of the belief that most of the league is waiting for Vesey to make a decision before more moves are made. If the Rangers can land him, it may open up that long rumored Rick Nash trade for a defenseman. Vesey becomes a free agent on Monday.