Jimmy Vesey has picked the New York Rangers once again, this time signing an extension with the team. The two-year deal will keep him in New York through the 2024-25 season and according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN, will cost the Rangers just $800K each year.
Vesey, 29, said no to both the Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres before signing with the Rangers back in 2016, after his outstanding college career at Harvard University made him a hot commodity. Things went okay through those first few years in New York but were never the same after leaving the Rangers. After setting a career-high 17 goals and 35 points in 2018-19, Vesey bounced around the league, playing for Buffalo, Toronto, Vancouver, and New Jersey, struggling at each stop.
Last summer, he decided to go back to the beginning, signing a one-year, $750K deal with the Rangers to try and get his career back on track. It has worked out pretty well so far, with Vesey gaining the trust of the coaching staff and adding a bit of depth scoring to a talented lineup. Through 38 games he has six goals and 12 points while averaging more than 13 minutes a night. He has been more physical than ever before, is committed to the defensive side of the puck, and has shown versatility when asked to move up and down the lineup.
For $800K against the cap, he can be a valuable depth piece for the Rangers to work with. Vesey likely won’t ever reach the hype that followed him out of school, but he’ll at least get a chance for some stability and consistency with a new contract extension.