New York Rangers’ Jimmy Proving NHL Success Is Not Vesey
Forgive us for the pun, but the New York Rangers’ prized acquisition of the offseason is facing scrutiny for his recent struggles. Jimmy Vesey has not tallied a point in ten games, putting together a -9 rating in the stretch as well. Should Rangers fans panic about their youngster? Let’s take a look.
Vesey’s Season:
Jimmy Vesey started off the year with a bang, notching six goals and three assists in his first ten games. Nearly a point per game player, Vesey was spoken about as an early Calder candidate.
In the 38 games since, Vesey scored five goals and five assists for ten points, a -13 rating, and has been in and out of Alain Vigneault’s doghouse. For all the success Vesey had in the beginning, since the opening stretch he has struggled.
Still, Vesey brought an extra skill forward to the lineup, even if he wasn’t consistently scoring. His previous pointless streak was seven games, and in that stretch he took ten shots on net, forcing opposing defenses to pay attention to him.
Vesey’s current ten game pointless streak includes only five shots on net, a sign he is growing hesitant about his own abilities. We have some theories why.
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The Pressure:
Jimmy Vesey came to the Rangers as a prized offseason possession, a jewel that would immediately contribute in the top nine for a low cost. Of course Vesey only further the expectations of him by scoring nine points in his first ten games, but the expectations were far too high far too early.
Vesey was considered by some to be a future NHL superstar due to the way NHL teams hurried to sign him in the off-season. Those projections were inaccurate. Vesey was never going to be a star, and his current production is in line with what one would expect of a rookie of his caliber.
TSN’s Scott Cullen looked at what to expect out of Vesey before the season:
"Taking Vesey’s production from last season and running it through the equivalency calculator, it would be reasonable to expect about 30 points in a full season. That’s fine – it fits quite comfortably as a middle-six forward on a reasonable entry-level deal (194 forwards tallied at least 30 points last season) – but also doesn’t seem like it’s worth so much fuss.But the fuss was not generated by Vesey. Merely exercising his option to become a free agent doesn’t somehow elevate his stature to make him an elite player. Consider some of the groups in which Vesey is a member."
Cullen’s argument is what needs to be remembered as Vesey struggles. His being a popular free agent does not make him elite, but it only increases the pressure. Additionally, looking at Cullen’s projections, Vesey is actually on schedule.
Vesey’s 11 goals and 9 assists put him on pace for 18 goals and 13 assists on the season, good for one more point than Cullen projected. Like any young player, Vesey will then progress with each passing year, giving the Rangers a fine player for cheap.
The Final Verdict:
Context is sorely needed regarding Vesey’s struggles. Considering Cullen’s argument and Vesey’s production, the Harvard grad has been fine this season.
Consider that when Vesey was scoring, he was playing with the likes of Derek Stepan and Kevin Hayes. Now, Vesey is on a line with Oscar Lindberg and Brandon Pirri, a defensive forward and a sniper.
Vesey succeeds with a set-up man to find him in scoring position, and the Rangers are not currently able to accommodate that.
In time Vesey’s production will rise once again, so patience is sorely needed. Remember, Vesey chose the team without anything having to be exchanged for his rights.
Next: Examining Pavel Buchnevich's Rookie Season
Be patient with Jimmy Vesey. Things will get Vesey’er.