New York Rangers: 6 players on the bubble for next year’s team

The free agent hype that surrounded Vesey two summers ago has proven to just be hype.

Forward Jimmy Vesey’s tenure with the New York Rangers has been inconsistent because of the environment around him. During his rookie season, he was shuffled around and often buried on the fourth line. Expecting a player to generate offense with Tanner Glass and Oscar Lindberg as his linemates proved to be to much for the Harvard grad.

This year though, he has been given a grand opportunity to prove himself. The team’s terrible run of injuries and the subsequent fire sale have shifted Vesey into an even more prominent role. The problem is that he cannot consistently create his own quality scoring chances. This isn’t an indictment of Vesey as a person, but of the hype that surrounds college free agents. The recruiting process attached a certain level of expectation that has failed to be met.

The Rangers have a slew of restricted free agents that need extensions this summer. Amongst them is Vesey, who is on pace to slightly miss his offensive production from last season. A player like Vesey is not hard to find on the free agent market every summer. A forward who can post between 20-30 points and be a below average possession player is not a marquee target.

There is also the problem of a logjam at the forward position within the organization. With the addition of Spooner and Namestnikov, as well as Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson in Hartford, the team needs spots in the top six. Vesey may not be worth giving an extension to come July. The Rangers may be better off trying to shop him for a pick at the draft or submitting a tender offer.