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New York Rangers: The Jimmy Vesey contract is perfect for both parties

By Nicholas Zararis

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 07: Jimmy Vesey #26 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates against Jakub Voracek #93 of the New York Rangers for his third goal of the game on April 7, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 07: Jimmy Vesey #26 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates against Jakub Voracek #93 of the New York Rangers for his third goal of the game on April 7, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Negotiating with restricted free agents can be a tricky business. In the case of Jimmy Vesey, New York Rangers G.M Jeff Gorton nailed it.

It is a very rare occurrence for the New York Ranger’s front office to make a consensus good decision. With the fierce splintering of hockey fans into different perspectives, most signings or trades send everyone off into their respective tribe.

However, with the Harvard alumni, Gorton has inspired a unanimous verdict. The Contract has both decent term and a fair average annual value. It is a tricky situation when it comes to dealing with restricted free agents.

In most cases, offering a player a bridge deal is penny smart and dollar stupid. In addition to costing the team more money down the road, it can also cause tension during negotiations. No player wants to be told they’re worth less than what they think they are.

Yet, in the case of Vesey, there was no clear cut right or wrong decision. The front office could’ve decided to try and buy a year or two of unrestricted free agency now at a lower cost.

In a vacuum a four-year deal worth $2.5 million AAV would not be the end of the world. Quality teams need depth players in the bottom six on manageable deals.

However, in choosing to bridge Vesey, the front office has kept the team’s options going forward open.

All about the cap

Sure, cap space does not move the needle in the same way a marquee free agent signing does. However, being that the New York Rangers currently have a shade under $20 million in cap space with three restricted free agents to go, the team has room to play with.

In the grand scheme of things, the team having extra cap space gives the front office time.

In the modern salary cap rules NHL, there is a set recipe for a quality roster composition. The league is geared towards teams that have the right balance between entry level contracts and established veterans on big deals.

For arguments sake, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the textbook example of the modern NHL. The team drafted well and acquired two marquee free agents, Patrick Marleau and John Tavares.

The Rangers having drafted well over the course of the past two seasons and having ample cap space are going to look to find themselves in a similar position. That is why it was important to keep things flexible in regards to a Vesey contract.

Although the Boston native is a decent NHL player, he would not be worth hamstringing the team’s future cap situation. Avoiding bad contracts is truly an art form that not enough NHL G.M’s are aware of.

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Now, the Rangers just have to bide their time for the prospect development cycle. In a year or two, Vesey can properly assume a role in the team’s bottom six. But, for now, the former Harvard Crimson forward can rest easy knowing he’ll be playing his home games at the World’s Most Famous Arena for two more seasons.

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