New York Rangers: Is Jimmy Vesey getting a bum rap?

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 23: Jimmy Vesey #26 of the New York Rangers skates against the Philadelphia Flyers on November 23, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Every season there is one New York Rangers player who is criticized more than his teammates. Of all of them, Jimmy Vesey may not deserve the criticism.

This season there are several New York Rangers players subjected to constant criticism including Vlad Namestnikov, Ryan Strome, Brendan Smith and Jimmy Vesey. The reason may be a lack of performance or bonehead errors or just plain not scoring. Vesey has been a target ever since he came into the league and it may be for the wrong reasons.

A history lesson

First, a history lesson. Jimmy Vesey was a third round draft pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2012 Entry Draft after scoring 48 goals in 43 games in the Eastern Junior Hockey League. He went on to attend Harvard University where he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award two straight years, winning the award in 2016. He won a gold medal a the WJC in 2013 and was named ECAC Player of the Year in 2014-15. All of these accomplishments made the Predators look prescient for drafting him.

The only problem was, as an unsigned player four years after he was drafted, Vesey was able to become an unrestricted free agent and determine his own destiny. Although he was guaranteed a spot on the Nashville roster by David Poile, he told them he wouldn’t sign.

The Predators got some return for him by trading his rights (while they still had them) to the Sabres for the third round draft pick. Although he negotiated with the Sabres, they couldn’t come to agreement and in the summer of 2016, Vesey became a marquee free agent.

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