New York Rangers Report Card: Jimmy Vesey

Jimmy Vesey had a solid season for the New York Rangers establishing career highs in goals, assists and points, but he still hasn’t gotten to the level that was expected of him when he was the most sought after free agent in the market.  Perhaps he never will.

Jimmy Vesey: Grade C

We are winding up our look back at the New York Rangers of 2018-19 with only a handful of report cards Now we look at Jimmy Vesey, who appears to be a perennial underachiever who may never become the player we wanted him to be.

His season

As mentioned, Jimmy Vesey tied his career high in goals and set personal bests in assists and points.  He played mostly on the second and third lines, but did get some time on the top line after the trade of Mats Zuccarello.  He raised hopes with that promotion by having three straight two point games, but regressed right after that  with a 13 game pointless streak.

Vesey was streaky.  He finished the season with one goal in his last 18 games.  There was another stretch mid-season when he had only two goals in 26 games.  That kind of production is just not acceptable from a top six forward.

He’s tough and takes the body and is willing to crash the net, but the issue is that his scoring has never lived up the hype surrounding him as a Hobey Baker Award winner.  There’s no doubt that Vesey is a gamer.   Who can forget that November 2017 game against the Oilers when he was kicked in the face by Zack Kassian.

Despite the fact that Vesey is 6’3″ and 200 pounds, he will never be an intimidating player.  He played in 81 games this season and has only missed five games in three seasons. Unfortunately, durability and size doesn’t make up for goals and assists.

Why the grade

Jimmy Vesey is a like-able player, but at age 25 with three full seasons under his belt, it’s time for him to step up.  With ten goals at the mid-season and with 16 goals with a month left in the season, he was a lock to get to the 20 mark for the first time, only he didn’t.

On an offensively challenged team his numbers were decent. He was fifth on the team in goals and sixth in points. He was third on the team in shots.  But the Rangers were an offensively challenged team.

It’s a big season coming up for Vesey.  He’s entering the last season of his bridge deal that pays him $2.275 million a year and is looking at unrestricted free agency after the season.  Based on his performance last season, the odds of him getting any kind of long-term extension are minimal.

With the arrival of Vitali Kravtsov and the imminent drafting of Kaapo Kakko (presumably) and the potential signing of a free agent, Vesey’s value is in free fall and he will be hardpressed to stay off the fourth line.  Ironically, as a third or fourth liner, Vesey may find his NHL niche.

He gets the C because of expectations.  If he was a Vinni Lettieri or a Connor Brickley this season would be an A plus.  But he is Jimmy Vesey and despite his personal bests, this season was merely average.

The numbers

Games Played: 81
Goals: 17
Assists: 18
Points: 35
Game Winning Goals: 4
Shots:  154 (3rd on team)
Penalty Minutes: 21
Plus/Minus:  -6
Corsi For:  45.8%
ATOI:  16:03
Hits:  79

Next report card: Mika Zibanejad