New Jersey Devils: 5 Left Wings To Target In Free Agency

Jimmy Vesey

Jimmy Vesey is a name Devils fans likely recognize. He was rumored as a possibility when he left Harvard in the offseason of 2016. He ended up signing with our biggest rivals, the New York Rangers. We thought he was going to grow into a really good player, but he never really excelled.

Vesey went to New York with a ton of expectations, but he ended up being a 17-goal scorer. Maybe he wasn’t a great fit with the Rangers and just needed a change of scenery. He got that when he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. The move was made to make room for Artemi Panarin, unfortunately for us, it was a very good move.

Vesey was terrible with the Sabres. However, he’s still just 26 years old. If we temper expectations, this could be a really good signing. We wonder what Vesey could command on the open market. Is any team going to give him more than two years? Is he stuck accepting a one-year deal? And what kind of money are we looking at here? Is any team going to give him $2 million? Honestly, we think the Devils would be able to get him for two years and $3 million total. It allows him to get some guaranteed money and still gets out of the contract in his prime.

Vesey wouldn’t be our first choice, but honestly, this might be a really good redemption project for the Devils. He’s young enough to still vibe with the very young players on the Devils, but he brings enough experience to show what he’s learned. His year in Buffalo was terrible, but the Devils could bring out his goal-scoring ability again.