Jimmy Vesey
Jimmy Vesey was a pleasant surprise last season. He came in and completely changed his style of game for what Lindy Ruff wanted. This team needed a penalty killer, and Vesey came in and played very well on that unit. Vesey’s 137 minutes on the PK was the most of any forward on the team. He was huge in the team’s turnaround from one of the worst PKs of all time to one of the better ones in the league.
This offseason, it wasn’t expected that Vesey was going to come back. Many teams can use a good penalty killer, and the Devils just don’t have a ton of space to give a player a guaranteed contract. Vesey earned himself a new contract after fighting his way on the roster following his tryout in training camp. He was incredibly reliable even if he’s not the offensive dynamo we once thought he could be.
After leaving the Devils, Vesey went back to the team he chose when he originally left Harvard in 2016. Vesey is once again joining the New York Rangers. What’s interesting is his contract is not guaranteed. If he doesn’t make the Rangers out of training camp, he could return to the Devils. The Rangers only gave him a PTO. It’s an interesting move from Vesey, who likely chose the proximity and familiarity of the Rangers over other possible opportunities. Either way, we can’t wish him well if he’s playing for our biggest rival.