Jimmy Vesey’s 2016-17 Season Rookie Report Card
Jimmy Vesey Ended the Frenzy to Sign Him After Signing An Entry Level Contract With the New York Rangers. Vesey Headed to New York For His Rookie Season And Has Quite the First Year in the NHL. See Our Review of Vesey’s Rookie Season.
A frenzy took place last offseason when Harvard University graduate Jimmy Vesey announced he would pursue free agency rather than sign with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him. The sweepstakes promptly ended when Vesey signed with the New York Rangers.
Here, we’ll go over some grades for Vesey’s first season in the NHL.
New York Ranger Jimmy Vesey’s Rookie Report Card
2016-17 Season Stats
16 G, 11 A, 27 P in 80 GP
Postseason Stats
1 G, 4 A, 5 P in 12 GP
Offensive Play: B
Vesey didn’t post numbers as grandeur as the other rookies this season but posted good numbers alongside his teammates. Vesey’s 16 goals were good enough to place sixth on the team, behind a tied fifth place 17 goals from Kevin Hayes and Derek Stepan.
Vesey’s offensive potential is strong, but we’ll get to that later. He might not have posted big numbers like the other rookies, but he did perform as well as the other scorers on his team. While his points might not be as sought after as the other rookie talents this season, he performed well in his smaller setting.
This gives a B for his offensive grade. While he could have performed better and posted some higher numbers, he did perform pretty good within the context of his own team. His points, and goals, weren’t jaw-dropping but her performed as well as the other Rangers and holds good ice presence and potential.
Defensive Play: B +
Vesey didn’t take the ice as a defensive player but wound up contributing a lot on the defensive front. The rookie ranked fifth among forwards in terms of hits (64) and fourth among forwards in terms of blocked shots (37).
Vesey ended up being a solid defensive player and contributed some very strong two-way play on the ice. He dished out hard hits, blocked shots when he could and was very skilled at breaking up plays and pick-pocketing the puck from his opposition.
While he was expected to bring some defensive play, he brought a little more grit than was expected. Not to mention, the rookie dropped the gloves twice this season and wasn’t afraid to get hard and gritty on the ice.
His only downside was a less than desirable plus-minus, but many, including myself, wouldn’t use plus-minus to be an entirely accurate tell-all statistic.
Play-making/ Ice Presence: B +
Vesey gave off a good ice presence this season. Most of the time, when the rookie was on the ice, Vesey was in the middle of something happening. Whether that was creating a play, stopping a play or playing special teams, Vesey found a way to be involved no matter the situation.
Vesey stayed involved and kept plays moving. Not to mention, anyone watching the rookie play would have expected to see a much higher point count at the end of the season. Vesey played a game that would have really racked up goals and points if he kept up his execution.
The rookie had a solid ice presence and contributed to whatever he was doing on the ice. Very rarely did Vesey’s play lead into something disastrous, after all, some plays go wrong but they never led to chaos. He kept the puck moving, helped plays happen and stayed involved.
Too often players can disappear while on the ice, but Vesey had a way of keeping his presence up by staying involved offensively or defensively.
Potential: A –
Rookie seasons are important because of how they can predict the potential of a specific player. Since some players can fall victim to the sophomore slump or die off a bit, therefore base potential on the quality of play and future for the team is more applicable.
Vesey has all the workings of being a very vital member of the Rangers and is part of the team’s future core. He brought solid two-way play to the team and has shown that he’ll only get better the more time he spends in the rink.
Vesey looks similar to a young Rick Nash, who posted a similar goal-count (17) his rookie season but racked up more points. Vesey has a lot of potential for this team and will be the future of the Rangers alongside fellow rookie Brady Skjei and other Ranger youths like J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes.
Overall Grade: B +
Overall, Vesey posted a good season. Sure, he had potential and was expected to make a bigger splash but not all NHL talents have a blowout rookie season. Coming from the NCAA, it was expected that Vesey would have some adjustments to make first.
Vesey, overall, was a very beneficial player to the New York Rangers. In the big picture, his contributions may seem to have been on the small side, but he had a big impact in the context of his own team.
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Vesey is a rookie that has very strong potential and is destined to be a solid member of the Rangers’ future core. He brought good offensive play that is destined to only increase, almost surprisingly strong defensive play, a beneficial ice presence and unlimited potential.
This rookie is destined to be a core member of the future of the New York Rangers. His rookie season isn’t NHL-shattering like others this season, but he performed well for his team and is destined for more.