Broadway Wins the Vesey Sweeps

Jimmy Vesey, the former Nashville 3rd round draft pick realized his marketability at some point in the 2016 season or possibly even earlier, opting to take advantage of a loophole in the NCAA/NHL relationship, whereas finishing your collegiate program will allow you to opt for unrestricted free agency, much to the chagrin of the team that initially drafted you.

Officially, Vesey and a couple handfuls of other collegiate players all became UFA's on August 15th, which would allow these players to negotiate freely with other teams.  The 23-year old was patient and talked to just about every team and on Friday, he chose the Rangers.

It is expected that Vesey will receive the rookie maximum with his new 2-year entry-level deal, which will pay him $925,000 for the season and act as his annual cap hit for the year.  There will be a number of bonuses as well, which will be calculated out at the end of the year, which could have an impact on next season's cap number for the team.

The Rangers management team seems to believe that the forward should be able to step right into the lineup through training camp and obviously, they have some high expectations for him as well.  The most recent Hobey Baker Award winner is thought to be a solid two-way prospect with some offensive upside and could very well be one of those kids to watch in training camp.  The Rangers have about three spots available in the forward ranks, but their depth up front doesn't show an immediate spot in the top six for the kid, unless he truly dazzles.