Confirmed Signing with Link: Vesey signs with the New York Rangers

[HugoLalumiere]

Good for Rangers. Poor buffalo, I would feel bad if fans had not been so annoying this summer on hf trade boards.

Hey, most fans from most teams are mostly annoying most of the time. That's the quintessence of a sports thread.

The Vesey Watch was cute while it lasted. Glad it's over. And absolutely no guarantee Vesey's going to amount to anything with the big boys. If he flops, at least he will have had some summer spotlight. Just hoping all the attention didn't give him a big head.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

You realize he played 60 games and even if he played 82 games he would have 20 goals?

He was banged up the entire year. Regardless it won't matter. My team will continue going to the playoffs and chances are yours is still a lottery pick away from it. End of story.

 

[TheGuarantee]

The Rangers are not a Vesey away from beating the Penguins. If you go back to last year and add Vesey...you still lose to the Penguins. Maybe in 6 instead of 5.

Lundqvist is getting old as well and he's been the backbone of the team forever. No one is going to help you guys out on Staal or Giradri. Nash while decent in the RS, has been a no show in the playoffs forever. You do have some good forwards, I'll give you that...but I fear you guys will be heading for the "always make the playoffs, always out in the 1st or 2nd round" trap for awhile. GOod enough to make it, not good enough to win.

Lundqvist with two eyes certainly helps.

 

[Alluckks]

Guess Nash just didn't quite feel like it last year

Injuries are a thing

 

[Irishguy42]

Lundqvist with two eyes certainly helps.

Staal was just trying to make Lundqvist feel his pain.

In fact, it might not have been Marc who did it. Might have been Eric.

 

[KingDeathMetal]

People talk about NYR roster like it's the 1999 Rangers. We have two forwards in our Top 9 who are not at/under the age of 26, and their names are Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello. Not to mention we have the flexibility now to trade Nash and acquire a D, possibly.

Not only is the Rangers F group not on the decline, it has a chance to be the best group of forwards we've had in years, one of the youngest Top 9s in the league at great cap value (outside of Nash, who regardless of his contract is still extremely effective on the ice when healthy).

Yes, our D is looking pretty bad, but Lundqvist balances it out so that we wind up looking more like a team with mediocre D and mediocre Goaltending, rather than what we are which is a team with terrible D and an outstanding Goalie. And again, Gorton is not done with this roster. I would actually argue that our D is better right now than it was in 2015 pre-Yandle trade, when we were still in our way to winning the President's Trophy with or without Yandle.

Narratives change on a dime in the NHL. I guarantee Gorton finds a way to improve the D before camp starts, if not by the trade deadline. For all the negative talk surrounding the Rangers, we're still finishing with 96-100+ points every year, and have a ton of young promise up front (plus Skjei on the back end). Right now, I actually think this roster is better than the one we had headed into camp last year, when everyone get hurt, we sucked all year except the first 3 months, and still found a way to finish with one of the best records in the East.

But we hear this every year with the Rangers. People said our window had closed when we were down 3-1 against Pittsburgh in the 2014 playoffs. Then the next season it was "oh yeah, that was a fluke, they're def done." Then we win the President's and get within one win of returning to the finals with literally all our best players hurt, "OK, now they're really done." 2016, we had one of our worst years in recent memory...still managed 100 pts and though we lost first round, we DID lose to the Cup winners who ran over everybody.

So why did Vesey choose the Rangers? Why not? We've consistently been one of the best teams in the NHL over the past 4 years despite the gloomy predictions that this team seems to garner every single year. While people rub off about "OMG FARM SYSTEM!" re: Buffalo, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto, Florida, Islanders, and a thousand other teams that never seem to actually...you know, win games and stuff.

"Why didn't he choose the Blackhawks?" Because they literally have the worst salary cap predicament in the league and, I dunno, maybe it wasn't a good fit for him? He wanted the East Coast, and he signed with the best, most promising team on the East Coast, which is the Rangers AINEC.

I see your "No prospects" and raise you a "VALUE THIRD ROUNDERS THAT TURN INTO BUCHNEVICH AND STEALING COLLEGE FAs FROM OTHER TEAMS".

/obnoxious homer rant

 

[TheGreat]

Haha Rangers , not Boston or Toronto , hahaha

Hope he turns out well for the Rangers , (sucks for Preds fans if he does though)

 

[BHD]

Did he not watch the playoffs during the spring? I have nothing against him signing with the Rangers, but they aren't in the best situation.

 

[McSuper]

Can we stop with the "Buffalo was stupid to give up a 3rd rounder for nothing" narrative?

From the 3rd round on, it's about a 12% rate just to make the NHL. Much less be a great player or even a top of the line up player.

Vesey makes Buffalo's top 6 if he signs with them. They got two months to show him what Buffalo is about, and demonstrate that they value him. Without those two months, they're lumped in with all the other teams: no visit to Buffalo, no exclusive day for Buffalo's team to visit with Vesey. Much tougher for Buffalo to make a case.

That two months is worth the 12%.

http://proicehockey.about.com/od/prospects/f/draft_success.htm

Who cares about a 3rd rd pick . It was worth the gamble . It gave you a leg up . Like all gambles there was a risk and it never paid off this time. He will regret going to a team on the down swing . The NYR will be missing the playoffs when the Sabre's are a contender

 

[Bfreezy40]

Rangers was the wrong choice for him he could have played with a real #1 Center in Eichel. Rangers will be in a rebuild in 3 years when the Sabres will be contending for a cup!

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Yeah it would have made sense in 2014 when Hayes signed, but right now? Their future isn't looking too great after they have bled picks and prospects over the years and have numerous horrid contracts with a heavily declining roster.

The Rangers have thrown 1st rounder away in trades, but they have a nice young forward core. They've done a good job of landing talent in later rounds and getting UFA like Hayes and Vesey.

Look at the guys 26 and under in the forward group:

Stepan
Miller
Zibanejad
Kreider
Hayes
Buchnevich
Vesey
Fast
Lindberg
Jooris


The only players in the top 9 who are older than 26 are Zuccarello (29) and Nash (32).

The forward group is young and talented. It's not a declining roster at all.


What is a problem can be pointed to two specific contracts: Staal and Girardi. Staal there is still hope for as he is still an NHL defenseman who can absolutely be a 2nd pair guy with the right partner. Girardi is done, but I guess the brass is counting on him bouncing back.

Anyway, I think the analysis of old and declining is misguided. The defense needs work and Lundqvist is old, but he hasn't declined yet.

 

[JT Kreider]

Tell me more about the future then, cause regardless of the vesey situation they're still looking at high paid defenseman in staal and Girardi that suck, Nash has underperformed. Relying on guys like Lindberg and Hayes to bring depth scoring when Hayes couldn't even stay in the lineup consistently. AV still has glass doesn't he? Yandle is gone, Dan Boyle is gone, who's gonna move the puck up to the forwards, Skjei and McDonough? I am not bitter in the slightest about where he went but I do find it curious that NYR fans can beam About some bright future ahead. I personally don't see it. I even said the day he narrowed down his teams. The negatives outweigh the positives for me and the team that got handled by the Penguins got worse, not better for
Me.

Handled by the Penguins really in two games. The way the Penguins were playing it was obvious they were winning the Cup from the jump and disposed of Washington and San Jose with the same relative ease. And same with Tampa really outside the one mishap of starting MAF in Game 5.

Boyle is no loss. Yandles biggest contribution was on the PP where just under half his points came from. But beyond that he was a luxury considering the way AV, or I should say the way AV didn't use him.

Improvements from Skjei and McIlrath will help fill that void on defense. And I'm sure a long offseason will do some good for Girardi (who was playing injured for awhile) and Staal (who wasn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. Nor as old. He's still only 29).

 

[Beacon]

Hope he busts. Don't care if I'm petty. Goes to the team on a decline lol.

The Rangers now have one forwards who can play in the top-9 plus guys like Jooris and Hrivik who can play on the fourth line and some prospects:

Stepan - 26
Zibanejad - 23
Kreider - 25
Miller - 23
Hayes - 23
Buchnevich - 21
Lindberg - 24
Fast - 24
Vesey - 23

The LD is also good:

McDonagh- 27
Skjei - 22 (first rounder who developed better than expected)
Graves - 21 (AHL All-Star Star in his rookie season)
Plus prospects like Day, Zborovskiy, etc. in case someone unexpectedlygoes bust.

The RD isn't good with just Mcilrath as a young guy, but they have Zuccarello, Nash, Klein, etc to acquire some.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Sucks for him I guess.

 

[TheGuarantee]

Who cares about a 3rd rd pick . It was worth the gamble . It gave you a leg up . Like all gambles there was a risk and it never paid off this time. He will regret going to a team on the down swing . The NYR will be missing the playoffs when the Sabre's are a contender

Quite the prediction. I bet you thought the Oilers would've been a powerhouse by 2013

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

congratz to rangers. I think Pits was the biggest fit though, they dont exactly have the strongest winger core.

 

[JT Kreider]

Did he not watch the playoffs during the spring? I have nothing against him signing with the Rangers, but they aren't in the best situation.

We had two bad games.

Game 1 Lundqvist only played 19 minutes so that doesn't count towards anything judge worthy.

We won Game 2, lost Game 3 by one goal excluding the ENG but got rocked in 4 and 5.

So two bad games determines the entire course of a franchise. Good to know.

 

[Auston Matthews]

He was banged up the entire year. Regardless it won't matter. My team will continue going to the playoffs and chances are yours is still a lottery pick away from it. End of story.

Yes I am well aware of where Toronto finished in the standings and we got a franchise player out of it so I am not complaining. Sure, enjoy another season or two of getting knocked out of the first round of the playoffs.

Rangers needed a Vesey more than anyone.

 

[RyderRocks73]

He would've been far better off staying with the Preds.

 

[bigdog16]

Was unaware how many HF board members could see into the future! Crazy!! Im sure your team will be fine without Vesey

 

[Moskau]

The Rangers now have one forwards who can play in the top-9 plus guys like Jooris and Hrivik who can play on the fourth line and some prospects:

Stepan - 26
Zibanejad - 23
Kreider - 25
Miller - 23
Hayes - 23
Buchnevich - 21
Lindberg - 24
Fast - 24
Vesey - 23

The LD is also good:

McDonagh- 27
Skjei - 22 (first rounder who developed better than expected)
Graves - 21 (AHL All-Star Star in his rookie season)
Plus prospects like Day, Zborovskiy, etc. in case someone unexpectedlygoes bust.

The RD isn't good with just Mcilrath as a young guy, but they have Zuccarello, Nash, Klein, etc to acquire some.

Unfortunately the Stanley Cup winners of the last decade have all followed a blueprint that the Rangers can't match with their quality of centers. You can talk about youth all you like but none of it has the elite potential you need to win the cup in today's league.

 

[TLEH]

Handled by the Penguins really in two games. The way the Penguins were playing it was obvious they were winning the Cup from the jump and disposed of Washington and San Jose with the same relative ease. And same with Tampa really outside the one mishap of starting MAF in Game 5.

Boyle is no loss. Yandles biggest contribution was on the PP where just under half his points came from. But beyond that he was a luxury considering the way AV, or I should say the way AV didn't use him.

Improvements from Skjei and McIlrath will help fill that void on defense. And I'm sure a long offseason will do some good for Girardi (who was playing injured for awhile) and Staal (who wasn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. He's still only 29).

I think Yandle and Boyle's ability to skate the puck up the ice and their ability to quickly move the puck up to the forwards will heavily be missed while I think Buch is a stud, I don't think McIlrath is going to suddenly become a huge success story(have heard AV scratches him even when he plays well) so hopefully that changes and we can really see him. Almost feel bad for Lundqvist.

 

[KingDeathMetal]

Tell me more about the future then, cause regardless of the vesey situation they're still looking at high paid defenseman in staal and Girardi that suck, Nash has underperformed. Relying on guys like Lindberg and Hayes to bring depth scoring when Hayes couldn't even stay in the lineup consistently. AV still has glass doesn't he? Yandle is gone, Dan Boyle is gone, who's gonna move the puck up to the forwards, Skjei and McDonough gonna have to do it all. I am not bitter in the slightest about where he went but I do find it curious that NYR fans can beam About some bright future ahead. I personally don't see it. I even said the day he narrowed down his teams. The negatives outweigh the positives for me and the team that got handled by the Penguins got worse, not better for
Me.

And the Penguins got handled by us in 2015, with no hope on the horizon. Suddenly a bunch of their young guys turned the page, opened eyes, and they added Kessel and Hagelin. Team was like brand new. Then faced the Sharks in the Cup finals, a team who absolutely no one thought was on the rise when last season began.

It's the NHL, storylines change overnight. Rangers have a lot of young players who have more to give, plus the potential to improve on D by trading a forward (Nash?). I'm not thinking about the Penguins, I'm just looking at NYR roster right now and liking it much better than what we started with in 2015, both from a talent perspective and a youth/cap hit perspective. As far as who is primed to contend, nobody really knows with any certainty. Hawks, Kings, and Rangers all went out in Rd 1, and those are the teams with the most playoff wins the past 5 years. Nobody was picking Pens or Sharks to make it that far. Two or three guys playing at or above expectations sometimes makes all the difference in the world and the Rangers suffered from injuries/underperformances last year. That can easily flip.

 

[goonybird]

woof what a poor decision. Welcome to Gomez Drury Redden Gaborik Richard St.Louis Boyle Yandle Nash Lindros Bure Holik MacLean town

 

[Alluckks]

Did he not watch the playoffs during the spring? I have nothing against him signing with the Rangers, but they aren't in the best situation.

According to a very well educated 23 year old that just paid many professionals to help in this evaluation, yes they are. Sorry you disagree.