Jimmy Vesey still learning, but making
an impact with Rangers
NEW
YORK – We’re continually spoiled as hockey fans by the sheer number of great
young talents that enter the NHL every season.
This
year’s crop is another strong one, highlighted by top picks Auston
Matthews and Patrik
Laine, two teenagers. Among the scoring leaders is old man Jimmy
Vesey, the 23-year-old forward from the New
York Rangers.
We all
know Vesey’s free agency story. After that saga made numerous headlines
throughout the summer and he finally stepped on to the ice, he’s made an early
impact for the Rangers. Through 11 games, the Harvard product has scored six
times and recorded nine points.
With a
shooting percentage of 30 percent, we can’t expect that to last 71 more games;
but through the early going he’s been an offensive leader for the 8-3-0 Rangers
and impressed his coaches.
“Since
the first day I met him in Boston, that calm confidence in his demeanor,” said
Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault. “He [comes] on the ice, he’s business-like,
he works when we show him individual video, he wants to learn. That’s what you
want out of players. Obviously, you want the attitude, the hard work, but you
want guys that are coachable, that want to learn, and there’s no doubt that
Jimmy is one of those.”
As with
any rookie there will be bumps along the way. During New York’s 5-3 win over
theEdmonton
Oilers Thursday night,
Vesey was noticeable absent late in the second period and for most of the final
20 minutes.
The
reason? He was benched.
“Every
game is different, and for whatever reason it was tougher for [Kreider,
Zibanejad and Vesey] to find their execution and get speed through the neutral
zone,” Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault said afterward via the New York Post.
Vesey
will have more moments like that this season. Getting an education at the NHL
level sometimes requires watching, whether up in the press box or from a spot
on the bench.
What’s
aided Vesey’s good start has been playing alongside two veterans in Rick
Nash andDerek
Stepan. The pair have helped make his transition go smoothly.
“I
think sometimes as a rookie it takes a while to adjust to the pro game and
figure out how to score and stuff like that,” Vesey said. “Luckily it’s
happened quickly for me. I think it has slowed down from playing with Step and
Nasher; those guys control the game when they’re on the ice and when they have
the puck. It’s easy for me to read off them and get to the open areas. When I
get to those areas they find a way a to get it on my stick, so it’s been really
easy.”
That’s
the thing about Vesey and his scoring ability with the Rangers: He’s found ways
to make himself open for scoring opportunities, and like what many good scorers
do, has kept his stick on the ice and ready for a pass to come his way. Adam Herman of Blueshirt Banter did a great breakdown on Thursday of
the forward’s goals and measuring his early impact.
There’s
room for improvement, of course. Vesey noted he’s be been better on the wall
and getting pucks out of the defensive zone. “In college I always wanted to
hold on to it as long as I could. Sometimes you’ve just got to flip it out
here,” he said.
The
Rangers won the battle for Vesey’s services after pitching to him that they
believed his skillset would fit and succeed in their lineup. He earned his way
on the roster with a good training camp and has been able to handle the
responsibilities provided to him one month into his NHL career.
“I
definitely wanted to make the team, first off, and get off to a good start and
be in the lineup,” Vesey said. “I don’t really put pressure on myself. [I] just
wanted to go out there and help the team anyway I could. Luckily I got put in a
significant role by the coaches and just trying to make the most of it right
now.”
No comments:
Post a Comment