Vesey agrees to 2-year, $1.6 million contract with Rangers

The 29-year-old forward received a one-year contract Oct. 9 after he attended training camp on a professional tryout contract and could have been an unrestricted free agent after this season.

“It came together pretty quickly, kind of agreed upon yesterday and finalized today,” Vesey said. “It’s a really good feeling. For me, it’s nice to have a little bit of stability. The last few summers have been stressful for me, just not having a contract and waiting around and coming to camp on PTOs.

“It provides some form of validation. I thought I’ve been playing pretty well this year. It’s nice the Rangers want to keep me around. I’m really grateful they brought me in a second time and gave me a second chance again. I just want to keep it going.”

Vesey has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 38 games and is fourth on the Rangers with 56:08 of shorthanded ice time. He is one of three Rangers with a shorthanded goal (Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad) and ranks second among forwards in fewest power-play goals against per 60 minutes (5.34) behind Zibanejad (7.08). His ability to play anywhere in the lineup this season has impressed coach Gerard Gallant.

“The last, probably 20 games, he’s killed a lot of penalities for us and that’s been really important to our group,” Gallant said. “He does everything and getting an opportunity to play with a lot of people. He’s worked hard, came to camp and impressed everybody and continues to do it.”

Chosen by the Nashville Predators in the third round (No. 66) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Vesey has 147 points (78 goals, 69 assists) in 460 regular-season games for the Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils, and had five points (one goal, five assists) with New York during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He won the 2016 Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey, as a senior at Harvard University.

Vesey opted not to sign with Nashville, which traded his rights to Buffalo on June 20, 2016, but he chose not to sign with the Sabres and became a UFA on Aug. 15. Four days later, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers. He had NHL career-highs in points (35), assists (18), games played (81) and shots on goal (154), and tied his career high of 17 goals in 2018-19.

“I think the three years away from here I’ve learned a lot about myself,” Vesey told NHL.com before a 5-3 win against the New York Islanders on Dec. 2. “None of the stops really went as I planned. For whatever reason, I wasn’t comfortable, didn’t play well. I don’t know. One year was a COVID year (2019-20), which was miserable. But I think at this point, this is some of the best hockey I’ve played. I think I’m more useful to a team now even though I might not score as many goals. I’m really happy with where I am. I think I’m a 200-foot player that can bring a lot of value to a team on a cheaper contract, playing penalty kill and chipping in offensively.

“Deep down I wanted to be here. I kind of flip-flopped. At times I was like, there is opportunity but at other times I thought they had just been to the (Eastern Conference Final), so it might be a challenge. It was kind of make or break, I went with my gut and I’m just over the moon with how everything has gone. I had a good camp, parlayed that into a contract and off to a good start.”