The Rangers won the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes.
After months of speculation, eight NHL teams made in-person pitches this week and when the dust settled on Friday, the coveted Harvard free-agent left wing selected to sign a two-year contact with the Rangers. The team announced the signing Friday evening on their verified Twitter account.
The Rangers met with Vesey and his representatives in Boston on Wednesday. They were among a select group in the hunt for the 23-year-old, who scored 56 goals and 104 points in 70 games in his junior and senior years and won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation's top collegiate player.
About a dozen teams inquired about Vesey, a native of North Reading, Mass. Vesey's hometown Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Islanders and Devils were among the teams invited to present their offers.
Money wasn't an issue. The league's collective bargaining agreement dictated that each suitor could only offer a two-year, entry-level contract at $925,000 per season, plus a maximum of $2.85 million in bonuses.
Among the factors weighed in the decision were the teams' depth charts, location _ Vesey had said he preferred to play near home _ the coach, the general manager, the salary structure, and "how a team treats their players in the second and third contracts down the road," according to Peter Fish, Vesey's agent.
All along, the Rangers had a legitimate shot for several reasons. They can provide him a role on a competitive team; Fish is friends with general manager Jeff Gorton, and Chris Drury, the former Boston University star and current director of player development, was a client. Vesey's Boston-area buddy Kevin Hayes, who went a similar route after college, rejecting the Blackhawks when his draft rights expired, just agreed to a two-year contract extension.
Vesey, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound forward, joins a group of American players on Broadway beside Hayes, including Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Brady Skjei.
