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‘They don’t expect me to be a savior’ - Vesey on selecting Rangers

2016 Hobey Baker Memorial Award

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 08: Jimmy Vesey of Harvard University and Hobey Baker Award winner is interviewed by members of the press after the 2016 Hobey Baker Memorial Award ceremony at Tampa Theatre on April 8, 2016 in Tampa, Florida.The Hobey Baker Award is given to college hockey’s best player. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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It doesn’t seem like there’s a single reason why Jimmy Vesey signed with the New York Rangers. Maybe that’s the point, though; the cumulative impact of the Rangers’ pitch and other contextual factors tipped the scales toward MSG.

Of all the pluses on the Rangers’ side, there’s at least one important caveat: they didn’t promise him a specific spot in the lineup, whether it be on an exact line or with any hand-picked linemates.

That said, it sure sounds like they sold the 23-year-old on the likelihood that he’d at least be in the lineup.

As much as this is about a great opportunity, it sounds like it helps that he won’t be asked to do too much. He won’t be asked to be “a savior.”

While the team made a strong impression on Vesey, it’s plausible that his friendship with Kevin Hayes made a difference.

For those who followed this situation especially closely, Vesey will probably struggle to be “just another guy.”

The Rangers offered an interesting mix of pressure, attention and comfort-level to Vesey, ultimately finding the winning combination. We won’t have to wait all that long to see if he can be part of a winning combination on the ice.