(UPDATE: That cap room has helped the Rangers sign Artemi Panarin.)
The New York Rangers continue to open up space after shipping Jimmy Vesey to the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Rangers have $20 million in cap space and have to sign Jacob Trouba to a long-term deal after trading for him a couple of weeks ago. The Ranger also have Brendan Lemieux and Pavel Buchnevich.
And New York is one of the teams in the running to try and sigh Artemi Panarin, although the latest appears to have the Bread Man going to Long Island to join the Islanders.
Jimmy Vesey is an average forward but he really pushes the puck to the net* at 5v5, so I like him. Penalty differential also very good.
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 1, 2019
*both nets pic.twitter.com/Yejb72Y142
The Sabres actually tried to sign Vesey three years ago and even spent a third-round pick for the rights to talk to him after he announced he wouldn’t sign with the Nashville Predators.
Vesey, the former Hobey Baker winner, has one-year left on a two-year deal paying him $2.275 million per season.
TRADE
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 1, 2019
Sabres: Jimmy Vesey
Rangers: 3rd
Vesey is a good scorer with a nose for the net, but is apparently unaware there's another end of the ice. pic.twitter.com/eEdHj9CyS9
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Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck.