Rangers’ Jimmy Vesey to make season debut vs. Islanders

Vesey had missed the first 10 games of the season after suffering a lower-body injury during training camp, and was placed on long-term injured reserve to start the season. He had been a full participant in practice for the past week, so it seemed like a return to the lineup for him was on the horizon.

Vesey is coming off another solid season with the Rangers in 2023-24, where he had 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 80 games. It’s about on par with his usual production with the Rangers, as he’s generally fallen in between 25 and 28 points in his time in New York outside of a career-high 35 points in 2018-19.

Vesey also had 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 12 games in the playoffs, as the Rangers were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final in six games.

To make room for Vesey on their NHL roster, the Rangers have sent Matt Rempe to the AHL to play for their minor league affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Rempe has been held pointless through 3 games with the Rangers, as well as in 2 games in the AHL with the Wolf Pack.

Vesey is currently in the final year of a two-year deal with an $800,000 cap hit, and is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The Rangers will look to build off of Friday’s 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators when they host the Islanders on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. They currently sit in third in the Metropolitan Division with a 7-2-1 record.