New York Rangers injury update: Jimmy Vesey could make season debut against Islanders
It’s looking like Jimmy Vesey will make his season debut for the New York Rangers on Sunday when they host the New York Islanders in a matinee at Madison Square Garden.
Vesey skated on the fourth line at practice Saturday, taking the majority of reps with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom. Jonny Brodzinski was the extra forward at practice. Vesey then was activated off LTIR on Sunday morning.
The 31-year-old forward was placed on LTIR with a lower-body injury before the regular season started. That meant he had to miss the first 10 games. The Rangers played their 10th contest Friday, a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators, so Sunday is the first game Vesey is eligible to play.
“He’s been practicing hard, and we’ll have to make those decisions (on if he’ll play against the Islanders),” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said post practice. “It’s great to have him full-go, and every day he’s looked better and better.”
Vesey scored 13 goals last season and finished with 26 points, his most in each category since 2018-19 (career-high 17 goals, 35 points) with the Rangers. The versatile veteran is a favorite of Laviolette’s, and last season he played up and down the lineup, from top line to fourth line.
“He’s a guy who plays hard and has skill, plays physical, penalty killer. He brings a lot to the team,” Laviolette said.
If Vesey plays Sunday, it’ll mark the first game this season that the Rangers are completely healthy. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren missed the first games with a jaw injury. He and Vesey each were injured in the preseason. The rest of the lineup has been healthy the first month of the 2024-25 campaign.
Related: Rangers shake up all four lines ahead of clash with Islanders
Rangers assign Matt Rempe to Hartford of the AHL
The odd man out is Matt Rempe. The popular 22-year-old forward was assigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League for the second time in a week with Vesey on the verge of returning to the lineup. This minor league stay should last longer than Rempe’s first assignment, when he played two games last weekend.
Rempe appeared in three of New York’s first 10 games and averaged 5:26 TOI. In his most recent game, a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Rempe played eight shifts and got into a rousing heavyweight fight with Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath, exiting the ice with a bloody gash under his left eye.
Brodzinski has two points (one goal, one assist) in seven games. Edstrom has one assist in 10 games after passing Rempe on the depth chart with an excellent preseason.
An excellent penalty killer, it’ll be interesting to see where Vesey slots in on the PK. Since last season, Carrick and Will Cuylle joined the PK mix, that already included Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.
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