Just a few hours before they are scheduled to finalize their opening-night roster for the 2024-25 season, the New York Rangers have made a few moves.
Forward Jimmy Vesey was placed on long-term injured reserve, while defenseman Charlie Lindgren is listed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
The Rangers did some other roster finagling as well. Five players were sent down to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, including Matt Rempe and Will Cuylle. On the other hand, Jake Leschyshyn, Adam Sykora, Ben Harpur and Anton Bildh were recalled from the Wolf Pack.
According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, a few players that were sent down on Monday to will be called back up on Tuesday, as Vesey’s placement on LTIR will give the Rangers some room.
Vesey was injured after falling during practice late last month, with the initial prognosis from head coach Peter Laviolette that Vesey was going to miss “a few weeks” with a lower-body injury.
The 31-year-old is heading into his third season of his second stint with the Rangers. Last season, he scored 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games, the highest-scoring season since the 2018-19 campaign, where Vesey posted a career-high 35 points. He also notched three points in 12 playoff games as the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Final, ultimately being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.
This will be the final season of his current two-year contract with an AAV of $800,000.
Lindgren was hurt during a preseason fight against Scott Mayfield of the New York Islanders a couple of days before Vesey’s injury. Lindgren received an uppercut during the scuffle that did more damage than expected. Like Vesey, Lindgren was expected to miss a few weeks due to injury.
Lindgren signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Rangers this past summer after scoring three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 76 games during the 2023-24 season. He also put up three points in 16 playoff games.
The Blueshirts open their 2024-25 season on Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
