Vesey signed with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League in early August, and has six points (three goals, three assists) in seven games. He did so only after failing to receive a firm free-agent offer from any of the 32 teams in the NHL.

That surprised the nine-year NHL veteran, even after an admittedly down season with the Rangers and Colorado Avalanche in 2024-25, when he totaled eight points (five goals, three assists) in 43 games.

“I knew at 32 years old and the season that I had, that it wouldn’t be great (finding an NHL job),” Vesey explained on the Morning Cuppa’ Hockey podcast. “I’m fine to move on with my career if that’s what it’s going to be but the only thing that was challenging or disappointing to me was — if you go back, last year I got injured in training camp and the year before I got injured in the conference finals, which kind of screwed up my summer training.

“So, two years ago I played pretty much every game on the Presidents’ Trophy winner and conference finalists … and then sort of one shit year and that was it. It is what it is.”

Vesey played up and down the Rangers lineup in 2023-24, and finished with 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) for the regular-season champs. That was his most robust offensive output in five seasons.

He remained a bottom-six fixture and key penalty killer in the postseason, until sustaining a separated shoulder in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers.

Then a year ago, Vesey sustained a lower-body injury in training camp and landed on LTIR, missing the first 10 games of the regular season. It didn’t go well for him — or the team — after that. Vesey was in and out — mainly out — of the lineup, and the dysfunctional Rangers plummeted in the standings.

Things turned decidedly sour when Vesey publicly voiced displeasure about his lack of playing time in January, stating “It feels like I have no role or purpose on this team. I’m kind of dying by being here.”

Related: Why Rangers will play ‘hybrid game’ style under coach Mike Sullivan

Jimmy Vesey’s 6 years with Rangers ‘highlight of my career’

Vesey explained on the podcast that he formally requested a trade out of New York more than a month prior to voicing his frustrations with the media.

“I was trying to get out. That’s how I’d phrase it,” Vesey shared. “I actually asked for a trade in December, in hopes that … I was just trying to go somewhere sooner rather than later so that I could just get myself in the mix and establish myself more than going at the deadline.”

Vesey eventually was traded to the Avalanche along with defenseman Ryan Lindgren for forward Juuso Parssinen and defenseman Calvin de Haan. But that deal didn’t take place until March 1, shortly before the NHL Trade Deadline.

“I actually wanted to get traded before the deadline just because I got hurt in training camp, I played then I wasn’t playing, I was on a contract year, 32 years old. I was looking to play, get myself another contract,” he said. “It didn’t happen until March, so that kind of sucked for me. By the time I got to Colorado, it felt like I hadn’t play a lot all year, and, obviously, they had a lot of bodies come in at the deadline and a lot of bodies already in place.

“I guess I was pretty spot on with what I said, but now I’m out of the League, so …”

Vesey explained that he had a poor debut with the Avalanche and never gained coach Jared Bednar’s trust. He scored one goal in 10 games after the trade and didn’t play at all in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The summer came and went without a contract offer. So, after 626 games in the NHL, Vesey decided to play in Europe this season. Though there were rumors that Vesey planned to play in Russia, that wasn’t really the case, he explained.

“To start, I only wanted to go to Switzerland, and then Russian teams started talking to me. From the beginning, I wasn’t interested in going there, but when you hear the salaries over there, I’d say it’s by far the highest in Europe, so I considered it for hot second,” Vesey said. “But my mom, she was distraught, she was saying crazy stuff like she wouldn’t sleep at night. So, for everybody’s mental health I decided to go to Switzerland.”

And what does he think about his decision now?

“I’m probably a little homesick,” Vesey said with a laugh.

But those bus trips through the Swiss Alps and past Lake Geneva sure make up for it.

“Holy sh**, this is the nicest place I’ve ever seen … sucks to be back on the bus, but it has its perks.”

And what of his feelings for the Rangers, for whom he had two stints, including his first three seasons in the League before returning in 2022-23?

“I don’t regret any of it. … The six years in New York was the highlight of my career, I’d say.”

There were reports last week that Vesey was considering offers to play in Russia. If true, it could be that proposed deals fell through or never came to fruition. Or perhaps Vesey saw an easier path back to the NHL if his current contract is easier to move on from compared to one in the KHL.

𝐉𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐘 𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐘 est 𝔊𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔞𝔱 🦅 🔥

L'attaquant américain vient renforcer l'offensive genevoise pour les 2️⃣ prochaines saisons ! 💪 👏

Toutes les infos ℹ️ https://t.co/QfUYa8izHJ

Welcome Jimmy ! 🏠 👏 pic.twitter.com/XPQztNaaPN

— Genève-Servette HC (@officialGSHC) August 4, 2025

Nonetheless, the 32-year-old is out of the NHL for the first time since signing with the Rangers as a college free agent in August 2016. Vesey has 194 points (101 goals, 93 assists) in 626 NHL games.

Vesey had six points (four goals, two assists) in 33 games with the Rangers last season before they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche along with defenseman Ryan Lindgren for forward Juuso Parssinen, defenseman Calvin de Haan and draft picks. He had two points (one goal, one assist) in 10 games with the Avalanche, but did not dress in the postseason when they lost in seven games to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Vesey’s final goal with the Rangers was the 100th of his NHL career. It came on Feb. 23 in a 5-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins and was part of his only multi-point game (one goal, one assist) last season.

Vesey snaps it in for his 100th career goal. pic.twitter.com/FdMx1dBRV6

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 23, 2025

Related: Why Dave Maloney believes this X factor with new Rangers coaching staff is ‘beneficial’

Jimmy Vesey had his best NHL success playing for Rangers

Vesey played the majority of his NHL career with the Rangers, over two separate stints. He scored 17 goals twice and 16 once in his first three NHL seasons before the Rangers traded him to the Buffalo Sabres on July 1, 2019.

He bounced from the Sabres to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils before returning to the Rangers as a free agent prior to the 2022-23 season. The versatile forward played up and down the lineup and was a key penalty-killer during the next two seasons. But his role diminished greatly last season.

Vesey complained in January that “I’m kind of dying by being here.

“It seems that I’ve fallen out of favor and have just been cast aside over an extended period of time,” Vesey told Larry Brooks of the New York Post. “It feels like I have no role or purpose on this team.”

He was traded about five weeks later.

Vesey played 434 games with the Rangers and had 147 points (78 goals, 69 assists). Each of his five most productive NHL seasons came when he wore the Blueshirt.

Daria Tuboltseva of RG Sports reported that Vesey may play in Russia next season.

“Jimmy has been asking a lot of questions about how things work in the KHL and is seriously considering offers from the top European league,” a source close to Vesey told RG.org.

Tuboltseva went on to report that four KHL teams are interested in the 32-year-old forward and that “The frontrunner for Vesey’s signature is SKA St. Petersburg.”

Vesey played 43 games in the NHL last season — 33 with the Rangers and 10 with the Colorado Avalanche. He was traded along with Ryan Lindgren from the Rangers to the Avalanche for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan and two draft picks on March 1, and finished with eight points (five goals, three assists).

Though he was not a lineup regular with the Avalanche, Vesey welcomed the trade after he went public in January to share how unhappy he was with his lack of playing time with the Rangers. Vesey appeared in 161 of 164 games the previous two seasons in New York, but couldn’t maintain a steady role in the Rangers’ bottom six in 2024-25.

“It seems that I’ve fallen out of favor and have just been cast aside over an extended period of time,” Vesey told Larry Brooks of the New York Post midway through the season. “It feels like I have no role or purpose on this team.

“I’m kind of dying by being here.”

Related: Why former Rangers coach told Henrik Lundqvist ‘You’re not the f***ing King!’

Former Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey contemplates move to KHL

Vesey was originally signed by the Rangers as a college free agent after he won the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA men’s hockey player in 2016. He scored 17 goals twice and 16 goals once in his first three NHL seasons with the Rangers, then played for the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils.

He returned to the Rangers before the 2022-23 season and played up and down the lineup under Gerard Gallant and Peter Laviolette the next two years. He combined for 24 goals and 51 points over those two seasons before his opportunities to play were reduced in 2024-25.

If his NHL career is over, it ended with Vesey a healthy scratch for all seven games when the Avalanche lost to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.

Vesey has 101 goals and 194 points in 626 regular-season games in the NHL, and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 31 postseason games.

Isles GM Lou Lamoriello threw in the towel on his team’s slim playoff hopes late Thursday, trading the much sought-after center and minor-league forward William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for 20-year-old forward Calum Ritchie, a first-round selection in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, a conditional third-round pick in the 2028 draft, and defenseman Oliver Kylington. The Islanders quickly wheeled Kylington to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

New York reportedly retained 50 percent of Nelson’s cap hit. The 33-year-old is in the final season of a five-year contract that has an average annual value of $6 million and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Reports say he turned down a three-year contract with an AAV of more than $7.5 million, spurring the move.

The Islanders (28-26-7) began Friday four points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. But unlike last season, when a late-season surge carried them into the playoffs because so many teams in the East were dreadful, this time there are four clubs, including the Rangers, between the Islanders and that last playoff berth. The Islanders, who begin a three-game California trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, are also without their most dynamic forward, Mathew Barzal, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1 and recently had surgery on his left kneecap.

The Rangers (31-26-5) and Ottawa Senators (31-25-5) are tied in points for the second wild card with 67 entering their showdown at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday afternoon; however, the Senators have a game in hand.

The Islanders’ first-round pick (No. 30) of the 2010 draft, has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks before Lamoriello pulled the trigger. However, the Hall of Fame GM opted to keep two other players widely regarded as trade possibilities — impending UFA forward Kyle Palmieri and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is signed through 2025-26.

Nelson is fourth in Islanders history with 901 games played and fifth with 295 goals. He has 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) this season despite a 17-game goal drought after three straight seasons of 34+ goals and should fit in well with Colorado’s highly skilled top-six forward group — likely as the No. 2 center behind NHL scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon. He can also play wing, as he did for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month.

“On most of the trade boards I watched, he was the top guy available,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday. “Centers are hard to find, and he’s a real good one.”

Brock Nelson joins two former Rangers looking to help Avalanche win Stanley Cup

Nelson was the First Star on Tuesday, when the Islanders defeated the League-leading Winnipeg Jets 3-2 at UBS Arena. The 12-year veteran got teary-eyed in a post-game interview when asked what playing on Long Island meant to him. As it turned out, that was his last game in blue and orange.

An emotional first star Brock Nelson discusses his @nyislanders big win over the league leading Jets and what it’s meant to wear an Islander jersey his entire career. #Isles | @Shannon_Hogan pic.twitter.com/hr3DyFhYgE

— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) March 5, 2025

“I’ve had conversations with Lou [Lamoriello] and I’ve been honest,” Nelson said after that game. “I really, truly, have been worried about here and playing and doing everything we can to win.”

Nelson is a reliable player at both ends of the ice, a trait that Bednar is delighted to add to his team, which owns the first wild card in the Western Conference and is even in points with the Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central Division after a 7-3 win against San Jose at Ball Arena on Thursday. He’s expected to make his debut with the Avs (37-24-2) when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

“He’s always been a trusted 200-foot player,” Bednar said. “If you look at his history, he’s scoring 30+ goals most years, too. To get a player of that caliber is hard to do — and yeah, I think it’s an amazing add for our team.”

Just this past Saturday, the Avalanche made a trade with the Rangers to acquire two other veterans on expiring contracts, pending UFA defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey. Lindgren drew praise from Bednar after his Avalanche debut on Tuesday.

Lindgren is averaging just under 21 minutes TOI in two games with Colorado. Vesey made his Avalanche debut in the win against the Sharks on Thursday and was minus-1 playing a bit more than 13 minutes.

Though first-round picks are nice to have, especially for a team that looks like it’s starting a rebuild, the key to the deal for the Islanders may be Ritchie, a big (6-foot-2, 190 pounds), skilled, smart center who’s on course for his second straight 80-point season in the Ontario Hockey League. He scored one goal – against the Islanders on Oct. 14 – in seven games at the start of the season before being returned to Oshawa of the OHL, where he has a team-leading 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists) and is plus-33 in 41 games.

He is known for his hockey IQ, playmaking ability, on-ice vision, and footwork — and he’s still filling out physically.

Ritchie, an alternate captain for Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship, was Colorado’s first-round pick (No. 27) in the 2023 draft and was regarded as the top Avalanche prospect. He could eventually end up paired with Cole Eiserman, the Isles’ top pick in the 2024 draft, who has 19 goals in 32 games as a freshman for Boston University and helped Team USA win the World Juniors.

For now, Ritchie is likely to stay with Oshawa, which has already clinched an OHL playoff berth. But expect him to contend for a spot on the Islanders at training camp this fall.

Having spent much of his freshman season on the fourth line for Western Michigan University, Ty Henricks can add a new word to his playing resume: Champion. Henricks had two shots on goal and a minor penalty for slashing Friday when the Broncos defeated North Dakota 6-4 to capture their first Penrose Cup in program history as NCHC regular-season champions. Western Michigan also ensured it will be headed to the NCAA tournament with its 24th win of the season.

Henricks had his best game of the season Saturday, scoring twice in the third period during a span of 2:03 to give the Broncos a 3-2 lead. His first goal came at even strength after finding a loose puck and firing a shot into the open goal at 8:31.

Ty ties it!🔥#BroncosReign pic.twitter.com/UXDv7pEZZ5

— WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) March 2, 2025

Western Michigan took the lead at 10:34 when Henricks fired a one-time shot past the North Dakota goalie for his second goal of the game.

Twice as nice! 🏒🔥

Ty Henricks buries his second of the night to keep WMU rolling!#BroncosReign pic.twitter.com/hEbIqGmXua

— WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) March 2, 2025

North Dakota came back to win 4-3 in overtime. Henricks finished the game with two goals on five shots and a plus-2 rating. The freshman winger improved his season totals to five goals and five assists for 10 points in 31 games played.

The Broncos finish the regular season March 7 and 8 at Miami of Ohio, and will begin the NCHC playoffs as the No. 1 seed. They are fourth in the USCHO.com Men’s Division I Poll and fifth in PairWise Rankings with a record of 24-7-1.

Minnesota captured a share of the Big Ten Conference championship over the weekend. The Gophers lost 4-3 in overtime Friday to Penn State. Junior Brody Lamb did not have a shot on goal. Lamb recorded one face-off win Saturday during a 5-3 victory. He sits at 16 goals and nine assists for 25 points in 35 games played. With an overall record of 24-8-4, Minnesota is third in the USCHO Poll and third in PairWise. The Golden Gophers will host Notre Dame in a best-of-three Big Ten playoff series beginning March 7.

Related: Hartford Wolf Pack weekly — Jaroslav Chmelar, Dylan Roobroeck step up

Rangers top prospect Gabe Perreault finishing season strong for Boston College

In Hockey East play, 2023 first-round pick Gabe Perreault had two assists with three shots on goal, one blocked shot, and a plus-2 rating Friday when the Boston College Eagles defeated New Hampshire 4-1. In the second period, Perreault had the primary assist on BC’s first goal, an even-strength goal which tied the game at 1-1. It was Perreault’s 30th assist this season. The sophomore added another assist in the third period on Boston College’s third goal to put the game away.

Teammate Drew Fortescue was credited with the primary assist on BC’s fourth goal, an empty-netter with 2:37 remaining. It was the defenseman’s 10th point, all assists, this season.

The Eagles skated to a 1-1 overtime tie against New Hampshire on Saturday before gaining an extra standings point via a shootout win. With his team trailing 1-0 in the third period and on a power play, Perreault fired the puck just over the goal line to tie the game up at 1-1 for his 13th goal of the season.

Perreault ties it up and Powell picks up his 100th career point with the primary assist!

Watch on @ESPNPlus | https://t.co/2kwsFhxFKs pic.twitter.com/YBkaHj23b1

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 2, 2025

The goal improved Perreault’s season totals to 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points in 33 games played. He is tied for the team lead in points, and tied for seventh nationally in scoring. Fortescue had one blocked shot in the game.

Boston College is at the top of the USCHO Poll and PairWise Rankings with an overall record of 25-6-2. Merrimack College is the final regular season opponent Saturday for Senior Day. A regulation win over the Warriors would clinch the Hockey East regular-season title for Boston College and a first round bye in the conference tournament.

In other Hockey East action, defenseman Jackson Dorrington had two shots on goal and one blocked shot Friday when Northeastern lost to UConn 5-2. The junior had one shot on goal, a minor penalty for roughing, and was a minus-3 during a 7-1 loss Saturday. This was the third straight loss for Northeastern, which fell to 11-18-3 overall. The Huskies conclude the regular season with games at Merrimack on Thursday and Senior Night against Providence College on Saturday.

Harvard captain Zakary Karpa won 10 of 20 face-offs Friday in a 4-3 victory over Yale on Friday. The senior center was a minus-1 with no shots on goal. Playing in his final regular-season game for the Crimson, Karpa had an assist when they played to a 3-3 overtime tie against Brown before losing in the shootout.

Karpa earned the primary assist on Harvard’s first goal to finish the regular season with six points (all assists) in 27 games played. Harvard concluded the regular season with an overall record of 11-15-3 and will host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this Friday in a single elimination game to determine who advances to the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals.

2024 first-round pick EJ Emery did not play for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in their series against Western Michigan University due to an injury. Emery has a single assist in 30 games played during his freshman season. North Dakota is currently outside of the NCAA tournament field with an 18-13-2 overall record and 18th place in both the USCHO Poll and PairWise Rankings. The Fighting Hawks conclude NCHC regular season play at home against Omaha.

Swedish defenseman Rasmus Larsson missed his fourth straight game for the Northern Michigan Wildcats due to injury, and his freshman season came to an end then they finished ninth in CCHA standings, missing out on the conference playoffs. Larsson was without a point for his first 25 games before finishing with three goals in his last four games played. The Wildcats were 62nd out of 64 teams in PairWise Rankings with an overall record of 5-27-2.

Cornell defenseman Hank Kempf is no longer in the Rangers organization. He was included in the trade which sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche in return for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen, and conditional second and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 2021 seventh-round pick scored four goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 127 career NCAA games with the Big Red.

“He was solid. Tonight, as far as puck play goes and defending hard in the zone, I thought he was our best D tonight,” Bednar said postgame. “It’s not flashy, he’s not gonna wow you, but he’s effective getting things done.”

Lindgren played his first game with the Avalanche in a 4-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even though he was wearing a sweater other than the Blueshirt for the first time in 388 NHL games, it was familiar territory for Lindgren to play against the Penguins, a Metropolitan Division rival of the Rangers.

But instead of playing with Adam Fox on defense, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad up front and Igor Shesterkin in net, Lindgren’s new team featured its own stars, led by defenseman Cale Makar and forward Nathan MacKinnon.

Lindgren logged 20:33 TOI, including 1:52 on the penalty kill. He had one hit and one blocked shot. But his underlying numbers weren’t great.

Per Natural Stat Trick, the Avalanche were outshot 14-7 with Lindgren on the ice 5v5 and out-chanced 7-2, though he was not on for either a goal for or against. His xGF was not pretty, 24.14 percent.

COL #GoAvsGo Game Score Report Card vs PIT – 2025-03-04

Best Players: Artturi Lehkonen / Cale Makar
Worst Players: Miles Wood / Ryan Lindgren pic.twitter.com/fx4FsCXwLH

— HockeyIceStorm (@HockeyIceStorm) March 5, 2025

Still, Bednar was pleased with what he saw from Lindgren, and the defenseman appeared satisfied with his debut, as well.

“Personally, I thought I had a pretty good game,” Lindgren said. “I’m still learning obviously, learning the systems … but, yeah, being here at Ball Arena, it’s a lot of fun, it’s a great crowd here, great energy. It was a lot of fun tonight.”

"Being here at Ball Arena, it's a lot of fun."

Ryan Lindgren pic.twitter.com/xfbDPAWwOC

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 5, 2025

Makar, Devon Toews and Samuel Girard each logged more ice time than Lindgren among Avalanche defenseman. Bednar said after Lindgren was acquired that he could see the former Rangers defender playing a similar role as he did in New York, helping lighten the load on Colorado’s top defensemen.

“That’s a big add … getting another really strong penalty killer, the physicality around the net front and down low in your own zone to be able to help close plays out,” Bednar said about Lindgren. “He can play a lot, and I think that will lighten the load and allow us to be able to, especially on the penalty kill, save some ice time off of 7 and 8 (Toews and Makar) so their energy can be used in some other situations.”

Related: Rangers trade grades after acquiring Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen from Avalanche

Ryan Lindgren says good to ‘move on’ with Avalanche after trade from Rangers

The Rangers traded Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey to the Avalanche on Saturday for defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and a second- and fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Lindgren and Vesey were respected veterans in New York, but each is a pending unrestricted free agent, and neither was going to be re-signed this offseason by the Rangers. The draft picks received from Colorado were crucial to making the deal from New York’s point of view, to help rebuild draft capital.

Parssinen is a wild card in the trade, a 24-year-old with good size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) and flashes of skill. He centered the third line in consecutive Rangers wins against the Nashville Predators and New York Islanders, though clearly was finding his way on the ice where he had minimal impact.

De Haan had an assist in his Rangers debut Sunday against the Predators and has played well on a defense pair with Zac Jones. The 33-year-old is a pending UFA and not expected to return next season.

As for Vesey, his Avalanche tenure began the way most of his final season with the Rangers was spent — in the press box as a healthy scratch. Still, Bednar is happy to add the 31-year-old to Colorado’s roster.

“Jimmy’s a little bit of a Swiss Army knife,” Bednar explained. “Over his career, he’s been moving around a little. Another top penalty killer as a forward – you can’t have enough of those.”

The Avalanche (36-24-2) are the first wild card in the Western Conference, three years after winning the Stanley Cup. They’ve retooled a bit this season, trading pending UFA forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a massive in-season deal that saw forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury land in Colorado. The Avalanche also swapped goalies, acquiring MacKenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks for former Rangers netminder Alexandar Georgiev earlier in the season.

“Obviously a lot of emotions go on, but to find out you’re coming to Colorado and what a great team they have here and just meeting all the guys, I’m just really excited to be here,” Lindgren shared.

The heart-and-soul warrior also added this about leaving behind what was a messy final season with the Rangers.

“New York definitely was up and down. There was a lot of stuff going on, so it’s nice to just come here and move on. It’s a new chapter here. Gotta get up for the playoffs, so I’m really excited.”

The Rangers seem to be intent on dealing away players on expiring contracts. A home game against the Nashville Predators on Sunday will be their first since trading Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday for veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and second- and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.

First look at new #NYR Calvin de Haan pic.twitter.com/TNCMyVDB3s

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) March 2, 2025

The Rangers traded Lindgren and Vesey a day after a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that dropped them to a pedestrian 5-6-0 in their past 11 games following a 10-game point streak from Jan. 5-23. The point streak put the Rangers (29-26-4, 62 points) within one point of the second wild-card spot and ahead of every other team below the cutoff. But now they are four points out and tied for 12th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers have 23 games left to make up the deficit and will do so while trying to cope with the loss of Adam Fox, who will miss his second game Sunday in what likely will be a lengthy absence after he fell on his left shoulder in the third period of a 5-1 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

The Rangers are coming off a game where they had little to show for 35 shots on goal. Though Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle scored tying goals, little mistakes doomed the Rangers, notably a misplay behind the net by Igor Shesterkin leading to the Maple Leafs getting the game winner in the third period.

The Rangers are a major disappointment and face a strong possibility of missing the postseason for the first time in four seasons; but the Predators (21-31-7, 49 points) are well out of the playoff race in the Western Conference after handing out three massive free-agent contracts this past offseason. They are easily the League’s biggest disappointment in 2024-25.

Nashville has the third-fewest points in NHL and is 16 points out of the final playoff spot in the West despite adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and former Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei on the first day of free agency. They were 10 points out following a five-game winning streak last month but are 3-9-0 in their past 12 games and after a string of poor defensive performances.

The Predators allowed three goals in the first period when they were outshot 19-3 during a 7-4 loss to the Islanders on Saturday. Nashville ended its latest loss by allowing an empty-net goal to Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who beat Shesterkin in a quest to join ‘goalie goal’ list, albeit when Stamkos sent the puck into his own net.

One of Nashville’s better defensive showings was a 2-0 home win over the Rangers on Dec. 17 when Juuse Saros notched a 25-save shutout. Saros allowed six goals on 36 shots Saturday, and the Predators will likely start backup Justus Annunen, who has allowed 18 goals in his past four appearances.

Related: Rangers trade grades after acquiring Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen from Avalanche

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Predators

1. No more five-forward power-play unit

With Fox out, the Rangers experimented with a five-forward group on PP1 against the Maple Leafs on Friday. The Rangers were 0-for-3 with four shots on goal, using Alexis Lafreniere, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Zibanejad in the top group.

That will change Sunday. At the morning skate, defenseman Zac Jones slotted onto the top unit to play with Zibanejad, Miller, Panarin and Trocheck. It makes sense to let Jones man the point and quarterback the power play. He’s a skilled offensive player with good vision and instincts. Why not let him play to his strength?

On Sunday the Rangers face a team which has allowed a power-play goal in 14 of its past 19 games. Could this be a chance for the Rangers — two power-play goals in their past seven games and 20th overall in the NHL (20.7 percent) this season — to get untracked when a man up.

2. What’s happened to Steven Stamkos?

Stamkos is experiencing a down season in the first of a four-year, $32 million contract, entering Sunday with 17 goals and 33 points in 59 games. Barring a massive hot streak, Stamkos is likely to finish with less than 30 goals in any 82-game season not disrupted by injury since finishing with 27 goals in 2017-18.

Stamkos has not scored a goal nor recorded a point in 12 straight games since Jan. 23 and was pointless in the month of February. It is the longest scoreless drought ever for the League’s third-leading goal scorer among active players.

On Saturday against the Islanders, Stamkos was on the ice for three even-strength goals in 17:31 — and hid misfired back pass in the final seconds wound up as a goalie goal for Isles goaltender Ilya Sorokin. Stamkos has been on the ice for 15 even-strength goals in his scoreless drought.

Stamkos is two shy of 600 career assists and has 19 goals and 43 points in 43 regular-season games against the Rangers.

3. The new guys

Parssinen and de Haan will each be in the lineup Sunday to make their Rangers debuts after taking part in the morning skate. Parssinen practiced on the third line with Brennan Othmann and Jonny Brodzinski on the wings. De Haan paired with Jones on defense, skating on his off (right) side.

Reportedly coveted by the Rangers for a while, Parssinen scored two goals and had four assists this season with the Avalanche, who acquired the 24-year-old in December from the Predators. He impressed in Colorado’s two games against the Rangers and scored on a quick shot from the slot in the second period at MSG on Jan. 26.

Another fun note about the newest Rangers forward is that he scored in his NHL debut for the Predators against the Blueshirts on Nov. 12, 2022.

Here’s a closer look at Pärssinen. Cuylle gets the edge in these battles. #NYR pic.twitter.com/xjq5t9xYc3

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 2, 2025

Like Lindgren, de Haan can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He also is a familiar face to the Rangers since he played his first six seasons with the Islanders, including 2016-17 when he posted career highs with five goals and 20 assists.

The 33-year-old is a placeholder until the Rangers make bigger moves to bolster their defense corps during the offseason.

Veteran forward Reilly Smith won’t dress for the Rangers on Sunday due to roster management issues — likely meaning he will be traded soon. Chris Kreider landed on IR Saturday with an upper-body issue.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Cuylle – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad

Othmann – Parssinen – Brodzinski

Berard – Carrick – Rempe

K. Miller – Borgen

Vaakanainen – Schneider

Jones – de Haan

Quick

Shesterkin

Rangers vs. Predators: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Nashville Predators

When: Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG2

Late Friday night, Ryan Lindgren was among those meeting with the media at Madison Square Garden trying to explain the disappointment of a painful 3-2 Rangers loss that evening to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lindgren and the Rangers woke up Saturday tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, still four points out of a playoff spot.

Then came the news that Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey were traded by the Rangers to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and two draft picks. Not a shocker since Lindgren and Vesey are pending UFAs and neither was going to be re-signed this offseason. But still, another significant trade to alter the Rangers core moving forward.

After that, results poured in from around the League, almost each one bad for the idle Rangers’ playoff chances. When the dust settled, the Rangers found themselves tied for 12th in the conference, though still four points out of the second wild card and now six in arrears of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first wild card. But they were passed by the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Flyers pulled even with 62 points.

So, yeah, one day, 24 hours, a lot of change. But the Rangers can flip things on their head with a win against the woeful Nashville Predators on Sunday and the narrative changes again.

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New York Rangers news

Here’s a breakdown of what’s next for the Rangers after swinging the four-player trade with the Avalanche.

The Forever Blueshirts staff hands out trade grades for the Rangers after the deal with the Avalanche.

Speaking of trades, Neil Smith told Forever Blueshirts in an exclusive interview that there’s one deal in 1996 he regrets more than any other from his tenure as Rangers general manager.

Igor Shesterkin’s good buddy Ilya Sorokin was credited with a goalie goal Saturday, and the Islanders netminder made sure to chirp the Rangers slick stick-handling goaltender afterward.

Here were our three Rangers takeaways from the 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Friday.

NHL news

The Rangers and Avalanche weren’t the only ones making a sizeable trade Saturday. The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick.

And that’s not all. The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Predators for a second-round pick in 2026.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand left their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury. There was no update on his condition postgame.

The Bruins went on to edge the Penguins 3-2 for an important road victory.

Not only did the Vancouver Canucks lose 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken, but defenseman Quinn Hughes left the game after “he tweaked something.” Hughes had just recently returned from injury, so this is a major concern for the Canucks.

Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is expected to make his season debut when they visit the Penguins on Sunday. He’s been out following sports hernia surgery.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing streak when Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto and Josh Norris each returned from injury for a 5-3 victory against the San Jose Sharks.

The Edmonton Oilers also ended a five-game skid with a 3-1 road win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Look who’s rolling now — the Montreal Canadiens. They won their fourth straight game and moved past the Rangers in the East with a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 884 to move within 11 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals 3-1 for their eighth straight win.

Nico Hischier picked up his 400th NHL point and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Utah Hockey Club 3-1.

Brock Nelson may be on the trade block — or not — but he scored twice to lead the Islanders past the Predators 7-4.

Watch Ilya Sorokin “score” a goalie goal against the Predators.

The Columbus Blue Jackets paid tribute to fallen teammate Johnny Gaudreau to make their 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at the 2025 Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium even more special.

Watch the highlights from the Blue Jackets’ outdoor win against the Red Wings.

But that’s OK. They still have a shot at reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season even after trading respected veterans Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. There was no interest in the Rangers in re-signing either pending UFA this offseason, so moving each was a foregone conclusion.

De Haan and Parssinen will slot in for Lindgren and Vesey on the current squad. But the Rangers also landed a second- and fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, helping re-stock their draft capital moving forward.

Related: What’s next for Rangers after four-player trade with Avalanche

Grading the Rangers trade of Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey to Avalanche

Members of the Forever Blueshirts staff analyze and grade the Rangers trade of Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen and two draft picks. Trade grades reflect the Rangers point of view.

Jim Cerny – Executive Editor – B

I think the Rangers did fine here. They key was re-stocking their draft capital. Neither Lindgren nor Vesey had a future in New York past March 7, so moving each was a no-brainer, even in the thick of a playoff race. Chris Drury has been nothing this past year if not cold and calculated and this was the latest example, but it’s for the Rangers own good.

De Haan, a pending UFA, is a serviceable if not exciting nor long-term replacement for Lindgren. And Parssinen is intriguing, reportedly someone who’s been on the Rangers radar for years. The Rangers were thin down the middle organizationally, so, at worst, he adds depth. But Parssinen could center that third line, allowing Mika Zibanejad to remain at the wing on J.T. Miller’s line, where he’s thriving.

An added benefit of moving Vesey is that it creates more of an opportunity for Brennan Othmann, Arthur Kaliyev and/or Brett Berard to play down the stretch.

John Kreiser, Senior Staff Writer: C+

Lindgren is the best player involved in the trade. But as it became increasingly apparent that the Rangers weren’t going to re-sign him before he became a free agent this summer, the question became “where” rather than “if” he would be traded. Adam Fox’s longtime partner can still provide a physical element, but wasn’t going to be worth what he’s likely going to be seek in free agency. Vesey was supplanted on the bottom six by young players like Othmann and Matt Rempe; trading the 32-year-old UFA opens more playing time for the young guys.

De Haan has never lived up to his draft status (first round, No. 12 in 2009). He’s a serviceable bottom-four (likely third-pairing) defenseman who’s an OK puck-mover and not especially physical. The 33-year-old can also be a UFA this summer; don’t be surprised if his stay in New York is a short one. At 24, Parssinen has already defied the odds by playing more than 100 NHL games after being a seventh-round pick by the Nashville Predators in 2019. He wasn’t playing much with Colorado after being acquired from Nashville in December, and it’s hard to envision him as anything more than a depth forward.

Tom Castro – Staff Writer – B+

The Rangers did well in acting early – a Drury trade deadline special – in achieving their primary goal with Lindgren: Acquiring at least a second-round draft pick as the club looks  to recoup draft assets dealt away as buyers ahead of the past three deadlines. The second-rounder could be fairly high, since the Rangers are likely to be getting back their own pick (held by Colorado) in a year in which they’ll probably be without the conditional first rounder sent away in the J.T. Miller trade with the Vancouver Canucks.

Including versatile bottom six veteran forward Vesey – who, like Lindgren, was a player on an expiring contract that the Rangers really had to trade – helped them obtain an intriguing big (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) center in Parssinen. He is a skilled young player who’s something of a reclamation project. Nonetheless, adding the pending RFA was a plus, as was the fourth-round selection that Drury also pried away in the deal.

De Haan is a steady veteran left-shot defenseman who can eat some of Lindgren’s minutes. He was a necessary add, although as a UFA this summer, isn’t likely to be back. Overall, Drury did well here in obtaining the necessary value for a pair of players not in their future plans.

Dane Walsh – Staff Writer – B+

This trade checks off a couple of boxes for the Rangers. They move on from two expiring contracts that they likely were not going to re-sign in Lindgren and Vesey. They exchange Vesey for Parssinen who can fill in at 3C, and exchange the injury-prone Lindgren for a veteran defenseman in de Haan. Getting two draft picks also helps add to their depleted draft capital, or provide assets that can be flipped in future deals. With Fox out long term, the Rangers may be setting up to acquire a top-2 defenseman ahead of the deadline, and this deal helps prepare them for that scenario. Overall, a win for Drury.

Larry Fleisher – Staff Writer – C

Trading Lindgren seemed inevitable all season especially as the Rangers tumbled in the standings during their 4-15-0 swoon in November and December. Lindgren’s contract status and decline in performance made any deal to be a matter of when it would happen though the timing is interesting given Fox’s recent upper-body injury that will sideline his partner for weeks and possibly the rest of the season.

I thought they’d get a little more than spare parts for Lindgren, but apparently his trade value was diminished at this point. We’ll see how Parssinen works out.

It’s been long expected that neither would make it past the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline with the Rangers. In fact, it appeared Lindgren’s fate was sealed last summer, when he signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract that walked him straight into unrestricted free agency this summer.

The Rangers did not wish to invest in Lindgren long term, considering his style of play, smaller physical stature and penchant for injury. With the Rangers on the fringe of the playoffs and not exactly a Presidents’ Trophy juggernaut like last season, Lindgren was even more expendable — so it was time to recoup assets for a player the Rangers were not going to re-sign.

Ditto for Vesey, who was a less-valuable piece this season than Lindgren and easy to replace.

#NYR Trade: pic.twitter.com/Wggci81n2L

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 1, 2025

The Rangers retained half of Lindgren’s salary cap hit and were able to get a second- and fourth-round pick from the Avalanche in the 2025 NHL Draft, restocking their diminished pool of picks. They also acquired veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan, who’s on an expiring contract, and 24-year-old forward Juuso Parssinen.

So, with the NHL Trade Deadline six days away and the playoff race in full swing, what’s next for the Rangers?

Related: ‘That was a disaster’: The one trade Neil Smith regrets most from Rangers tenure

What’s next for Rangers after making Ryan Lindgren trade with Avalanche

So, here’s the lay of the land for the Rangers ahead of the March 7 trade deadline and further down the road.

Rangers plan for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen

De Haan is a left-shot defenseman who will take Lindgren’s spot in the lineup, perhaps as soon as Sunday when the Rangers host the Nashville Predators. We will have to see how de Haan’s role changes when Lindgren’s long-time defense partner Adam Fox returns from an upper-body injury. However, that’s down the road since Fox just landed on IR this week and is expected to be out a while.

Lindgren skated on a pairing with Urho Vaakanainen in a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, so figure de Haan starts there. When Fox, a righty, returns, Vaakanainen is clear to slot back to his natural left side. At that point, coach Peter Laviolette must decide who among de Haan, Vaakanainen or Zac Jones comes out of the lineup and who he pairs with Fox.

The 33-year-old is a placeholder to help the Rangers get through the rest of this season. De Haan is a UFA at season’s end and nearing the end of his career — this is his fifth team in the past four seasons. He’s not returning to Broadway next season.

Parssinen is a 2019 seventh-round draft pick (by Nashville) who’s played 126 games with the Predators and Avalanche. The 24-year-old is a big (6-foot-3, 212 pounds) center who could get a look on the third line if Mika Zibanejad remains on the wing with J.T. Miller.

He’s never scored more than eight goals in a season and has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 37 games this season. Parssinen is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the season, but should be back since he provides much-needed organizational depth at the center position.

Reilly Smith’s future with Rangers

The Rangers showed their hand Saturday. They’re not punting on this season, but the priority is to maximize what they can get for players who are not part of the future moving forward. Now that Lindgren and Vesey are gone, that leaves Reilly Smith as a pending UFA on the roster, who won’t be re-signed this summer.

Smith’s been a good soldier this season, playing up and down the lineup and on both special teams. The 33-year-old has 10 goals and 29 points in 58 games this season, helped the Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and could be a nice fit on some contender’s third line.

The Rangers, who are better off giving minutes to rookie Brennan Othmann down the stretch, would love to land another second-round pick by trading Smith. But a third-rounder seems more likely. You have to figure the Rangers will take whatever they can get for Smith before the deadline.

Big summer awaits Rangers

Unless the Rangers can land a younger coveted player, someone like Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram let’s say, they’re unlikely to make another major trade before the deadline. Their big pre-deadline deal was acquiring J.T. Miller on Jan. 31. If they can somehow move injured veteran forward Chris Kreider, the Rangers would probably do it in a heartbeat. But that feels unlikely.

Keep in mind, the Rangers made four significant trades this season, not waiting until the deadline to do all of their business. Gone are Lindgren, Vesey, Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini. In are Miller, de Haan, Parssinen, Vaakanainen and Will Borgen.

So, the deadline might be low-key for the Rangers after this trade with the Avalanche. But this summer? That’s a different story.

Well positioned financially and with the salary cap set to rise significantly, the Rangers should be major players in free agency. While forwards Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen are juicy options, the Rangers could set their sights — in free agency or via trade — on a top-four defenseman, perhaps someone to pair with Fox for years to come.

Perhaps a Zibanejad trade would help bring back able bodies to further bolster what’s sure to be a new-look Rangers lineup next season.

Hands off

There’s zero chance the Rangers are trading either Othmann or Gabe Perreault. In fact, there’s a better chance each top prospect is in the Rangers lineup near the end of the season than traded before the deadline.

Othmann, New York’s first-round pick in 2021, was recently recalled from AHL Hartford and impressed in a 5-1 win against the Islanders. Perreault, the 2023 first-round selection, is starring for Boston College but could turn pro after his sophomore season ends this spring.

Playoff chase

They won’t invest heavily in trying to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth straight season, but the it’s not like the Rangers are going to quit now with 23 games to go and just four points out of a wild-card spot entering Saturday’s games.

Fox’s injury and an iffy defense corps won’t make it easy, but the Rangers are good enough and talented enough to make the playoffs. Don’t count on them making a deep run if they do make it, of course, but the playoff chase remains on.