Rangers' Jimmy Vesey returns against Islanders

It’s been a long time for Jimmy Vesey, who missed the final games of the 2024 Eastern Conference finals after being attacked by the Panthers’ Ryan Lomberg in Game 2 and who has been placed on long-term reserve for the first 10 games of this season injured stood. go to training camp.

The upper body injury (maybe a shoulder) from last spring came on May 24th.

The training camp accident occurred on September 29, which head coach Peter Laviolette initially thought was “somewhat harmless” when Vesey limped to the room after going down during a practice.

Jimmy Vesey is expected to return to the Rangers lineup on Sunday against the Islanders. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The 31-year-old winger, who has been training with the club without restriction for the past week, is eligible to be activated for the Sunday’s Garden matinee against the Islanders.

If Vesey is added to the roster, the Blueshirts will likely send Matt Rempe – a healthy scratch for Friday’s 2-1 win over the Senators at the Garden – to the AHL Wolf Pack to keep the roster at 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders.

Rempe, who played two games with Hartford last weekend after being sent down to the AHL for the first time, has played three games for the Rangers, amassing a total of 16:18 of ice time.

Laviolette will face some interesting lineup decisions when Vesey — who was cut from two of the first three games last season but had dressed for the final 79 and moved up and down the lineup — is restored to active duty.

Adam Edstrom has played all 10 games as a left wing on the fourth line, with Sam Carrick at center and Jonny Brodzinski on the right side for seven games.

Vesey plays both sides.

Vesey has also been a regular on the penalty kill since joining the Rangers for his second tour after a successful training camp tryout in 2022. Laviolette will have to choose between No. 26 and Will Cuylle, who has received PK time in the third rotation with Carrick.

Zac Jones was scratched for the fifth time in the past six games after playing the first four games. … Igor Shesterkin got his eighth start in 10 games, the same number as a year ago at this point.

The Rangers killed five-of-five in 8:56 against the Senators, who had entered the game with a power-play ability of 42.9 percent.

The Blueshirts went 1-for-2 with the man advantage.