It’s been a long time for Jimmy Vesey, who missed the final games of the 2024 Eastern Conference final after being assaulted by the Panthers’ Ryan Lomberg in Game 2 and has been on long-term injured reserve for the first 10 contests of this season after going down in training camp.
Last spring’s upper-body injury (perhaps a shoulder) came on May 24.
The training camp mishap occurred Sept. 29, one originally believed “somewhat harmless” by head coach Peter Laviolette when Vesey limped to the room after going down in a drill.
The 31-year-old winger, who has been practicing with the club without restriction for the last week, is eligible to be activated for Sunday’s Garden matinee against the Islanders.
When Vesey is added to the roster, the Blueshirts will presumably dispatch Matt Rempe — a healthy scratch for Friday’s 2-1 victory over the Senators at the Garden — to the AHL Wolf Pack in order to keep the roster at 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders.
Rempe, who played two games with Hartford last weekend after he was first dispatched to the AHL, has played three games for the Rangers in which he amassed a sum of 16:18 of ice time.
Laviolette will face interesting lineup decisions when Vesey — who was scratched from two of the first three games last season but dressed for the final 79, moving up and down the lineup — is restored to active duty.
Adam Edstrom has played left wing on the fourth line for all 10 games with Sam Carrick in the middle and Jonny Brodzinski on the right for seven contests.
Vesey plays both sides.
Vesey has also taken regular turns on the penalty kill since joining the Rangers for his second tour off a successful 2022 training camp tryout. Laviolette will face a choice between No. 26 and Will Cuylle, who has gotten PK time on the third rotation with Carrick.
Zac Jones was scratched for the fifth time in the past six games after having played the opening four contests. … Igor Shesterkin got his eighth start in 10 games, the same number he had a year ago at this juncture.
The Rangers killed five-for-five over 8:56 against the Senators, who had entered the match with a 42.9 percent power-play proficiency.
The Blueshirts were 1-for-2 with the man advantage.
