After a week of dramatic secret meetings and speculation, Jimmy Vesey has finally made the decision about where to play.

In choosing New York, Vesey picks an established team with a storied history and a future that is yet to be written. One thing he'll have to get used to though, the Rangers already have a king, so his days of dominating the hype cycle are over.

Vesey will join former college free agent and previous runner of the NCAA hype hurdle event, Kevin Hayes. He will also run headlong into a couple of very good left wingers in Chris Kreider and Rick Nash. That is a tough mountain to climb, but I'm confident he will outpace Tanner Glass in training camp!

Brendan Shanahan and team were very interested in signing Vesey. Shanny traveled to the Boston area to make an in person presentation to him earlier this week, reportedly bringing along Auston Matthews.

The Leafs also have a direct connection to Vesey. His brother Nolan was drafted by the Leafs in the 6th round of the 2014 draft, and is currently at the University of Maine. His father, Jim, is an amateur player scout for the team.

You’ll recall that Vesey’s situation was unusual. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2012 draft, but the CBA allows for drafted players to become free agents if they finish four years of college and graduate. Vesey graduated from Harvard this past spring where he was the captain of the hockey team, and won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award this past season.

Good luck in New York, Jimmy! If you can make it there, you could probably make it on a good team.

Maple Leafs Prospects