At least #Veseywatch has ended.

The protracted summer romance between Jimmy Vesey and more than half a dozen teams around the league is over, and it’s not easy to figure out why the winner won. The New York Rangers? Sure, that was a team that was always going to have some amount of interest, but having the most interest? Having enough interest to actually get Vesey? Having a spot to give Vesey to make him think that’s the destination? Yeah, that’s a puzzler.

It’s mainly confusing because you look at what the Rangers have coming back for next season, and a player like Vesey doesn’t really fit the bill as a “need.” You look at the talent up front on Broadway and you have to reasonably conclude that Vesey, a 23-year-old with no NHL or even pro experience under his belt, might be the 10th-best forward on the roster. And that’s if you’re being a bit charitable.

But every team that decided to court him over the past week or so — from hometown Boston to traded-for-his-rights Buffalo to bargain-hunting Pittsburgh and Chicago, and even to sure-why-not New Jersey — had a semi-legitimate need for a player like this. In theory, he can score goals and on most teams he’s probably your third-best left wing at worst. That might even be true on the Rangers, depending upon how you feel about the rapidly declining stock of Nathan Gerbe.

And while the Rangers obviously would have promised him a more prominent role, the argument could easily be made that he’s not as good as any of J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, or perhaps even Jesper Fast and Oscar Lindberg. Hell, if Vesey put up the 13-15-28 Lindberg netted in just 68 games last year, it would probably be cause for celebration.

It’s hard to justify a contract for a player who might end up being a fourth-line forward — not that there’s anything wrong with a fourth-line forward on an entry-level deal — because if Vesey hits his performance bonuses, that contract could cost nearly $4 million against the cap. That’s not exactly money the Rangers have to spend, unless they can successfully find ways to trade Rick Nash or one of their many anchors on defense.

That’s what’s really baffling at the heart of this Vesey deal: The Rangers have much more pressing needs than “depth forward.” Again, always nice to have depth, sure, but this isn’t a team that’s going to outscore its myriad problems on the blue line, probably even if Henrik Lundqvist (who’s already almost 34-and-a-half years old) continues to be one of the best goaltenders alive. With this signing, the Rangers have some $2.5 million in cap space but very little wiggle room bonus-wise.

The problem for Jeff Gorton is that he likely understands the situation he’s in but can do little about it. The two worst blue line contracts he has — those paying Marc Staal and Dan Girardi a combined $11.2 million against the cap — both come with no-movement clauses.

And while Ryan McDonagh is a borderline steal at $4.7 million (with a no-trade) he’s a bit overrated in terms of actual impact on the game, especially in his own end. All the stick Kevin Shattenkirk gets for being a one-way defenseman should, by rights, go to McDonagh instead. And with that having been said, McDonagh is the team’s clear No. 1. There’s not even a close No. 2, and it’s either Staal or Kevin Klein. Which is a worry, because neither is all that good.

Of course, it’s not as though there are too many options for Gorton to actually go out and fix his blue line. He’s stuck with the bad players who were given contracts they didn’t deserve. And the free agent market is, shall we say, barren. Looking at the list of UFA defenders who remain available, it’s telling that Kris Russell — a bottom-pairing defender whose biggest skill is blocking shots, something the Rangers need to do too much already — is arguably the most impactful.

Do you want Jakub Nakladal instead? You should, but that he’s gone this long without a deal perhaps suggests that Calgary is his only intended NHL destination. Perhaps Raphael Diaz? Well the Rangers already let him walk. It really is a wasteland, and very few of these guys move the needle at all.

As such, it boils down to hoping Brady Skjei is very good next season, and that Dylan McIlrath takes a huge unexpected leap forward, and that UFA Nick Holden can play be more useful than we really have much reason to expect.