The Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes is the system working as designed

Why does a player get to hit free agency years after being drafted? Because the alternatives are far less appealing.

There's a lot of excitement surrounding the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes right now, but also a lot of frustration from some fans who don't see why an unproven rookie is such a big deal. The coverage has indeed been ceaseless for a former third-round pick hitting the market.

But there's one thing that must be made clear here -- coverage of the situation aside -- and it's that there's nothing wrong with Vesey becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Vesey hit free agency on Tuesday because the rules set by the collective bargaining agreement, which is agreed upon by the NHL and NHL Players…