Carolina Hurricanes winger Jesper Fast suffered a neck injury in a matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets last season on April 16 and missed the entire postseason. Now the team has announced that he underwent neck surgery and is expected to miss the entire 2024-25 season.
Fast has spent the past four seasons with the Hurricanes after playing his first seven with the New York Rangers and he deserves credit for his steady, gritty play which made him one of the Blueshirts’ most reliable players. In some ways, his career resembles that of former Ranger Ryan Callahan.
Fast’s Time With the Rangers
The Rangers drafted Fast in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Draft and he spent the next three seasons playing for HV71 Jonkoping of the Swedish Elite League (SEL). He made his NHL debut in 2013-14 playing 11 regular season games on the fourth line. He also recorded his first NHL assist in the playoffs and played in the three postseason games as the team went on a run to the Stanley Cup Final.
In 2014-15, Fast played 11 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) and then played 58 games for the Rangers, establishing himself as a reliable, hardworking bottom-six forward who could also contribute on the penalty kill. He came through in the postseason as a shutdown forward and he also had three goals and three assists in 19 games.
Fast earned more ice time in 2015-16, averaging 14:56 in ice time per game, and finished with 10 goals and 20 assists in 79 games. He would remain a top-nine forward for the remainder of his stint with the Rangers.
Fast once again stepped up for them during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their matchup. He then scored a game-tying shorthanded goal in a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 5 of the series, which they went on to win in six games. In total, he had three goals and three assists in 12 playoff games.
Ahead of the 2017-18 season, Fast was named an alternate captain and he had another strong season with 13 goals, 20 assists (including two shorthanded assists,) 44 blocked shots, and 130 hits in 71 games. The team went through a rebuild, trading away key players Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, J.T. Miller, and captain Ryan McDonagh. Fast remained and continued to lead by example, playing with physicality and blocking lots of shots.
With many of the veterans gone, Fast spent some time in the top six in 2018-19, finishing with eight goals, 12 assists, 47 blocked shots, and 120 hits in 66 games. The team struggled but he played well and excelled on the penalty kill.
The Rangers signed Artemi Panarin ahead of the 2019-20 season and Fast spent some time playing on a line with the star winger. While Panarin provided incredible playmaking and offensive skill, Fast drove to the net and helped out defensively. The gritty Swede finished with 12 goals, 17 assists, 53 blocked shots, and 125 hits in 69 games.
The Rangers made it to the qualifying round of the playoffs (following a pause in the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic) but they were swept in three games by the Hurricanes. That offseason, Fast signed a three-year, $6 million deal with Carolina.
Similarities to Ryan Callahan
Fast has gone on to have four really solid seasons with the Hurricanes and he set career-highs in both goals (14) and points (34) during the 2021-22 season. He has also come through in the postseason with his new team and has eight goals and five assists in 40 playoff games including two overtime goals.
Fast has some similarities to Callahan, who spent eight seasons with the Rangers and was named captain ahead of the 2011-12 season. He was a heart and soul player who blocked shots, played with physicality, and excelled on the penalty kill. He led by example and worked his way up from a fourth-round draft pick in 2004 to become one of the team’s top players.
Callahan finished with 132 goals and 122 assists in 450 games with the Rangers while Fast had 55 goals and 92 assists in 422 games with the Blueshirts. Callahan was an excellent net-front presence on the power play and spent the majority of his time with the team as a top-six forward.
Callahan helped the Rangers go on a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2011-12 and set career highs with 29 goals and 25 assists in 76 games that regular season. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2013-14 season and he spent the rest of his career with them. He helped them make a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014-15 and finished with two goals and six assists in 25 games that postseason.
Unfortunately, back injuries frequently forced him to miss time and when he did play, he was not the same player. He also missed extended time after undergoing hip surgery during the 2017-18 season. He had two goals and two assists in 18 games in 2016-17, five goals and 13 assists in 67 games in 2017-18, and seven goals and 10 assists in 52 games in 2018-19.
Callahan was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine after the 2018-19 season which prematurely ended his career. He announced his retirement in 2020 and was just 34 when he played his final game.
For Fast Moving Forward
The hope is that Fast will be able to return and play again in 2025-26 although it is unclear if that will happen. What is clear, is he deserves appreciation for what he has already accomplished in his career and his contributions with the Rangers. Like Callahan, Fast is a heart and soul player who provided some scoring to go with his grit, strong defensive play, and leadership.
