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Jesper Fast became a key player for the New York Rangers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Appreciating Former Ranger Jesper Fast

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Abate | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 3:50 PM ET

Jesper Fast announced his retirement after spending seven seasons with the New York Rangers and four seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. The winger was a sixth-round pick but developed into a key player and leader and he deserves appreciation for his time with the Blueshirts.

Fast’s Rise With the Rangers

The Rangers drafted Fast in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, and after spending the next few seasons playing for HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League, he made his NHL debut with the Blueshirts during the 2013-14 season. He was held without a point in 11 regular-season games but recorded an assist in the postseason.

In 2014-15, Fast established himself as a quick skater and reliable defensive forward, while he also chipped in offensively. At 6-foot-1 and 191 pounds, he was effective on the forecheck and helped the Rangers keep the puck in the offensive zone. He had six goals and eight assists in 58 regular-season games and stepped up with three goals and three assists in 19 playoff games in their run to the Eastern Conference Final.

Fast played a bigger role for the Rangers in 2015-16 and averaged 14:56 in ice time per game after averaging just 11:48 per game in 2014-15. He took advantage of the opportunity and produced more offensively while continuing to defend and developing into one of the team’s top penalty-killers. He finished with 10 goals and 20 assists and went on to become an alternate captain during the 2017-18 season.

Though Fast never became a dominant player offensively, he drove to the front of the net and gave the Rangers secondary scoring. In 2017-18, he had his best offensive season with 13 goals and 20 assists in 71 games. He also had 12 goals and 17 assists in 69 games in 2019-20.

Fast was one of the Rangers’ top defensive forwards and penalty-killers during his seven seasons with them. He played with physicality, blocked lots of shots, and rarely made defensive mistakes. He also stepped up in the postseason and had six goals, eight assists, 99 hits, and 24 blocked shots in 40 playoff games.

Fast’s Success With the Hurricanes

After seven seasons with the Rangers, Fast signed with the Hurricanes ahead of the 2020-21 season. He proved to be an excellent fit with his new team and continued to play hard, forecheck, go to the net, and defend well.

After finishing with six goals and 13 assists in 46 games in 2020-21, Fast set a career-high in goals and points in 2021-22 with 14 goals and 34 points in 82 games. In 2022-23, he had 10 goals and 19 assists in 80 games and broke out with six goals and three assists in 15 playoff games. He scored in overtime of the Hurricanes’ 4-3 win in Game 2 of the first round against the New York Islanders and also scored in overtime of a 3-2 win in Game 5 of the second round against the New Jersey Devils to sent Carolina to the Eastern Conference Final.

Last season, Fast had six goals and 13 assists in 73 regular season games but a neck injury against the Blue Jackets on April 16 kept him out for the entire postseason. He underwent neck surgery and missed all of this season, and announced his retirement on June 2.

The Rangers Need Players Like Fast

This season, the Rangers’ poor defensive play prevented them from making the playoffs and they could use a strong defensive forward. Rookies Adam Edstrom, a sixth-round pick in 2019, and Brett Berard, a fifth-round pick in 2020, both have potential and could develop into valuable two-way forwards.

Fast certainly had a positive impact on both the Rangers and Hurricanes and played an important role in the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2014-15 and Carolina’s run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022-23. He deserves credit for his strong defensive play, leadership, and grit which made him a very valuable player.