The New York Rangers have had plenty of their players tabbed for taking in the Expansion Draft. The most popular names include Michael Grabner, Nick Holden, and Antti Raanta. The player that the Las Vegas Golden Knights take from the Rangers roster will be none of those three, however. Jesper Fast will make his way to Vegas.
Jesper Fast has been a terrific swiss-army knife of a player for the New York Rangers. He was a key piece of their 2015 Conference Finalist team, and remains a valuable fourth liner today. Alain Vigneault holds plenty of respect for the Swedish grinder, even giving him time in the top six at times.
However, Fast’s time with the Rangers appears to be ending. While we have examined possible players the Rangers will lose in the Expansion Draft, we have not yet discussed the most likely player to go. Jesper Fast will end up on the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ roster, and here’s why.
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The Rangers will be allowed to protect seven forwards. Rick Nash must be protected and Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy Vesey are exempt.
That leaves Fast, Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, Oscar Lindberg, J.T. Miller, Brandon Pirri, Matt Puempel, Derek Stepan, Mika Zibanejad, and Mats Zuccarello.
Pirri, and Puempel are not valuable players, so the Rangers will leave them unprotected without hesitation.
Six of Fast, Grabner, Hayes, Kreider, Lindberg, Miller, Stepan, Zibanejad, and Zuccarello can be protected.
Hayes, Kreider, Miller, Stepan, Zibanejad, and Zuccarello are sure things. Fast, Grabner, and Lindberg are the odd men out, all valuable options for Las Vegas.
Michael Grabner’s renaissance has complicated things, making it likely for the Rangers to trade a forward before the Draft.
Thus, Grabner would not be available, and suddenly the most obvious player to go is off the board.
This is where we arrive at Jesper Fast ending up a Golden Knight.
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The only way for Jesper Fast to go unprotected in the Expansion Draft is for the Rangers to trade at least two forwards. New York is not misguided enough to protect Fast over any of the previously mentioned forwards. It’s unlikely for the Rangers to purge two forwards from their depth, so Fast is available.
Once available, Fast will join Nick Holden, Oscar Lindberg, and Antti Raanta as the top candidates. Las Vegas will have an abundance of options in net, and we have a hard time seeing Raanta chosen when plenty of other options will be available.
Narrowing it down to Fast, Lindberg, and Holden, Fast is the only player of the trio that provides a niche. Lindberg has proven less than Fast despite playing a similar role, making him less appealing to Vegas. Holden is a serviceable second pair defenseman, someone a team can find anywhere.
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Jesper Fast’s ability to play a gritty fourth line role consistently is what makes him so valuable to the Rangers. Ironically enough, it will also be what ends his New York Rangers career. It’s a numbers game, and Fast’s set to be the victim.