New York Rangers: Jesper Fast an underrated weapon for Alain Vigneault

New York Rangers winger Jesper Fast is an underrated asset who can play within many different roles. Head coach Alain Vigneault is aware of his Swiss Army knife and will continue to deploy him at will.

The New York Rangers have an underrated weapon at their disposal. Jesper Fast is both a fan and coach favorite and for good reason. His playing style and determination both factor largely into his appeal. 

Fast’s role on the Rangers has varied over the course of his career. However, the variance was not quite as critical to his development as some other young players. In fact, Fast has thrived as Alain Vigneault’s Swiss Army knife. 

His point production has been modest through the first four seasons of his career. Back in 2015, Fast skated in a career high 78 games while registering career bests in goals (10), assists (20), and total points (30). He kept on a similar pace last season, recording 21 points in 68 games.

That marked the third straight season with double digit point totals for the young Swede. Fast stands out the most when asked to keep goals from reaching Henrik Lundqvist.

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Fast and his role

The 25-year old winger spends the majority of his ice time playing in the Rangers’ bottom-six. His solid two-way play and knack for collecting the puck allow his coaches to deploy him at will. Fast’s reliability at both ends of the ice has made him nearly irreplaceable.

When the Rangers’ lineup is constructed optimally, Fast should be deployed as an elite bottom-six winger. Taking a look at his HERO charts, Fast’s profile is about as expected, if not exceeding expectations.

Where Fast excels the most is in the category of shot suppression. His strong hockey IQ has allowed him to thrive, even when playing against tougher competition. His rating would translate well, even when bumped into the Rangers’ top-six.

Another area of Fast’s game that has always impressed is his ability to drive possession. Despite starting the vast majority of his minutes in the defensive zone, Fast’s career Corsi-for percentage sits at 48.7 percent.

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Career floor

Fast has played a number of games penciled into the team’s top-six forward group. When he finds himself in that role, his play is usually dictated by game-flow and detrimental play by his peers.

One player that has thrived while playing primarily in his team’s bottom-six is Andrew Cogliano. However, as his NHL career has evolved, Cogliano has progressively picked up more defensive zone responsibilities. After averaging more than 50% of his zone starts in the offensive zone his first four seasons,

Cogliano averaged more than 50% of his zone starts in the offensive zone his first four seasons in Edmonton. Since joining Anaheim in his fifth year, Cogliano has spent the majority of his zone starts in the defensive end, recording a career high 59.6% of his zone starts in the ’15-16 season.

As seen in the charts above, Cogliano and Fast rate similarly in both shot generation and suppression while recording similar ice time. I believe that Cogliano’s yearly production can be seen as a floor for Fast’s career trajectory.

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Career ceiling

If called upon to spend extensive minutes in the Rangers’ top-six, I could see Fast producing offensive career highs reflective of Cogliano’s (18G, 27A). Thinking more optimistically, however, I believe that Quickie could prove to be much more.

Yes, comparing Fast to a potential Hall of Fame candidate is bold. But this is more of a comparison to Hossa at the end of his career, not in his prime. Either way, this goes to show just how highly I value his presence. Certainly, it would take a boost in offensive responsibility and an extended stay in a premier lineup spot.

A sizeable increase in offensive output is within reach for a young player of Fast’s capacity.

Hossa is regarded as a hard-working European player capable of carrying his team on the ice and in the locker room. This can be proven by just looking at the Stanley Cup, where his name is three times (all with Chicago).

The traits that have made Hossa an admirable player in the NHL can be seen in the always improving Jesper Fast. With a few strong seasons on the scoresheet, this comparison could be more likely than many would believe.

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Conclusion

Jesper Fast will miss the start of the 2017-18 season following offseason hip surgery. The hole left behind the lineup will be ever harder to replace with the departure of some of the team’s other defensive forwards, namely Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg.

Fast will be thrust back into his role as the team utility player upon his return. The likely scenario is that he will see time on every line within his first week of action. Until his return, Alain Vigneault and his staff will be tasked with replacing one of the team’s most valuable players.

Next: Thoughts on college FAs, Zaripov, Holden, etc.

Jesper Fast is a lock to be a member of the Rangers’ core. He signed a team-friendly contract for the next three seasons. Everybody around the Rangers organization, including fans and staff, is waiting eagerly to continue watching the evolution of his young career.