New York Rangers roundtable: Is Jesper Fast overrated or underrated?

John Williams

I’m getting sick and tired of a majority of the fan base singing the “Jesper Fast is underrated” song. If anything, he is overrated by many in this fan base and especially the coach.

Fast is a fourth liner who could move up to the third line if the team has lost a player or two to an injury. There used to be a time where having players like Jesper Fast across the fourth line was an expectation. I am reminded of the Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Derek Dorsett line. While each of them had different skill sets than Fast, they did similar things. They were strong in the defensive zone and could chip in offense when needed.

Since we have been desensitized to fourth lines with Tanner Glass and Cody McLeod on them, of course a guy like Fast stands out.

With the hodge-podge lineup that the Rangers are throwing out there these days, there are eight players better suited for a top-six role. Yet, Fast found himself on the first line at times on Wednesday night on Pittsburgh.

Fast is fine. He does the little things well. His uptick in goal scoring is due to the significant uptick in his shooting percentage. He is a very good bottom line player. He should never find himself anywhere near the top-six again.

Nick Zararis

Jesper Fast is everything you could ever want in a fourth line winger. This is a clear-cut case of a head coach misusing a player and changing the narrative around the player. In no world is Fast a first line player in the NHL, nor is he a second liner. What Fast excels at is playing a high energy game while not being a total liability in the offensive zone.

Head Coach Alain Vigneault has tried to shoehorn the forward into roles that he isn’t suited for. Although Fast is currently on pace to pass his career highs in points and already has passed his career high in goals, he has struggled this season.

This isn’t because Fast is a bad player, but because he was being asked to be someone he is not. Fast is properly rated in the hierarchy of the team. When everyone is healthy he’s a fourth line wing that can occasionally add something on the offensive end. Going forward in the team’s rebuild he should be the starting point for building the fourth line.

Karly Redpath

I am a firm believer that Jesper Fast is drastically underrated when deployed properly.

This season, Alain Vigneault’s push to get him to serve a role in the top six has drastically pushed him in the direction toward becoming overrated.

Players are often are described as overrated if they do not live up to expected production. Ironically, Fast is actually just points away from marching a career-high, but I think that this comes from a level of comfort in his positioning on the roster.

Up until Pavel Buchnevich was moved back up to the top line, Fast had been quiet. However, the reality is that he is not a player that is expected to make a big impact on the offensive end.

His best qualities come on the defensive end and on the forecheck. This season, we have seen an unprecedented physical game from Fast. He currently leads the team in hits. His play in the zone and along the boards is strong. The fact that he is quick and skilled and has good sense means that his effort on the far end make a big difference when the Rangers move into the zone.

I still think Fast is underrated, he just needs to get back to the position on the roster that allows him to make the most impact — points or no points.

Dan Carrozzi

I think that Jesper Fast is currently overrated. Unfortunately, this has less to do with his play on the ice than it does with his role and expectations surrounding it.

Fast is one of the first players bumped up in the lineup to fill a top-six wing vacancy in the event of an injury. Also, he has been deployed there whenever head coach Alain Vigneault feels he needs to shake up his lines.

The reality is that Fast’s style of play suits a bottom-six role better than being relied on to consistently generate offense.

To be fair, Fast has been benefiting from playing with more offensive players. In the past 10 games, he has tallied seven points (three goals). His 11 goals on the season are a career high for the Swede but he is also sporting a shooting percentage of 16.9%, 4% above his career average.

This recent surge in offense has led to the perception that Fast does indeed belong in that elevated role.

Conversely, Fast more than earns his contract for his tenacity and defensive acumen when he is properly utilized. Matched up against an opponent’s bottom-six, his offense is both welcome and necessary for any true contending team.

However, his usage as a top-six winger only negatively impacts his reputation when he can’t produce correspondingly. Fast is a fine player to bump up in the lineup in a pinch but not for an extended duration.

Jen Moglia

In my opinion, it has always been obvious that Jesper Fast is one of the most underrated players on the Rangers. He is often criticized for not scoring a lot of points. However, the 26-year-old doesn’t have to have insane production to be valuable to the team.

Though he is usually on the third or fourth line, it is rare that he is out of position or taking a not-so-smart penalty. While the forward normally plays a clean game, he has a few reasons to be taking penalties. His play has become significantly more physical this year.

Fast has laid 113 hits this season, already a career high, with 13 more than his previous career high of 100 and 20 more than 93 from last season.

Additionally, he has been attempting to draw more calls, generating 10 power plays for the Rangers so far this season. One more successful drawn call will match his career high in this category. These things make the growing pains make a little bit more sense.

Aside from that, Fast has improved his offensive game. He is just five points away from matching his career high and six away from doing the same thing in regards to assists. As far as goals go, the right wing has already set a new career high with 11 goals. This just passes his 10 from the 2015-2016 season.

It’s easy to pick out a player’s mistakes, and easier to talk about how great they are when they’re consistently putting up a point or more every game. But, those who look closely at Jesper Fast will see a hard-working player who is always trying to get better, and he doesn’t get nearly enough recognition for that, making him underrated.

George Ruggiero

In my opinion, Jesper Fast is overrated. He is a solid fourth line player, but many seem to think that he belongs in a bigger role than he fits. The 26-year-old Swede adds just enough offense to his responsible defense to garner a little too much respect from head coach Alain Vigneault. As of their last game against Pittsburgh, Fast held a top-six role.

Simply put, his skill isn’t good enough to play with those lines. His defense can certainly hold up against the more skilled players of opposing teams, but that shouldn’t give him the spot over younger, more skillful skaters. The numbers back that up, too.

Fast currently has 11 goals and 14 assists in 63 games. There are eight Rangers with more points than that, and none of them are defensemen. For Fast to be handed the reins for his intangibles and defense is unacceptable and another indictment of Vigneault’s time in New York. Do I think Fast should be crucified for this? No. However, Fast does not belong in the top six and should be left to excel in a smaller role.

Peter Reichert

Jesper Fast is an incredibly versatile player. He’s a good defensive forward and penalty killer, who can also occasionally chip in offensively. He’s like a Swiss Army knife, he can do a lot, almost anything that’s asked of him.

Fast is exactly the kind of player every team should hope to have in their bottom-six. He does all the little things well. There are times when you don’t entirely notice him on the ice, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He doesn’t make any glaring mistakes and he just plays his game.

Fast, along with former Ranger Anton Stralman, are two of the most underrated Rangers from the past few years. Now, does this mean he’s a top-line player? Absolutely not (although Alain Vigneault would disagree). He’s the perfect fourth-liner, and can even serve in a third-line role, as he’s a good shot suppressor.

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While this hasn’t been his best season defensively, he’s slightly made up for it with a bit of an offensive uptick. So far this season, he’s notched 11 goals and 25 points. The 11 goals are a career high and 25 points is five off of his personal best.

Fast doesn’t get enough recognition, which is a shame. He’s carved out a nice niche for himself in the bottom six. Plus, he was recently given an alternate captaincy, so the team obviously values him from a leadership standpoint.

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At 26 years old, and under contract until 2020 at a reasonable average annual value of $1.85 million, Fast will be a good mentor to the kids through the rebuild, and will hopefully be here when the Rangers come out the other side. Fast is an underrated New York Ranger, and the fan base should be glad that he’s here.