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

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.