New York Rangers: Making $ense of free agency

Jesper Fast

Unlike DeAngelo, Fast is an UFA.

The 28-year-old the Swedish-born right winger has 12 goals and 29 points this season. With 12 games remaining, he likely would’ve matched or exceeded previous career highs in goals (13) and points (33) both set in 2018.

Fast is extremely useful on the penalty kill, responsible in his own end, and not afraid to bang despite an average frame, listed at 6-foot-1, 191 pounds. He’s also versatile enough to have seen big minutes as a top-six forward under former coach Alain Vigneault and current bench boss David Quinn.

Additionally, he’s also a four-time Players’ Player — a “glue” guy team award voted on by the players. His teammates believe he was worth every penny of his $1.85 million cap hit last season (the last of his three-year, $5.55 million deal), but it remains to be seen whether the Rangers’ braintrust agrees.

Depending on what Fast is asking, the Rangers may go with the 20-year-old Kravtsov even though they’d take a hit defensively, in the dressing room and on the penalty kill. Yes, every player can be replaced (and traded) but that doesn’t mean it’s easy or beneficial to the team in the short-term.

Additional amnesty buyouts could allow the Rangers to keep Fast. If not, the Rangers had better hope Kravtsov or somebody from within steps up, because the UFA market doesn’t present many alternatives.

The next fellow is a different story.