The vast majority of Rangers games during the past two decades have been started by goaltenders who were selected after the 100th pick in their respective drafts. The Rangers captain from 2011-14 was also taken well after pick No. 100 in his his draft year, as were a pair of excellent defensive forwards who were part of the 2013-14 team that lost to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final.

Most recently, three forwards who were part of this past season’s team and appear to be staples next season were lower-round picks within the past six years: Brett Berard (2020; fifth round, No. 134), Matt Rempe (2020; sixth round, No. 165) and Adam Edstrom (2019; sixth round, No. 161).

Each hopes to enjoy the success that these five later-round choices (all taken after pick No. 100) enjoyed with the Rangers.

Related: NHL insider fuels trade rumors, states Rangers coach ‘not huge fan of K’Andre Miller’s game’

Igor Shesterkin (2014; Round 4, No. 118)

Igor Shesterkin wasn’t even the first goaltender taken by the Rangers in the 2014 draft. That honor belongs to Brandon Halverson, who played one game in relief with the Rangers on Feb. 17, 2018, and finally made his first NHL start with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 22 of this past season.

Meanwhile, the Rangers waited on Shesterkin, who thrived in the KHL before signing with the Rangers in the summer of 2019.

Shesterkin was 10-2-0 in 12 appearances in 2019-20 before the regular season came to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic. Two seasons later, he won the Vezina Trophy as the top NHL goaltende, when he led the League in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.935). He also led the Rangers to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final; though they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, Shesterkin excelled with a 2.59 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Shesterkin’s remained one of the top handful of goalies since then, averaging more than 36 wins in a three-season span. He helped the Rangers to a franchise-record 55 victories in 2023-24 on the way to winning the Presidents’ Trophy and again reaching the Eastern Conference Final.

Shesterkin begins an eight-year, $92 million contract, the richest fora goalie in NHL history, in 2025-26 – meaning he figures to be with the franchise for a long time. It’s been a remarkable first six NHL seasons for a player who lasted well beyond the first 100 picks in his draft year.

Henrik Lundqvist (2000; Round 7, No. 205)

The Rangers were looking for a goaltender in the late rounds of the 2000 NHL Draft. Little did they know they would find a future Hall of Famer and the winningest goaltender in their history with the 205th pick.

Christer Rockstrom, then the Rangers’ head European scout, had seen a young Swedish goalie names Henrik Lundqvist play in the years leading up the to 2000 draft. Lundqvist didn’t impress in international tournaments, but Rockstrom saw him play with his club team and at practice. He was impressed, as was Jan Gajdosik, a European scout for the Blueshirts.

Don Maloney, who was overseeing the draft table, happened to look to his left when the Rangers turn in the seventh round approached and saw Lundqvist’s name at the top of Rockstrom’s list. A few minutes later, the Rangers had their goaltender of the future.

It took a while – Lundqvist’s game developed in Sweden, where he won an SHL championship with Frolunda, until he came to North America in 2005. He began 2005-06 as the backup to Kevin Weekes but soon became the starter and kept that role for the next 15 seasons. He won at least 30 games in each of his first seven seasons and 11 of the first 12 (ironically, his 24 wins led the NHL during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season).

Lundqvist was a Vezina Trophy finalist in each of his first three seasons before winning the award in 2011-12. He backstopped them to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, though the Rangers lost to the Kings in five games – with three of the losses came in overtime.

He signed with the Washington Capitals for the 2020-21 season but had to retire because of a heart problem, meaning that Lundqvist played his entire career with the Rangers. He retired as holder of team records with 887 games played, 459 victories, 64 shutouts and a .918 save percentage (minimum 60 games played). His No. 30 hangs in the rafters now and forever at Madison Square Garden.

Lundqvist was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023, capping one of the greatest unexpected careers in NHL history.

Ryan Callahan (2004; Round 4, No. 127)

Few players in Rangers history have worked harder than Ryan Callahan, who went from being left out of the intrasquad game at training camp in 2005, one year after being drafted, to captain of the Blueshirts six years later.

“He put so much into the game,” former Rangers coach John Tortorella told the New York Post after Callahan officially retired in December 2020. “In my mind, he epitomized the way you have to play the game, at least in my opinion. He did it by pure effort and desire. Never took a shift off. Never took a practice off.

“And that’s how he becomes the captain of the Rangers.”

Callahan, who held the team record for hits (285 in 2009-10) until Will Cuylle surpassed him with 301 in 2024-25, was part of the “Black and Blueshirts,” and would do anything the Rangers needed to win. Block a shot? He broke his ankle in 2010 blocking a blast from Zdeno Chara. Step into an opponent? He had at least 224 hits in four straight seasons from 2008-09 through 2011-12. 

But Callahan also was a skilled forward, who produced solid offensive numbers. When he was piling up all those hits from 2008-12, he also averaged 23 goals and 45 points, including 29 goals and 54 points in 2011-12, when he helped the Rangers finish first in the Eastern Conference and get to the conference final.

However, his numbers began to drop off, and with Callahan headed for free agency after the 2013-14 season, the Rangers traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 5, 2014, as part of the package that brought Martin St. Louis to Broadway. Callahan missed the run to the 2014 Cup Final but got a measure of revenge the following year when he and the Lightning defeated the Rangers in Game 7 of the East Final to advance to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Callahan’s body began breaking down not long after. He played his last NHL game in 2018-19 and retired in 2020. As he told the Post, “I gave everything I had until there was nothing left to give.”

Jesper Fast (2010; Round 6, No. 157)

Fast really was fast — coach Alain Vigneault nicknamed him “Quickie.” But his journey to the NHL took a while.

The forward from Sweden spent two more seasons in his native country before the Rangers signed him in May 2012. He played one more season at home with HV-71, winning the Swedish Hockey League’s equivalent of the Lady Byng Trophy, when he finished with 18 goals and 35 points in 47 games.

HV-71 was eliminated from the SHL playoffs earlier than expected, and Fast joined the Rangers organization. He scored a goal for the AHL Connecticut Whale (now the Hartford Wolf Pack) in his North American debut but sustained a knee injury and didn’t play again until the following season.

He spent most of 2013-14 in the minors but did get into 11 regular-season and three playoff games with the Rangers. Fast was a regular by the end of the following season and remained one through 2019-20. He developed into a dependable bottom-six forward and penalty-killer who was effective on the forecheck and averaged 10 goals and 26 points during a five-year span. He helped the Rangers get to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final in 2015 and had career-highs of 13 goals and 33 points in 2017-18.

Fast became a free agent in the summer of 2020 and signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. He played four seasons with the Rangers rival and was on the losing end when New York defeated Carolina in the second round in 2022. A neck injury kept him out of the rematch in 2024, when the Rangers again knocked off the Hurricanes in six games, and he retired in June 2025 after missing all of 2024-25 following offseason neck surgery. He ended up playing 703 regular-season games, 422 with the Rangers, and scored 55 of his 91 goals with New York.

Carl Hagelin (2007; Round 6, No. 168)

Hagelin, another swift forward from Sweden, took a different path to the NHL after he was selected by the Rangers in 2007, following two excellent seasons in Sweden’s Under-20 league.

Instead of staying home as Fast did, Hagelin came to North America and played four seasons at the University of Michigan, becoming the first Swede ever to play for the Wolverines. The Rangers signed him after his college career ended in 2011, and he joined the Connecticut Whale in time for the AHL playoffs.

He had an assist in his NHL debut on Nov. 25, 2011, then scored his first goal the next day against Sergei Bobrovsky of the Philadelphia Flyers. Hagelin won the Fastest Skater competition at the NHL All-Star Weekend and finished his first NHL season with 14 goals and 38 points as well as a plus-21 rating.

Speed was Hagelin’s stock in trade. He was an effective third-liner and penalty-killer who averaged almost 15 goals during his four seasons on Broadway despite almost no power-play time. Hagelin helped the Rangers get to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, chipping in seven goals and 12 points in 25 postseason games.

Though Hagelin matched his career high with 17 goals in 2014-15, he also became a free agent that summer. Management decided to trade him rather than lose him for nothing, so he was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks on June 27, 2015.

The Ducks traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins three months later, just in time to help them win the Stanley Cup in the spring of 2016 as part of the “HBK Line” with Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel. The Penguins repeated in 2017, when Hagelin scoring the clinching empty-net goal in Game 6 of the Final. The Penguins traded him to the Los Angeles Kings in November 2018, and the Kings wheeled him to the Washington Capitals two weeks later. He played with Washington through the 2021-22 season, missed 2022-23 after an eye injury and hip surgery, and officially retired in August 2023.

The popular 33-year-old forward missed this entire past season due to a serious neck injury sustained in the final game of the 2023-24 campaign. Fast was unable to make a comeback with the Carolina Hurricanes, for whom he played his final four NHL seasons. He was due to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

“I never took for granted the privilege of playing in the best league in the world,” Fast said in a statement released by the Hurricanes. “I am grateful for all of the teammates, coaches, staff and fans from the Rangers and Hurricanes who made my time in the NHL so special, and for my family for everything they did to help me achieve and live my dream. I’d also like to thank Nässjö HC and HV71, organizations that played a vital role in my development into an NHL player.”

Fast sustained the neck injury when checked from behind by Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson on April 16, 2024. He was unable to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the second round loss to the Rangers in six games, but remained hopeful he could play in 2024-25.

“Worst-case scenario. Just when the fun is about to start, you’re sitting on the sideline,” Fast explained at breakup day in May 2024. “You just want to help your team and be part of it, so of course it’s really tough to be on the side. It was definitely one of the toughest periods in my career.”

Fast had neck surgery Aug. 6, and the Hurricanes stated at the time that they expected him to miss the season, which ended up being the case.

Related: 5 potential trade targets for Rangers to toughen up defense corps

Jesper Fast retires after 11 distinguished seasons in NHL with Rangers, Hurricanes

Though never a star, Fast was highly respected by coaches and teammates alike. He was a hard-working middle-six forward who became one of the premier shutdown forwards in the NHL.

Fast won the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award as the top Rangers rookie at training camp in 2013. He also won the prestigious Players Player Award as the Rangers player “who best exemplifies what it means to be a team player” as voted on by his teammates an unprecedented five consecutive seasons beginning in 2015-16.

With the Hurricanes in 2021-22, he won the Steve Chiasson Award presented to the player “who best exemplifies determination and dedication while proving to be an inspiration to his teammates through his performance and approach to the game.”

Nicknamed “Quickie” by then-Rangers coach Alain Vigneault in 2013-14, Fast appeared in 11 regular-season games and three in the postseason, when the Blueshirts reached the Stanley Cup Final and lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games. He was a lineup regular the following season, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy and reach Game 7 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

Fast signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent before the 2020-21 season, and established NHL career highs with 14 goals and 34 points in 2021-22. In the spring of 2023, Fast helped the Hurricanes reach the Eastern Conference Final when he became the fourth player in franchise history to score two overtime goals in the same postseason, including the series-clinching goal in the second round against the New Jersey Devils.

Fast scored six postseason goals in 2023 and had 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 80 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Rangers and Hurricanes.

Over 703 regular-season games in the NHL, Fast finished with 248 points (91 goals, 157 assists).

Fast sustained a neck injury when he was cross-checked from behind in Carolina’s final regular-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 16. As a result, Fast was unable to play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the second round when the Rangers defeated the Hurricanes in six games.

“Worst-case scenario. Just when the fun is about to start, you’re sitting on the sideline,” Fast explained at breakup day in May. “You just want to help your team and be part of it, so of course it’s really tough to be on the side. It was definitely one of the toughest periods in my career.”

Fast wore a neck brace when meeting reporters at breakup day, though he remained hopeful about his future at the time.

“It’s a neck injury as you can probably see. Right now, we’re still doing some… trying to find out how long it is. Have some new exams coming up so we’ll know more later,” he said. “Right now we’re hopeful, but we’re waiting for a little more results.”

Fast had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 73 games last season, his fourth with the Hurricanes after signing with them as a free agent before the 2020-21 season. He has one season remaining at a $2.4 million salary cap hit before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

But his future in the NHL is in question at the moment. And likely won’t be determined for some time as he recuperates and rehabs following surgery.

Related: “Budding star” tops Rangers 22-and-under pipeline, NHL expert says

Former Rangers forward career in question after neck surgery

Fast played the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers, where he earned the nickname “Quickie.” Hard working and diligent, Fast was a solid middle-six forward and elite penalty killer with the Rangers.

Though never a star, he was a key piece when the Rangers went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in five games, and won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15 before losing in the Eastern Conference Final to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In 422 games with the Rangers, Fast scored 55 goals and totaled 147 points. His most productive season on Broadway was 2017-18 when Fast had 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists). Four seasons later with the Hurricanes, he recorded an NHL career-high 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists).

A sixth-round pick (No. 157) by the Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, Fast has appeared in 703 regular season games in the NHL and another 80 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Blueshirts came out of that series healthy and now receive extra rest by virtue of winning in four games.

Next up for the Rangers is a tougher series against the Carolina Hurricanes, who made fairly quick work of the New York Islanders, finishing off that first-round series with a 6-3 win in Game 5 on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes did not come out of that series unscathed, though. And their injuries could factor into the outcome of the Eastern Conference Second Round.

Related: Peter Laviolette not saying if lineup changes in store for Rangers against Hurricanes

Hurricanes receive injury updates ahead of playoff series against Rangers

Hurricanes top-four defenseman Brett Pesce, who sustained a lower-body injury in Game 2 against the Islanders, had been in a walking boot. But he appears to be getting healthier. Pesce was seen walking without the boot after the Hurricanes eliminated the Islanders, and though he is not yet cleared to play, signs are pointing towards him making an appearance in the later stages of the second round.

“If everything goes as expected, he will play games in this round,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday. “Maybe not right away.”

Tony DeAngelo, who replaced Pesce in the lineup the past three games, appears to have diodged a serious injury after taking a slash to his arm in the late stages of Game 5. X-rays reportedly came back clear, meaning he should be good to go against his former team in the second round.

“He’s feeling better today. That shouldn’t be an issue at all,” Waddell stated.

The final update was for forward Jesper Fast, who was injured in the Hurricanes’ regular-season finale. CT scans and MRIs show that Fast injured a muscle in his neck, which has kept him out for the duration of the playoffs, so far. Fast remains in a neck brace.

“It’s a matter of the doctors getting comfortable,” before he can resume hockey activity, Waddell explained.

Despite the injuries, Carolina is a team with great depth, meaning New York will certainly have their hands full. But so will the Hurricanes, because not only are the Rangers as deep a team, but they’re healthier to start the series.

Bringing in such a player would also allow for Kaapo Kakko to move up into the top-six and possibly make trading Barclay Goodrow easier to digest. The Rangers need to re-sign RFAs Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller this offseason and moving Goodrow’s $3.6 million cap hit may be the best way to do it.

That’s why signing Jesper Fast might make the most sense come July 1.

Related: Predicting contract for RFAs Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller

New York Rangers UFA Target: Jesper Fast

Fast, 31, notched 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 80 games this past season for the Carolina Hurricanes. He was even better in the playoffs with 6 goals and 3 assists for 9 points in 15 matches. It was his OT goal that eliminated the New Jersey Devils to get the Canes to the Conference Final where they were swept by the red-hot Florida Panthers.

Fast left the Blueshirts for the Hurricanes via free agency back in 2020 during the heat of the rebuild. We reported back at the time, that the window had closed between the two parties and he was heading to the open market. Additional rumblings noted that Fast was looking for multi-year deal close to $4 million per season, but the Rangers were not interested.

There were also rumors that prior to Fast signing with the Canes, the Rangers were willing to give him two-years at $2 million AAV. Ultimately, Carolina gave him an extra year at that same AAV.

 “I want a good deal for myself and the Rangers obviously want a deal that is fair to them,” Fast told Swedish outlet Sverige during negotiations. “I hope we come to an agreement. If not, I will test the market.”

Business is business and there should be no hard feelings. No one should ever a fault a player for wanting more money considering how brief their careers can be or how quickly it can end with an injury.

Fast registered 155 points in 7 seasons with the Rangers and was a beloved teammate what won the coveted Players’ Player Award five straight times (2015-16 – 2019-20). He’s still an excellent two-way forward that would automatically make the Rangers overall defense and PK better.

Related: Check out our predictions for New York Rangers UFAs this summer including Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko

What would Jesper Fast cost?

The New York Rangers have $11,762,918 per PuckPedia, and only 14 players from last season under contract.

Teams and players across the league are dealing with the financial repercussions of the pandemic which shortened two seasons and had games played without fans. The salary cap has risen a mere $1 million ($81.5M to $82.5M) since 2020. Current projections estimate another $1 million increase with a hope of it going to $2 million ($83.5M or $84.5M) depending on additional negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA.

Bottom line is GM Chris Drury will need to stretch every dollar and it’s possible a reunion with their former 2010 sixth-round pick is in the cards. If the Rangers could sign Fast to a multi-year deal for $1.5 million, it would be a big win for both parties.

The Blueshirts looked like they had one of their best teams since 1994 after adding Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Motte, and Niko Mikkola to an already excellent lineup.

Instead, they were handed a first-loss in seven games by the upstart Devils. In three of those contests (Games 4, 5, and 7), the Rangers efforts were so abysmal that it led to the dismissal of head coach Gerard Gallant after two consecutive 100+ point seasons.

How did it all go so wrong?

Canes easy victory adds to Rangers misery

Both the Hurricanes and Devils are fast teams that forecheck aggressively hard. Yet somehow during the regular-season the Blueshirts were able to win the season-series against the Canes 3-1. For some reason, they had a harder time with Jersey going 1-2-1.

It’s almost as if the Rangers simply stopped competing against the Devils after winning the first two games by identical 5-1 scores. Looking back, it was probably a bad thing that they handled Jersey so easily.

The culmination of these lousy efforts came in Game 7 with no score in the contest and the Rangers on the power play. Adam Fox (of all people) was casually toying with the puck in his own zone waiting for something to develop. Meanwhile, the Devils attacked him within seconds of his poor decision to steal the puck and score shorthanded.

Michael McLeod, who tallied all of 4 goals in 80 games during the regular season ended the Rangers dreams of a championship.

New York fell by a 4-0 final in the biggest game of the season and GM Chris Drury was absolutely justified to be furious.

Of course, there was plenty of blame to go around for losing. However, it was Gallant that paid the ultimate price, which is usually the case.

Which brings us back to the question: What went wrong?

Let’s start with the Rangers probably had too many chefs in the kitchen. Gallant sealed his fate when he called out Drury for constructing the roster with what sounded like minimal input from his head coach.

“Talent doesn’t mean a thing,” Gallant said after elimination. “It’s great to have talent but you’ve got to play and work hard together– I love to have talent but you’d like to have a work ethic, forechecking, and stuff like that. We just didn’t get it done.”

It’s true, the Rangers had too many offensive players that want the puck and not enough players that are willing to play even harder to get the puck.

That doesn’t absolve Gallant for failing to make adjustments or penalizing his top stars for poor play. He just kept sending them out to do more of the same even when it was obvious that it wasn’t going to work.

In the end, the Rangers needed more players like Jesper Fast, who scored the series winning power play goal in overtime for the Canes.

Fast left the Blueshirts for the Hurricanes via free agency back in 2020 during the heat of the rebuild. We reported back at the time, that the window had closed between the two parties and he was heading to free agency. Additional rumblings noted that Fast was looking for multi-year deal close to $4 million per season, but the Rangers were not interested.

There were also rumors that prior to Fast signing with the Canes, the Rangers were willing to give him two-years at $2 million AAV. Ultimately, Carolina gave him an extra year at that same AAV.

The 31 year-old will be a UFA this summer, and it’s possible the Rangers may want a reunion with their former 2010 sixth-round pick. Fast registered 155 points in 7 seasons with the Rangers.

Sebastian Aho and former Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo each collected a goal and two assists to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over New York on Friday in Raleigh, N.C.

Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist and another former Rangers player, Jesper Fast, also scored, as did rookie Seth Jarvis and Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes improved to 12-2-1 in their last 15 games.

It was a tough loss for the Rangers on Friday night, but they will look to bounce back against the Coyotes at home tonight.

Former Rangers key in Hurricanes victory

When DeAngelo set up a one-timer by Fast, who wired a shot from the point past a screened Alexandar Georgiev (29 saves) to give the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead at 3:33 of the second period, you got the sense that this was not going to be the Blueshirts night.

“It was nice to put on that kind of performance,” DeAngelo said. “I thought our team played great. It was a battle for first place. We got right back to where we want to be, and we’ve got some games in hand (four).”

DeAngelo, 26, spent a little over three season with the Rangers picking up 92 points in 167 games before his tumultuous exile and exit from the club last season. He now has 31 points in 30 games with Carolina.

As for Fast, he was a heart and soul player that could plug any hole or need the Rangers had for the better part of 7 seasons. While a member of the Blueshirts, he registered 147 points in 422 games. This season, the 30 year-old has 14 points in 37 games for the Canes.

“Very excited and a fun game to play,” Fast said. “We wanted to make sure we played the right way and send a little message there.”

Former Rangers Brady Skjei, Derek Stepan, and Brendan Smith all contributed to the victory.

Mika Zibanejad scoring streak continues

New York’s Mika Zibanejad recorded a power-play goal and an assist to extend his point streak to seven games (four goals, five assists). Chris Kreider scored and set up a goal, and fourth-liner Greg McKegg also tallied for the Rangers, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.

Zibanejad’s one-timer from inside the left circle put New York on the scoreboard just over three minutes later, before Carolina countered with a quick flourish.

Kreider scored his team-leading 26th goal and McKegg added his first of the season 74 seconds later early in the third period to halve the deficit. Kreider’s goal was assisted by Zibanejad.

After a slow start, Mika has been on a tear. His current point streak is now at 7 games (4G – 5A), but he also has points in 11 of his past 13 games (10G – 8A).

Zibanejad, 28, has 39 points in 41 games this season.

NHL Rumors

Marc-Andre Fleury not thinking about trade deadline. Oilers looking for a goalie, and Mark Giordano wants a Cup. Read more.

–Field Level Media contributed to this article

That’s why when fans see what he signed for it makes it hard to accept. However, when you step back and detach the emotional aspect, the Rangers made the right move.

This was not about money, but opportunity for younger Rangers players

Fast’s new three year Canes deal is just $150,000 more than his last deal with the Blueshirts. In truth, this was not so much about money but opportunity. Simply put, the Rangers weren’t interested in a multi-year deal and wanted to give Kaapo Kakko a spot in the top six next season. Also, they needed to open up minutes for Vitali Kravtsov and Julien Gauthier on the right side.

The Rangers are on the up swing and need to make that next step into a contender. By the time, Kakko, Fox, Miller, and Lafreniere are ready to dominate, Fast will be gone. Plus he would be blocking Kravtsov and Gauthier. It was time to move on and Fast will do well in a bottom six role in Carolina.

How we got here

The Rangers tried to work out a deal with Fast before the trade deadline. Whatever the gap was it could not be closed. Jeff Gorton shopped Fast around but could not find a suitable deal and with the Rangers on the cusp of a playoff spot opted to keep him.

Once COVID hit, it really didn’t matter what Fast was looking for because the NHL was changed. Add in the Rangers winning the lottery and getting Alexis Lafreniere as the last factors to not bringing Fast back.

In early September I spoke with a source about Jesper Fast’s situation. In our phone conversation when I asked if there were talks going on about a new deal the response was, “the window has passed.”

While that “window” was left ajar, the source noted that it would take a lot of work for there to be a deal and therefore not likely. That is why I exclusively reported Jesper Fast was going to free agency. And although Jeff Gorton implied there was a possibility after the draft, there were no discussions between the two sides this offseason as was reported by Larry Brooks.

At the end of the day, this wasn’t about not wanting Fast. This was about financial constraints and making room for highly touted prospects. It was more about tomorrow, then today. It was the right move.

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Rangers say goodbye to Jesper Fast

To be fair, Jesper Fast was immensely popular with the Rangers organization, players, and fans. Here’s some goodbyes for Jesper “Quickie” Fast.

DeAngelo, Strome, Lemieux, and Georgiev all file for salary arbitration

The deadline to file for player elected salary arbitration was 5PM EST yesterday. All four of the big RFAs the Rangers have filed and can now schedule a hearing between October 20th and November 8th.

This does not mean they are going to be traded. What it does mean is each player does not want to lose their advantage of pleading their case before an arbitrator. Should one be traded before scheduled hearing, then acquiring team must honor that date if they can’t work out a new deal.

My prediction is that Lemieux and Georgiev will sign soon. DeAngelo’s deal will be difficult but I believe he ends up signings. Strome is the one I can’t fully figure out, so let’s put him at 50/50 today.

New Podcast!

Another new episode of the Forever Blueshirts podcast is out talking about the NYR and NHL Free Agency. Listen on iTunes or here.

New York Rangers Prospects in action overseas

Check out the latest NHL News at The Daily Goal Horn

Your new home for hockey collects all the big noteworthy stories to get you up to speed on the day ahead in the NHL. Check it out today.

Then COVID hit and the world went upside down. Now Fast is in Carolina.

“The window has passed”

In early September I spoke with a source about Jesper Fast’s situation. In our phone conversation when I asked if there were talks going on about a new deal the response was, “the window has passed.”

While that “window” was left ajar, the source noted that it would take a lot of work for there to be a deal and therefore not likely. That is why I exclusively reported Jesper Fast was going to free agency. And although Jeff Gorton implied there was a possibility after the draft, there were no discussions between the two sides this offseason as was reported by Larry Brooks.

This was not about money, but opportunity for younger Rangers players

Fast’s new three year Canes deal is just $150,000 more than his last deal with the Blueshirts. In truth, this was not so much about money but opportunity. Simply put, the Rangers weren’t interested in a multi-year deal and wanted to give Kaapo Kakko a spot in the top six next season. Also, they needed to open up minutes for Vitali Kravtsov and Julien Gauthier on the right side.

The Rangers are on the up swing and need to make that next step into a contender. By the time, Kakko, Fox, Miller, and Lafreniere are ready to dominate, Fast will be gone. Plus he would be blocking Kravtsov and Gauthier. It was time to move on and Fast will do well in a bottom six role in Carolina.

Alexandar Georgiev and Brendan Lemieux file for salary arbitration

Earlier I noted that today was the deadline to file for salary arbitration. Both DeAngelo and Strome announced they filed around 3PM today. Now the 5PM deadline has hit and as expected, Georgiev and Lemieux have as well.

For more on the situation read here.