New York Rangers' Jesper Fast is Versatile in his Role
Jesper Fast has been an essential component on the Rangers’ play in all zones, and has developed into a player who can succeed wherever he is placed.
While the 25-year-old Jesper Fast only has tailed three goals and 12 assists for 15 points on the season, his offensive prowess is not the reason he has made such an impact on the ice. Over the past four seasons, Fast has become one of the New York Rangers’ most reliable defensive forwards.
Flexibility
Now playing on the fourth line, Fast adds an extra layer of depth to the New York Rangers offense due to the way he plays.
More from Blue Line Station
Fast is a good skater and is skilled enough to move and fit on any line when necessary. In last year’s playoff run, there was a span of time that Fast played on a line with Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan.
Similarly, in the beginning of the 2016-17 season, the absence of both Pavel Buchnevich and Rick Nash left a hole in the roster. During this time, Fast bounced from around in the bottom six. Playing to the right of Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner, he was a great asset to one of the Rangers most dangerous lines this season.
Because of his ability to adapt, he has gained the trust of the coaching staff.
Style of Play
With Fast now holding a steady position on the fourth line, the staff has been able to see him settle. Fast is a great asset during both five-on-five and man down action.
In both scenarios, Fast plays with a similar style. He rides players hard in all zones and gives those centering his line an opportunity for fast breaks and odd man rushes. He is skilled enough to take pucks away (he has 23 takeaways on the season) and additionally consistently makes good choices with the puck coming out of transition.
However, perhaps most important to his defensive style is his physicality in the defensive end.
Forechecking
With the style of offense the New York Rangers are running this season, generating offense out of the defensive end is extremely important. Because of this, Fast is especially impactful due to his forecheck.
To have a player with this type of defensive mindset in the bottom six has been very beneficial for the Rangers. This is the type of play that you see from players like Rick Nash and Mika Zibanejad. These two are by no means “defensive-minded” but are similarly solid on the forecheck and have great defensive positioning.
Fast is a reliable resource for generating offensive opportunity coming out of the defensive end and is just another reason for the Rangers’ depth.
Fast’s hard work in all zones has allowed his team to take risks and play fast coming out of the defensive zone – even when the fourth line is out on the ice.
Final Thoughts
Jesper Fast is a great asset for the New York Rangers because of how he plays regardless of where he plays or who he plays with. When Fast is on the ice, he rarely goes unnoticed.
He will likely never be a top point scorer, but he serves exactly the role he should be serving. Throughout the Rangers ups and downs over the last four years, Fast has been and will continue to be reliable and versatile wherever he plays.
