Jesper Fast will be returning to Raleigh as it was announced he signed a two-year, $4.8 million contract, worth $2.4 million per season with the Carolina Hurricanes. This is an excellent signing for both the team and the player as he was a crucial part of the Hurricanes’ great depth up front. Fast has been a member of the Hurricanes for three seasons after signing a three-year, $6 million deal in Oct. 2020.
Fast was part of a dominant third line with the Hurricanes that was the best line on the team during parts of the season. He has proven himself to be a consistent 30-point player who is very reliable defensively. Fast will likely remain in his position on that third line as it seems the Hurricanes are looking to keep the group together after inking Jordan Staal to a new deal. Fast is versatile by every definition of the word. He was able to line up against the opponent’s top players and play the shutdown role while also being able to generate offense with his line when the team needed a spark. Fast is one of those players who you do not notice too much on the ice as he does everything right.
This deal comes in at a lower dollar value and less term than was expected, so this is great value for the Hurricanes. At 31 years old, Fast still has a lot left in the tank. He has great on-ice advanced stats for those who like those metrics (Corsi at 57 percent and Fenwick at 56 percent, per MoneyPuck) and is always a positive on-ice impact.
Fast Fits the Hurricanes Mold
Nobody has ever questioned Fast’s work ethic. He gives it all on every shift, and while his point production has never been ground-breaking, consistency is key with a player in his role. He is the perfect third-line winger who every team needs. Rod Brind’Amour has a certain style of hockey that Fast fits very well in: play without any sense of quit in your game.
Related: THW’s Free Agency Tracker
At both even strength and on the penalty kill, Fast has been a go-to guy for Brind’Amour. Re-signing him gives the Hurricanes more confidence in their depth and more freedom in how the bottom-six will look come opening night. The Hurricanes have had one of the NHL’s best penalty kills during Fast’s tenure thus far, and he is a major factor in that. Losing a key role player is never easy to replace, and he wouldn’t have lasted long on the open market and likely would have gotten more money if he did decide to test free agency.
Fast had an excellent showing in the playoffs this year after a disappointing performance in the two years prior. With nine points in 15 games, he gave the Hurricanes even more urgency to get a deal done to bring him back. He will be just 33 at the end of this deal and still has a lot to play for, including his next deal. While he didn’t receive any votes for a major award this season, he was 17th in both Lady Byng and Selke Trophy votes last season, which was his second time earning Selke Trophy votes.
Backtracking to the Staal signing, this duo spent a ton of time together. Whether it be Staal or Jesperi Kotkaniemi centering him, Fast has a clear role on this team and will continue to be effective in all facets of his game.