In the newest attempt to try to fill the void left by Chris Kreider’s injury, the Rangers recalled speedy Swedish winger Jesper Fast from AHL Hartford on Monday morning and immediately placed him in a top-six role in practice.
Although coach Alain Vigneault was not definitive about Fast playing in the team’s Garden match against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, he practiced on a line with Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin, and hoped to make the most of his second opportunity with the club this season.
“Of course I was very happy,” Fast said about being recalled, having made the team out of training camp, playing eight games while being in and out of the lineup in October, and then when he was sent down on Oct. 29, played two games for Hartford before suffering a high-ankle sprain that derailed his season.
“I’ve been waiting for it for a while,” said Fast, who returned to action in late December and had compiled 17 goals and 17 assists, along with a plus-14 rating, in 48 games with Hartford. “I really wanted to come back here to show what I can [do].”
Assistant general managers Jeff Gorton and Jim Schoenfeld were both in Hartford Sunday night to watch the Wolf Pack beat Norfolk, 3-2, and watch Fast impress by scoring two goals and adding an assist.
“Both said he was the best player on the ice,” Vigneault said. “The past month I’ve been told on a regular basis that he’s been playing really well.”
Vigneault has been placed in a tough spot since Kreider underwent surgery on March 28 for an undisclosed injury to his left hand.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” Vigneault said about replacing Kreider. “What I liked about Kreids was not just the speed factor, but he wore down some of the other team’s defensemen with the speed and the physicality that he brings. Those are tough minutes to replace.”
Vigneault said he saw defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the building on Monday, as the team took their year-end picture. McDonagh is still suffering from his left-shoulder injury, which happened when he was planted into the back boards by Alexandre Burrows in Vancouver last Tuesday.
“I asked him how he was doing, and he said he was coming along,” Vigneault said with a smile. “So, day-to-day.”
In an attempt to find some consistency among his forwards, Vigneault moved Rick Nash to the left wing on a line centered by Derek Stepan and flanked on the right by Martin St. Louis. It was also an attempt to create some chemistry between those three on the power play, which is mired in a 5-for-52 slump.