Mercogliano Could Jesper Fast Return to the Rangers?

[siddious]

Quote

Here's something I learned while talking to a source recently: The Rangers and then-GM Jeff Gorton actually thought they had a two-year, $4 million deal in place with Fast back in 2020. But when the Carolina Hurricanes agreed to give him a third year at that same average annual value, he bolted before New York had a chance to match or counter.

 

Quote

Is a reunion possible three years later? It's not the craziest idea I've heard. The Rangers came away from this season's playoff disappointment feeling they need more selfless players like Fast, who plays with speed and does all the little things it takes to win. It's not lost on anyone that Artemi Panarin's best season came with Fast on his opposite wing.

 

Quote

He's part of a very interesting collection of bottom-six forwards who will be available when free agency opens July 1. We'll dive deeper into that group in the coming weeks, but price will be a key factor. If a $2 million AAV is enough to get it done this time, then it's within the realm of possibility. But if Fast is looking for a bump up, the Rangers will likely have to explore cheaper alternatives.

 

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/nhl/rangers/2023/06/06/rangers-mailbag-coaching-announcement-could-come-soon/70293450007/

 

--

did anyone know this? I didn’t 

[LindG1000]

I fucking thought they re-signed him when I saw the thread preview and literally did the Jim Carrey Liar Liar spit take.

 

@siddious why you playing thread necromancer here and scaring the shit out of me man?

[siddious]

Just now, LindG1000 said:

I fucking thought they re-signed him when I saw the thread preview and literally did the Jim Carrey Liar Liar spit take.

 

@siddious why you playing thread necromancer here and scaring the shit out of me man?

So you either thought:

 

A) he was still on the team 

 

or 

 

B) free agency had already started.

 

either way not a good look for you

[LindG1000]

3 minutes ago, siddious said:

So you either thought:

 

A) he was still on the team 

 

or 

 

B) free agency had already started.

 

either way not a good look for you

 

I thought the Canes re-signed him, dude. 

[siddious]

5 minutes ago, LindG1000 said:

 

I thought the Canes re-signed him, dude. 

Or C) I shouldn’t read while walking 

[Pete]

6 minutes ago, siddious said:

Or C) I shouldn’t read while walking 

Or chew gum. 

[siddious]

10 hours ago, Pete said:

Or chew gum. 

It’s amazing I can even breathe while I walk these days. 
 

Back to fast… no chance he comes that cheap

[Sharpshooter]

Could he? Sure. Will he? Probably not.

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, siddious said:

It’s amazing I can even breathe while I walk these days. 
 

Back to fast… no chance he comes that cheap

It would be wonderful to have him back, but I don’t see how that scenario would come to pass. 
 

Kinda seems odd to me though regarding his signing in Carolina. Same number in salary, but Rangers wouldn’t give him a 3rd season, nor would he give them an opportunity to match Carolina’s offer. 

Seems a bit strange.

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

It would be wonderful to have him back, but I don’t see how that scenario would come to pass. 
 

Kinda seems odd to me though regarding his signing in Carolina. Same number in salary, but Rangers wouldn’t give him a 3rd season, nor would he give them an opportunity to match Carolina’s offer. 

Seems a bit strange.

He probably felt disrespected. 

 

After everything he did for the team and was the players player like every year... He had to beg for a 3rd year after watching this team hand out the contracts it did to guys like Trouba, making almost double what he should. 

[BrooksBurner]

3 minutes ago, Pete said:

He probably felt disrespected. 

 

After everything he did for the team and was the players player like every year... He had to beg for a 3rd year after watching this team hand out the contracts it did to guys like Trouba, making almost double what he should. 

What they did to Fast was high and to the right on the Fuck Around and Find Out graph. There was no reason to hardball him so much. Even for a “rebuilding on the fly” team, it made zero sense to get rid of a heart and soul quality 3rd line veteran who plays the game the right way, and had shown he could be useful complementing Panarin and Strome back then. 

[Sharpshooter]

I had no problem with choosing to rebuild/retool that team. However getting rid of guys like Fast, and even McDonagh, were moves I did not like at all. Maybe they definitely couldn't keep McDonagh, I don't remember what the cap situation or whatever was like then. Still, I saw him as one guy you really shouldn't trade. On top of that, the return was a complete disaster. They basically got rid of he and Fast for nothing.

[Pete]

5 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

I had no problem with choosing to rebuild/retool that team. However getting rid of guys like Fast, and even McDonagh, were moves I did not like at all. Maybe they definitely couldn't keep McDonagh, I don't remember what the cap situation or whatever was like then. Still, I saw him as one guy you really shouldn't trade. On top of that, the return was a complete disaster. They basically got rid of he and Fast for nothing.

I know it's a really simplistic view of it, and maybe timelines don't work out, but trading McD and then giving Trouba that contract is just a massive failure. 

[BrooksBurner]

4 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

I had no problem with choosing to rebuild/retool that team. However getting rid of guys like Fast, and even McDonagh, were moves I did not like at all. Maybe they definitely couldn't keep McDonagh, I don't remember what the cap situation or whatever was like then. Still, I saw him as one guy you really shouldn't trade. On top of that, the return was a complete disaster. They basically got rid of he and Fast for nothing.

McDonagh was my favorite player on the team, but he was going on 29 with some injury question marks and about to cost 7m long term. It was sound logic to trade him, but Gorton badly messed up the return. They were errantly in love with Hajek.

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

My Fast jersey will regain some value if we do this 

[Long live the King]

Maybe he really liked it here.  Gorton refused to go 3 years.  Drury didn't. 

[RJWantsTheCup]

I would be surprised if Fast signs anywhere for 2M.  I would expect more likely somewhere around the 3M to 3.5M range.

[Valriera]

7 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

What they did to Fast was high and to the right on the Fuck Around and Find Out graph. There was no reason to hardball him so much. Even for a “rebuilding on the fly” team, it made zero sense to get rid of a heart and soul quality 3rd line veteran who plays the game the right way, and had shown he could be useful complementing Panarin and Strome back then. 

So true. The brendan smith thing too. These guys cost nothing to keep around and we gave them up only to struggle to fill the holes with worse, more expensive players. 

 

Hindsight is 20/20 though and it's important to remember, even though we'll never know how often it's true, that some of these players may not even reach the heights they are today with the chip on their shoulder from being let go. So there's an element of psychology too for a lot of these situations too, but in Fast's case specifically, he's been the same, highly effective player his whole time. Zero reason to mess around with him. Have to take care of the people who work hard for you. 

 

 

[The Dude]

Never got the hype about this guy. Never thought he played physical enough to warrant the grit tag. Plays small., gives lots of effort, doesn't produce points, isn't a shut down forward. 

 

I can take him or leave him. I'd rather he stayed instead of having to see Hunt get gifted a RW slot opposite Panarin. Yet, it's not like he was the missing piece. 

[BrooksBurner]

5 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Never got the hype about this guy. Never thought he played physical enough to warrant the grit tag. Plays small., gives lots of effort, doesn't produce points, isn't a shut down forward. 

 

I can take him or leave him. I'd rather he stayed instead of having to see Hunt get gifted a RW slot opposite Panarin. Yet, it's not like he was the missing piece. 

Never seen that description of Fast before

[RangersIn7]

On 6/7/2023 at 9:38 AM, Long live the King said:

Maybe he really liked it here.  Gorton refused to go 3 years.  Drury didn't. 

That’s true too.

 

Dont see how they can afford to bring him in though. He’s gonna get more than he’s making now

[siddious]

On 6/6/2023 at 8:30 PM, siddious said:

 

 

 

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/nhl/rangers/2023/06/06/rangers-mailbag-coaching-announcement-could-come-soon/70293450007/

 

--

did anyone know this? I didn’t 

@Phil ok my details were fuzzy but this is what I was referring to. 

[Phil]

27 minutes ago, siddious said:

@Phil ok my details were fuzzy but this is what I was referring to. 

 

Makes sense. Timeline-wise, though, I don't buy the "he bolted before they could counter" thing. They were negotiating for weeks/months prior. Fast was probably adamant about wanting security that they never offered until it was too late.

[Drew a Penalty]

9 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

Makes sense. Timeline-wise, though, I don't buy the "he bolted before they could counter" thing. They were negotiating for weeks/months prior. Fast was probably adamant about wanting security that they never offered until it was too late.

 

I don't feel like going down the rabbit hole, but I also remember it being reported that Fast hadn't heard from the Rangers during that final week before FA. Gorton was notorious for not returning to touch base with players. It could be that he thought they were in a good place because he never reached back out.