It was announced Monday afternoon that New York Rangers Jesper Fast will face a long road to recovery this offseason after successful surgery.
Rangers winger Jesper Fast could miss five months after labral repair surgery on his left hip Monday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
The successful surgery was reported by the team’s official Twitter account Monday afternoon.
OFFICIAL: #NYR Jesper Fast underwent a successful labral repair of his left hip. The expected recovery time is five months.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 5, 2017
The development could complicate the team’s expansion draft situation. The 25-year-old Fast, the do-everything forward who had six goals, 15 assists and a plus-6 rating last season, was a potential target for selection by the Vegas Golden Knights on June 20.
The health issue, though, seemingly makes it unlikely that Vegas would select him, increasing the likelihood that other valuable forwards such as Oscar Lindberg and Michael Grabner – both of whom probably won’t be protected – will be taken by the expansion club.
Fast, selected as the recipient of the Players’ Player Award for the second consecutive season for the Rangers, has 22 goals and 43 assists in his three-plus seasons in New York. He’s posted a plus-15 rating over the past two and is set to become a restricted free agent.
