Hurricanes' Jesper Fast Undergoes Neck Surgery, Expected to Miss 2024-25 NHL Season
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast is not expected to play this upcoming season after suffering a neck injury in the team's regular-season finale last year.
The Carolina Hurricanes are not expected to have Jesper Fast play for them this season.
The 32-year-old Fast underwent successful neck surgery on Aug. 6, the team announced Thursday. The Hurricanes said the forward is expected to miss the 2024-25 NHL season as a result.
Fast recorded six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 73 games last season, playing mainly on a line with Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal. He suffered a neck injury in the regular-season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets and missed the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 6-foot-1, 191-pound player from Nassjo, Sweden, is in the final year of a two-year contract worth $2.4 million per year. He'll be a UFA upon expiry.
Fast has played 11 seasons in the NHL since being drafted in the sixth round by the New York Rangers in 2010. He's played 703 career regular-season games between the Rangers and Hurricanes, recording 91 goals and 157 assists for 248 points.
He also has 80 games of playoff experience, including the Rangers' 2014-15 run to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Los Angeles Kings. He had six points that year, but his career-best post-season came in 2022-23 in Carolina's run to the Eastern Conference final, amassing six goals and nine points in 15 games.
The Hurricanes have a projected $6.44 million at the moment, but they could add Fast to long-term injured reserve. That could allow the team to exceed the salary cap by up to Fast's cap hit, which would be a total of $8.84 million.
Carolina still has to re-sign 22-year-old center Seth Jarvis, who remains an RFA. Recent speculation has a long-term deal for Jarvis at around $7 million to $8 million annually, which would work if Fast is on LTIR.
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