The likelihood is Jesper Fast, who played through a shoulder issue for nearly three months before missing Tuesday’s match against the Red Wings, has played his last game of the season.
“We’re leaning in that direction,” coach David Quinn said after the winger who is renowned for his toughness and work ethic was not on the ice for Thursday’s practice following Wednesday’s off day. “We don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way.”
Fast, who has won the past three Players’ Player awards as voted by his teammates, sustained a shoulder injury Dec. 14 that sidelined him for only five games when the original timeline had been two to four weeks. Fast has rarely practiced since but until Tuesday played in all but one game following his Dec. 29 return.
The 28-year-old Swede suffered a shoulder separation during the 2016-17 campaign. After that season he underwent surgery on his left hip that delayed the start of his 2017-18 by five games. Fast, the fourth senior Ranger behind Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal and Chris Kreider, has posted 20 points (8-12) in 66 games this season.
It’s Fil in the Middle starring not Bryan Cranston, but Filip Chytil, who broke good in his return to center against Detroit after playing 28 straight on the wing since Jan. 8.
“I like Fil in the middle, he had a lot of jump,” Quinn said. “I don’t know whether that was because of the position switch or it was just a good night, but we want him at center going forward. With his skating ability, I think that frees him up a little more.”
Chytil had four shots on seven attempts in 13:14 of time, primarily between Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Strome. The 19-year-old, who has not scored in his past 17 games and in fact has eight of his 10 goals over two distinct five-game stretches, has 21 points (10-11) in 69 matches.
Quinn, who had breakfast with Kevin Shattenkirk the morning of the Detroit game, said he believes the defenseman has improved.
“He wants to minimize his mistakes, but his ‘good’ has been better,” the coach said. “For sure there’s another level to get to, but he’s made progress. He’s gotten better.”
Shattenkirk, who posted an assist on Strome’s third-period, power-play goal against the Red Wings, has 12 points (all assists) over his past 17 contests.
When asked about Brendan Smith’s work up front on the fourth line, Quinn said No. 42 had the second-most “Grade-A” scoring chances on the team over the past 10-game segment.
“Which means we’ve got work to do,” the coach said a few moments later in an answer to a leading follow-up question.
This was reminiscent of the time Devils coach Jacques Lemaire proclaimed after a game in either 1995-96 or 1996-97 that Bobby Holik had been the team’s best forward, “Which might be good for Bobby but not for our team.” Suffice to say that No. 16 did not exactly appreciate the analysis.
Staal and Kreider both missed practice with lower-body issues (not a recurrence of Kreider’s hamstring issue). Quinn said he would have a better idea Friday of their status for Saturday’s match in Toronto.
Assistant general manager Chris Drury has been named general manager of the 2019 US men’s national team that will compete in the World Championship Tournament being held in Slovakia from May 10-26.