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Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast has been dealing with a neck strain since the end of the regular season and it seems he might miss the postseason campaign.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour provided an injury update on Thursday on the forward, which does not brighten things at all. Fast aggravated his neck issue during their last game of the regular season.
While speaking to Ball Sport’s Tripp Tracy before Game 3, Brind’Amour broke the news regarding the 32-year-old’s injury. He said the player’s postseason campaign has come to an end and that he is not expected to return midway into the playoffs, irrespective of how deep they make it into the postseason.
“'Quickie' [Jesper Fast] I think [won’t be available] for the whole playoffs no matter how far we go. So that one's really tough. Tough for him, he's put in all that work,” Rod Brind’Amour said.
The Hurricanes have already played Game 3 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and lead the series 3-1 against the New York Islanders. They could finish off the first round sooner than expected, leaving little chance of having Jesper Fast return, at least in round 1.
Jesper Fast was cross-checked into the boards by Erik Gudbranson
In their last regular-season game, the Carolina Hurricanes faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Nationwide Arena. While a 6-3 loss is not the best of outcomes, Jesper Fast’s collision with Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson made things worse.
Fast was cross-checked by Gudbranson in the second period of the game and the forward hit the boards harder than expected. He left the ice immediately.
General Manager Don Waddell would then confirm that it was a neck injury that the player had suffered since hitting the boards in the Nationwide Arena. Coach Rod Brind’Amour had ruled out the player for Game 1, but Waddell seemed optimistic about Fast’s return to the rink.
“Just a matter of days at this point,” Don Waddell told the media.
However, things are no longer the same and the injury is more than just a ‘neck strain’ from the looks of the expected recovery period. While Jesper Fast has not been entirely ruled out for the season–at least not officially–the only way he can make a postseason appearance this year is if the Canes can go all the way to the last few rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
