The Carolina Hurricanes have been the buzz of the NHL for the past week due to making a blockbuster, three-way trade with the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks. Unless you have been staying away from hockey, you should be familiar with the Canes acquiring Taylor Hall from Chicago and Mikko Rantanen from Colorado. Both players have expiring contracts and debuted on Saturday in the 3-2 defeat to the New York Islanders.
Naturally, this has put Carolina back on the map for winning the Metro Division and taking a run at the Stanley Cup. Like Jake Guentzal last season, this could be the first and last season in Raleigh for both Rantanen and Hall. On Long Island,, Rantanen donned his typical 96 jersey number, and Hall wore his familiar number 71, which he wore in Chicago.
The jersey number 71 looked so familiar because it is worn by a long-time Carolina player who is still technically on the current roster. Remember Jesper Fast? It appears that the Canes management does not, as they gave the injured player's number to Hall. The 33-year-old Swede is currently on the long-term injured reserve and is expected to miss the season. Additionally, his contract, like Hall's, expires this summer.
Fast has played 4 years in Raleigh, this year being his fifth. The former New York Rangers draft choice has played in over 700 NHL games and 281 of them were in the red and black. Tallying 101 points, Fast has been a dependable depth forward for Rod Brind'Amour. In the modern NHL, injured players have been used as assets come playoff time. The salary cap disappears for the playoffs and the injured players can return with no penalty to the overall salary of the roster. Some wondered if this was the path for Fast this season.
The move to let Hall wear 71 may seem small, but it may be a subtle way of revealing the end of Fast's tenure in Carolina. It is slightly distasteful by the organization but they are rightfully focused on winning right now. Do you feel betrayed for Fast or no big deal?