Fast underwent surgery to repair his injured neck Aug. 6 and will miss the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign.
Fast has been out of the lineup since the regular-season finale against Columbus on April 16, missing the Hurricanes' entire postseason run. Now, it seems the 32-year-old winger will not be an option this year as well after needing to go under the knife. The Swede missed the 20-point threshold last year by just one point and likely would have been in contention to get back to challenging for 30 this year. Without Fast in the lineup, expect him to be placed on long-term injured reserve. His absence should make a roster spot available for Bradly Nadeau, Jackson Blake or Tyson Jost to begin 2024-25.