The Rangers took care of one piece of their remaining summer contract business on Wednesday, signing restricted free agent Jesper Fast to a three-year deal worth $1.85 million per after the winger had filed for salary arbitration.
Mika Zibanejad, who has until 5 p.m. to file for salary arbitration, is the lone player off last season’s roster to remain without a 2017-18 contract.
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Fast, who received the Players’ Player Award as voted by teammates each of the last two seasons, has been one of coach Alain Vigneault’s primary go-to guys for checking and defensive assignments.
The 25-year-old Swede, who has moved up and down the lineup, is expected to miss the first few weeks of the upcoming season after undergoing hip surgery soon after the Blueshirts’ second-round playoff elimination by the Senators.
Fast, a penalty-killing staple, recorded 21 points (6-15) in 68 games while getting an average ice time of 13:47. He posted 30 points (10-20) in 79 games (14:56) the previous season.
The arbitration filing means the Rangers will have a second buyout window of 48 hours available to them at a to-be-determined time this summer.
The Blueshirts currently have approximately $8.4 million in available cap space. That total would diminish by $2.9 million to $5.5 million if Kevin Klein opts against retirement.
Zibanejad is likely to come in between $4.5 million and $5.5 million depending upon the length of the 24-year-old center’s contract.