Toggle sidebar

Better Ranger - Fast or Hagelin

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates

Better Ranger?

  • Total voters
    120
Fast is a good guy. I like him and want him to do well but all the never ending praise had a disconnect when it came to trade value and salary. I'm not bashing Fast by any means but if Fast is as good as some Rangers coaches imply wouldn't he be in much stronger demand by other teams GMs? There have been some strong value for defensive guys in NHL history. I think of Fast like I think of Jan Erixon. A guy that got huge praise from Rangers coaches every year but did not have strong demand from other GMs.
 
I'm going with Fast. He was somehow able to keep up with Panarin and not look out of place on that line which lit the lamp on a nightly basis. That, in addition to all of the defensive attributes he brought to the table made him a lot more versatile than Hagelin.

Hagelin, did, however, give the team a speed identity and was fantastic for getting to loose pucks. He was great, especially in the playoffs.

Let's face it, both players punched above their weight and contributed far beyond what was advertised with pure effort and determination. They're the types of players you need to build a contender.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Crease and Brooklyn Rangers Fan
This is a tough one. Hags will probably win because he was the more popular/exciting player and had excellent wheels. But Fast, IMO, was the more important player in terms of their overall on-ice performance. He never made a mistake, played great defense, and never took a shift off. He got flack last year for being put in a position that was probably above his pay grade...but it also didn’t stop Artemi from having an MVP-type season. So...did he really do a bad job?

It’s close, but I’m voting Fast.
 
I’d say Hagelin yet Fast, ironically was slower. You need these type role players to win imo.
 
Hagelin but they weren't similar players.

Hagelin was one of the most unique players in hockey at the time and was basically the marquee support player. Fast is much better defensively and had much better stick play (Hagelin was pretty overrated defensively at ES) but Hagelin had a massive edge on offense, PK, and of course speed and tempo.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CasusBelli, Crease and OverTheCap
MyLoveIsBlue said:
If only Hags had better hands he would be an elite player.
Click to expand...

Not really. He didn't have great vision or offensive IQ, couldn't really slow the game down. He was all speed, his hands were average but nothing that held him back from being anything more than what he was. a really good role player
 
  • Like
Reactions: MyLoveIsBlue
I certainly agree with your points. But, maybe if he didn't have hands like feet the game would slow down for him, and improve his offensive IQ and vision. Seemed he always struggled with the puck.
 
Hagelin's speed and PK abilities were really special. While Fast killed a lot of penalties, he was actually rather below average in PKGA/60
 
Just seeing this thread now. Both were among the most underrated players in the league, underappreciated by fans when they were here, and criminally discarded.
 
Hagelin put up 130 points in 266 games as a NYR. Just under .50 points per game.

Fast put up 147 in 422 games.

Offensively its not close. As both were primarily 3rd/4th line tweeners.

Defensively I give the nod to Fast, but its not some cavernous gap. Hags was very good defensively in his own right
 
  • Like
Reactions: SnowblindNYR
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom