(Raleigh) Carolina Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast is expected to miss the entire season after undergoing neck surgery earlier in August.
The team announced the prediction on Thursday.
The 32-year-old was injured in the final game of the season in April and missed all of the Hurricanes’ playoff games, as they were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round.
Fast did not disclose the nature of his injury at the time of his season-ending review, indicating that he had been injured similarly before. At the time, Fast was wearing a neck brace and was still experiencing stiffness a month after the injury.
“It’s definitely one of the toughest times of my career,” Fast said of missing the playoffs.
Fast scored six goals and 19 points in 73 games last season with the Hurricanes.