While the absences to the likes of alternate captain Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh played a role in the addition on Fast's sweater, it goes far beyond that. Watch any of Fast's 1,075 shifts this season and you'll see a common thread: effort.
"Everything I do I try and lead by example, on the ice and off the ice," Fast told NYRangers.com on Friday. "Just try and be the best player and best team player I can be."
"I take pride in the hard work and I try and give every night."
Since he arrived in New York, Vigneault has stressed the luxury of having players in the lineup who can plug in different roles, and arguably no one has done that more during Vigneault's tenure on Broadway. The winger has been used as a top-six forward as well as in checking role, and has been one the team's best penalty killers since he became a regular with the Rangers during the 2014-15 campaign when he appeared in 58 games.
Fast's work ethic, according to Vigneault, has a strong impact on his teammates during and between games.
"I think he's got everybody's attention in our room, just by the way he plays with and without the puck," Vigneault said. "You hear guys on the bench constantly mentioning what a good play he just did, what a smart play he just did. He's just a real strong example and really respected by our group and he's just playing. That's what we need from our team right now."
Defenseman Brady Skjei said while Fast may not be a rah-rah type of teammate, he does his talking on the rink, and that it's hard for those away from the team to truly understand how big of a role Fast has been for the Rangers' success over the last several seasons.
"He's definitely a guy that leads by example. He's not the loudest guy in the world, but all the guys in this locker room respect him so much," Skjei said. "He's out there blocking shots, he's one of the harder guys to play against. I think he's one of the most underrated guys in the NHL for sure. He's a key part of our team. He's definitely deserving of that A for sure."
Fast, who has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 50 games this season, isn't a flashy player, and is more of a meat and potatoes type of grinder whose biggest contribution's to a team's success often down find their way into the box score.
"In Quickie's case," Vigneault said, "everybody's got their own skill set; he manages a way to get the most out of his skill set by the hard work and the compete that he has."
Fast didn't need the 'A' to confirm his role amongst the leaders on the team. He was already doing that just fine, but the recognition certainly didn't go unappreciated.
"It was a big honor. I was pretty surprised the first time," Fast said. "I'm just trying to be the same guy I've always been and the same player. Nothing changes."
No one would expect it to, and that's what makes him so easy to deal with.
