3 moves GM Lou Lamoriello made that saved the NY Islanders season

Signing Hudson Fasching

Where would the Islanders be without Hudson Fasching? That's a serious question and one we never imagined asking at the start of the season.

The Fasching signing was unceremoniously announced on Aug. 23 as organizational depth as Lamoriello signed the power forward along with Dennis Cholowski, Arnaud Durandeau, and Paul LaDue. The former Minnesota Gopher was coming off a career year with the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL last season, scoring 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 51 games, but no one could've expected what was to come.

The 2013 Los Angeles Kings 4th round pick had seven goals in 18 games at AHL Bridgeport and earned a call-up, along with Cole Bardreau, when the team lost Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri to injury. Fasching was the one to stick, and not just for the short term. As the Islanders' injuries continued to mount during the winter, Fasching, on a nightly basis, was doing things coaches, teammates, and fans appreciated.

“Honestly, when I got called up, I told myself, ‘Screw it, we’re just going to pretend I’m confident right from the  get-go,' ’'  said Fasching in early March. “That was the game plan, and we’re just going to run with it, see how it goes. So far so good."

Throughout the year, when the team's effort level came into question, there was Fasching, always going full throttle, recognizing the opportunity in front of him. During the playoff push, he did more than that, scoring big and timely goals, including the game-winner against the Buffalo Sabres and the go-ahead goal versus the Montreal Canadiens in the regular season finale.

“He works extremely hard. And he’s worked really hard to be here and stay in the lineup and compete every night and make a difference every night, and there’s a reason why he’s playing such great hockey and made a stamp on our team this season,” Anders Lee said back in March.