Can Hudson Fasching find himself back on the plus side of the NY Islanders' lineup?

Making an NHL roster is no easy task, but keeping your spot in the lineup is even more difficult. There are only so many jobs as an NHLer, and Hudson Fasching found that out the hard way last season.

After breaking into the lineup during the 2022-23 season and signing a two-year deal worth $775k annually, Fasching found it difficult to crack the NY Islanders lineup in 2023-24.

Finishing with 19 points (10 G, 9 A) in 45 games in 2022-23, Fasching finished slightly below those numbers in his second season on Long Island, scoring four times and adding 10 assists in 45 games. However, his plus/minus finished 17 points lower, going from a +10 to a -7.

Now, with Kyle MacLean asserting himself in the Islanders lineup, Fasching will need to battle for his position with this team. And with the Islanders over the salary cap, as things stand, he could be a candidate to be waived to become cap-compliant. If Lou Lamoriello does elect to waive Fasching, another player will need to go as well as his $775k still leaves them $175k over the cap ceiling.