Fansided

NY Islander's Plus/Minus for 2023-24: Hudson Fasching Hopes to Become the Offensive Hero the Islanders Need

By Zoe Jurmann |
Montreal Canadiens v New York Islanders
Montreal Canadiens v New York Islanders / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
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Due to an unexpected breakout season, forward Hudson Fasching has set high expectations for this upcoming season. Before signing a one-year two-way contract with the NY Islanders in August, Fasching played for the Arizona Coyotes from 2020-2022 and the Buffalo Sabres from 2015-2018.

The 28-year-old has a less-than-stellar career before coming to the Island, having spent most of his career in the AHL. He played only 38 NHL games, garnering only one goal and two assists throughout his five-year career.

Fasching was brought to the Islanders as a veteran presence for the team's AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. However, after an injury to Cal Clutterbuck, Fasching was recalled on December 1st and remained on the NHL roster after impressing the coaching staff.

Fasching quickly turned things around after joining the NHL roster. Jumping onto an iconic fourth line alongside Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas couldn't have been easy, but Fasching took the opportunity and ran with it. He scored two goals and an assist in his first five games with the Islanders, as well as going +2 - the best stats of his career.

Finishing the season with 10 goals and 9 assists while going +10 in 49 games, Islanders fans and coaching staff were quite impressed by Fasching's breakout season - So much so that he inked an incredibly team-friendly two-year deal worth $1.5 million on May 1st, 2023.

With much to prove to himself, the fans, and his teammates, Fasching looks to continue his success in the 2023-24 season. Fasching has excellent skills that he must continue to develop to have continued success, but there are a few tweaks he could make to improve his game further.

PLUS: Simple is Best

Fasching's success in the NHL can be attributed to him learning his game. He was able to find his footing on the Islanders with his simple, straightforward style. Fasching has an incredible hockey IQ and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Despite starting his season as a filler for Clutterbuck, Fasching grew into his own offensive prowess and seemingly unlocked his best self. Fasching was rewarded for his success and frequently moved up to the third line, and even the second line, playing with JG Pageau and Zach Parise where he had continued success.

With the team struggling to score goals, Fasching's scoring abilities rely on skating and puck handling rather than a wrist shot, bringing a breath of fresh air to the lineup. Fans got excited to watch him play as his speed and simplicity wowed the crowd. Fasching understands how to play every aspect of the game and does so without taking risks and playing things safely.

With a breakout season like his, head coach Lane Lambert can only hope that Fasching continues to improve offensively and has continued success during the 2023-24 season.

MINUS: Consistency Issues

With expectations for the upcoming season high for the forward, Fasching still needs to work on his game, namely, consistency issues. Fasching has had point streaks and point droughts, but the droughts tend to be longer than his point streaks.

Despite having an incredible first few games in the points category, Fasching proceeded to have a 12-game goalless streak and only had two assists during the stint. Lambert moved Fasching around the lineup, trying to spark something for him, but not much seemed to work. The goalless streak wasn't for a lack of trying. During that 12-game drought, Fasching had at least a shot on goal in all but five games.

Fasching's longest goal-drought last season lasted from January 18th until March 7th, leaving him goalless during February. With his struggles to score during the most crucial time of the season, especially in the Metro division, Fasching needs to work to find his spark early on in the season, making the monkey stays off his back. No one said scoring a goal in the NHL is easy, but we all know that Fasching can and will score - he just has to find his groove and maintain his focus and confidence.

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