Fasching Finds NHL Home After Signing Extension with Isles

Hudson Fasching considered the 2022-23 season as success on a personal level, as he was finally able to spend a "prolonged" period of time at the NHL.

That time got prolonged at least another two years, as Fasching inked a two-year contract extension with New York Islanderson Monday afternoon.

"That's what everybody in the minors is working towards, and it's something I've worked hard for," Fasching said of a one-way deal, just hours before it was announced by the team.

Fasching recorded 19 points (10G, 9A) in 49 games with the Islanders this season, setting career-highs in every category. Fasching's 49 games this season more than doubled all of his previous NHL experience combined, 38 games across five seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes. Fasching played 280 American Hockey League games over that same span before inking a one-year, two-way deal with the Islanders last summer.

"He showed he deserved his place in the NHL," Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "He was very smart player that works extremely hard and I thought his detail to the game was outstanding. I enjoyed the playing with him."

Fasching's career certainly took the scenic route to a full-time NHL role, but the 27-year-old felt his game fit in with the Islanders style of play.

"It kind of just fits my style of game," Fasching said. "I don't think I take a lot of risks with my game. I try to minimize that as best I can. That's kind of how this team functions, they try to minimize risk and still try to produce points and produce goals at the same time."

Earning a contract was just step one for Fasching, who said building off his breakout season was the next step. He said it was still sinking in that his season started in Bridgeport and ended playing a regular shift in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was all the motivation he needed heading into the offseason.

"You set the bar for yourself and you have to keep raising the bar," Fasching said. "It's putting in summer of training and trying to find ways to make my game better and find a way to contribute more next year."

Fasching will head back to Minnesota for the offseason, as he trains at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. He'll have some familiar faces there, as he crosses paths with fellow Minnesotans Brock Nelson and Anders Lee. He plans to play in Da Beauty League again as well. While Nelson and Lee may have known a little bit about him prior, Fasching turned a lot of heads in the organization this season.

"All the credit to him for coming in and making a big impact when we had injuries and obviously sticking around for the whole year," Matt Martin said. "It's one thing to get here it's another thing to stay and it was pretty impressive for him and was obviously a big part of us going into the playoffs."

Fasching didn't waste any time signing an extension with the team after the season, forgoing an opportunity to test the open market. After years of trying to find an NHL home, it was an easy decision.

"I've really enjoyed being here and this organization just feels like a really good fit for me," Fasching said. "It's a very family-oriented organization. They're very big on that here and that's very big for me as well. And obviously on-ice it seems to have mesh well. So yeah, I'm very happy here."