The Blue Jackets made a late summer addition to their organizational depth, bringing in veteran winger Hudson Fashing on a one year, two-way contract. He will serve as an experienced veteran voice in Cleveland, while bringing some solid defense up front.
In hindsight, we should not have been surprised by this signing one bit. This is exactly the kind of player that Don Waddell has targeted, and he will be appreciated by CBJ bench boss Dean Evason when called upon.
At 6'3" and 205 pounds, Hudson fits the physical mold that the current GM and head coach of the Blue Jackets both want within their bottom six up front. He's big, but he's also experienced, with 175 NHL games under his belt - and 308 more in the AHL. And, by all accounts, he's a good dude to have around:
"His high character, experience and versatility strengthens our organizational depth up front and we’re happy to welcome him to the Blue Jackets."Don Waddell on Hudson Fasching
Most likely, Hudson will be the #14/15 forward within the organization this year. That means he will be leaned upon as a leader with the Cleveland Monsters, who used their last available veteran contract when he was added to the mix. He's not a guy who traditionally puts up big numbers, but that's fine. The Monsters have a lot of skill, but what they needed this year was better depth and support. He'll bring those traits.
Most of his NHL time has come over the last three seasons, all spent with the New York Islanders. He's played 49, 45, and 43 games over that span, tallying 16 goals and 37 points along the way. This includes his most productive NHL season, where he scored 10 goals and 19 points in 2022-23. One could look at this trend and call him a late bloomer, which isn't entirely wrong.
But, it's worth pointing out that Hudson is 30 years old; and has never been a big points producer at any level. In fact, his best AHL season saw him score 14 goals and 37 points in 51 games with Tuscon (2021-22). Instead, he's built a solid pro career for himself by being an extremely reliable, low-event player.
On the defensive side of the puck, he makes a pretty big impact. He's smart in his own end, where he uses his size and reach to take away time and space. He blocks shots and gets the puck to the other end of the ice. Outside of those things, don't expect too much here. He isn't overly physical, especially not considering his size. And, he will almost always take the "safe" play, rather than trying to create anything with the puck on his stick.
One bold prediction: Hudson Fasching will help lead the Cleveland Monsters into a deep playoff run.
It's hard to make an NHL prediction here because I have a hard time seeing him playing too many minutes in Columbus this year. He's going to be one of the first recall options when injuries occur up front, but we can't expect anything more than depth minutes if he does get into the lineup.
More likely, I think he becomes a crucial penalty killing forward for the Monsters, as well as a calming presence in the room. For some of the younger players in the organization, he will be a very important addition that will help them better understand how to play two-way hockey. I really like this signing by the Blue Jackets, even though it flew well under the radar. This will help the entire organization improve for the long-term.