New York Islanders sign Dennis Cholowski, Hudson Fasching, Paul LaDue, and Arnaud Durandeau

After more than a month of inactivity in unrestricted free agency, the New York Islanders finally announced a quartet of moves on Tuesday morning.

The Islanders have signed forwards Hudson Fasching and Arnaud Durandeau, as well as defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Paul LaDue, to new two-way contracts. Fasching’s deal is for one year, while the other three each signed for two years.

Fasching, 27, is a 6’3″, 204-pound right wing who spent the previous four seasons in the Arizona Coyotes organization, scoring 14 goals and 37 points in 51 AHL games with the Tucson Roadrunners in 2021–22. In 38 career NHL games with the Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres, Fasching has scored one goal and three points.

Durandeau, 23, has yet to make his NHL debut after his first three professional seasons as an Islanders prospect. Selected by the team in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Durandeau — a 6′, 181-pound left wing — has scored 24 goals and 53 points in 99 AHL games since 2019.

Cholowski is probably the highest-profile player the Islanders have added on the open market thus far. The 24-year-old left-handed defender has scored 30 points in 115 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, Seattle Kraken, and Washington Capitals after being selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

LaDue, 29, is a journeyman right-handed defenseman who spent the 2021–22 season in the Islanders organization, scoring four goals and 12 points in 60 AHL games with Bridgeport. The 6’3″, 200-pound rearguard has appeared in 70 NHL games with the Islanders and Los Angeles Kings, scoring five goals and 18 points.

The Islanders announced these four signings one day after officially coming to terms on new deals with restricted free agents Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, and Kieffer Bellows.