4. Sebastian Aho, D (5-139, 2017)
Stats (Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL): 40 gp, 9 g, 20 a, 29 p, 4 PPG (12 A), 4 GWG, 94 SOG, .73 pts/g; 22 gp, 1 g, 3 a, 4 p. New York Islanders, NHL
Sebastian Aho (not to be confused with the Carolina Hurricanes forward) is another defensive prospect who should make an impact with the New York Islanders in the future. While that future could be further off, in the time that Aho has gotten in the NHL, he’s been decent. He’s not as good offensively as the Islanders should like, at least not at the top level, but he did excellently in the AHL. Aho will need to continue to grow his game if he’s going to play with the Islanders consistently, especially producing just four points in 22 games.
Aho didn’t get as much power play time as he may like, however, and he has proven to be excellent there. He scored 16 points on the man advantage in the AHL and came up with four game-winners. He was also excellent in terms of shot output, averaging more than two shots per game. He’s risen further than most in his draft position and looks like an eventual NHL player.
Aho actually had a more defensive share of the workload than most. With a 56 percent defensive zone start rate, Aho was not played to his strengths with the Islanders this past season. Perhaps with a more even workload, Aho can get to the point that he steals a consistent job this season.