While the New York Islanders may be weak when it comes to scoring, their defense group is very solid. Add to that right-shot defensemen Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde who will be pushing their way to a shot in the NHL fairly soon and the future on the back end looks great in New York. But there’s one other defenseman that could find himself up with the Islanders sooner than later as well: Sebastian Aho.
There’s not much more room for Aho to develop in Bridgeport but until a spot opens up, he’s likely back in the AHL. At least that’s a better option than keeping him in New York's press box I suppose and as of right now, Thomas Hickey is the spare anyways. If Nick Leddy is moved for help up front though, Aho is the likely replacement. His 22 games with the Islanders two seasons ago weren’t great– he had four points and was a minus-five with a 47.2 CF%. However once he ends up in the NHL permanently, he could have a big impact for years to come.
His point per 82 games average between his 21 and 22 year old AHL seasons projects him to be able to produce at high rates in the NHL. Below are a sample of defensemen born between 1990-1992 who spent time in the AHL in either their 21 year old season, 22 year old season or both (there are likely other players but these were the ones I caught). In the left column is their AHL point per 82 game average in their 21/22 year old seasons, followed by their birth year and their NHL career point per 82 average:
When it comes to ability to produce, Aho is with some great company. Between the five other players who averaged at least 55 points per 82 over their 21 and 22 year old AHL seasons, all have averaged at least 36 points per 82 NHL games. Torey Krug and Tyson Barrie both average over 50 points per 82 NHL games, while nobody with a lower AHL points per 82 average even comes close to those numbers. In fact, between the 14 other players listed who averaged below 55 points per 82 AHL games, only Ryan Ellis has averaged more than 36 career NHL points per 82 games.
Now obviously this doesn’t mean Aho is guaranteed to be this productive upon becoming an NHL regular. It also doesn’t show how he performs defensively, which is obviously equally as important as his offensive output. That being said, his comparables project that he could be a pretty excellent offensive defenseman. Whether he gets another look in the NHL this season is up in the air but still just 23 years old, he'll likely be a key piece to add to New York's young defense core in the near future.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»