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With the #139 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Islanders selected Swedish defenseman Sebastian Aho. Aho is an overager who was eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft, but he went undrafted due to concerns about his size. Now 21, Aho is 5’10” and weighs in at 165 pounds. However, his play has continued to stand out for Skellefteå AIK in the SHL, as he put up 10 goals and 20 assists in 50 games with the Swedish club.
Sebastian Aho stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 2009-2010 | IF Björklöven U16 | U16 SM | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2010-2011 | Västerbotten | TV-Pucken | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| IF Björklöven U16 | U16 SM | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| IF Björklöven J18 | J18 Elit | 20 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | |
| IF Björklöven J18 | J18 Allsvenskan | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2011-2012 | Västerbotten | TV-Pucken | 8 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4 |
| Skellefteå AIK J18 | J18 Elit | 16 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 | |
| Skellefteå AIK J18 | J18 Allsvenskan | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | |
| Sweden U16 (all) | International-Jr | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2012-2013 | Skellefteå AIK J18 | J18 Allsvenskan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Skellefteå AIK J20 | SuperElit | 38 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 14 | |
| Skellefteå AIK | SHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sweden U17 | WHC-17 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 14 | |
| Sweden U17 (all) | International-Jr | 8 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | |
| Sweden U18 | WJC-18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Sweden U18 (all) | International-Jr | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2013-2014 | Skellefteå AIK J20 | SuperElit | 27 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 18 |
| Skellefteå AIK | SHL | 21 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| Sweden U18 | Hlinka Memorial | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sweden U18 | WJC-18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| Sweden U18 (all) | International-Jr | 15 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 16 | |
| 2014-2015 | Skellefteå AIK J20 | SuperElit | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Skellefteå AIK | Champions HL | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |
| Skellefteå AIK | SHL | 41 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 14 | |
| Sweden U20 | WJC-20 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| Sweden U20 (all) | International-Jr | 17 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | |
| 2015-2016 | Skellefteå AIK | SHL | 39 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 12 |
| Skellefteå AIK | Champions HL | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Sweden U20 (all) | International-Jr | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2016-2017 | Skellefteå AIK | SHL | 50 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 10 |
| Skellefteå AIK | Champions HL | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| Sweden | EHT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Sweden (all) | International | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 2017-2018 | Skellefteå AIK | SHL | - | - | - | - | - |
Fellow SB Nation site Eyes on the Prize has a write-up on why the Habs should select Aho to strengthen their defensive prospect pool, and it looks like the Isles will instead be the beneficiaries. While Aho’s major knock is obviously his size, he was 2nd in the SHL in goals for defensemen with 10, and has proven to be strong at driving play and moving the puck, something necessary in today’s NHL. At only 5’10”, he may struggle in the NHL, but there’s a high reward should Aho succeed.
At 21, he’s also further along in his development, and may be able to make an impact sooner rather than later with the Islanders.
This story is developing.