Islanders Select Cole Eiserman

Pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Sebastian Aho has been a member of the New York Islanders organization since 2017.

The player’s camp is hopeful that his stay on Long Island continues.

The 28-year-old Swedish blue-liner has served primarily as a seventh defenseman for New York, playing 58 games in 2023-24, mostly on the bottom-pairing, scoring two goals with seven assists.

His expiring deal carried a cap hit of $825,000, and with Mike Reilly's camp working on an extension, the Islanders don't have to bring Aho back, as both play a similar game.

That being said if the organization decides to move on from 23-year-old Samuel Bolduc, Aho's return on a league-minimum deal to serve as the seventh defenseman would make sense.

Bolduc played in 34 games this past season but became an afterthought in the Islanders lineup when Patrick Roy arrived.

Sitting on the bench for another season is likely not ideal if they want Bolduc to develop.

His being a 6'4 left-shot defenseman with the potential to quarterback a power play and help the transition game makes him a potential trade chip.

If the Islanders aren't keen on moving Bolduc, then it may make more sense to have him be the seventh defenseman and use their limited cap space elsewhere.

But Aho's return to serve as the seventh defenseman—someone who understands and fits Roy's system and can play both sides—should be discussed.

NHL Free Agency begins Monday at 12 PM ET.

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