Aitcheson is one of the most entertaining prospects in junior hockey right now. He is a throwback player – a physically dominant defenseman who hunts open ice hits, plays below the dots, blocks shots at a high rate, and also happens to score at a pace that would be impressive from a forward. The scouting read on him is a powerful, bullish defender who is hard to play against. His goal scoring hasn’t necessarily been a surprise given his 26 goals in 64 games last year, but it’s questionable how much of his game translates at the pro level, when more players are as big and strong as he is. The skating has been the knock since draft day and it remains a real concern at the NHL level – mobility is the governor on his ceiling. For fantasy managers the profile projects beautifully regardless: a physical defenseman who scores, blocks, hits, and brings penalty minutes. Darnell Nurse comp, but with potentially more offensive upside from his shot. All that plus he plays a mature two-way defensive game. If everything breaks right, he could be a long-term fixture on the Islanders blueline.

Aitcheson was signed to his three-year entry level contract on March 17. The 19-year-old defenseman scored 28 goals and provided 42 assists for 70 points in 55 games for the Barrie Colts of the OHL. Aitcheson totaled 171 points in 206 games while showcasing improvement each year. There is a path to playing time (potentially as early as next season) within the Islanders organization.

Kashawn Aitcheson is a rangy, right-shot defenseman known for his smooth skating, long reach, and calm decision-making under pressure. He excels in transition and defends with an active stick and strong positional play.

Selected at seventeenth overall, Kashawn Aitcheson is now a member of the New York Islanders.

Kashawn Aitcheson is a throwback defenseman that plays with a ton of snarl and bite. He has formidable details in his approach to the game and stands at 6’1” 200 lbs, already an NHL body. He’s impacting games offensively with Barrie, but is unlikely to be a producer at the NHL level. However, his hockey sense and technical abilities will be sufficient enough to let his other tools do the work. He remains a bit raw, but has the jam and tenacity to endear himself to any fanbase. Truly, a guy you love to have on your team, and hate to play against. Fantasy wise, expect Aitcheson to be a true old school punisher- accumulating tons of hits and penalty minutes.

Aitcheson is the type of player opponents think twice about when crossing the blue line. He brings a physical, intimidating presence and a knack for delivering big hits. With the right development, he projects as a reliable second-pair defender with penalty-killing value and occasional offensive upside.

Final Rankings – Though this is far below where he will inevitably go on Draft Day, this is closer to the higher-end of the range that the Dobber Prospects Draft Team feels comfortable taking Aitcheson. The question isn’t what he’s done in the OHL this season (which is obviously appealing), but how this will translate.

He’s a physically punishing enforcer, but at 6-1, his size is only average among NHLers (not to mention that he’s among the draft’s oldest, most physically mature players). He scored over 20 goals as a defenseman, but so many of them come from abandoning his post and driving the net, leaving you to question his scoring upside in a more structured environment.

Overall, his tools are solid, though his implementation will need to drastically change to avoid driving NHL coaches crazy.—