The New York Islanders , back in 2025, traded defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for Emil Heineman and the 16th and 17th overall picks in that year's draft.
With the 16th pick, the Islanders took forward Victor Eklund, and with the 17th pick, they took Kashawn Aitcheson , a Canadian left-handed defenseman.
Aitcheson, now 19 years old, is one of the most highly regarded defensive prospects in the NHL. He's having an impressive junior hockey career so far, in both the Ontario Hockey League with the Barrie Colts and the World Junior Championship, playing on Team Canada.
The young defender may be ready for a step up; however, there's a problem: the left side of the blue line is clogged. Between Matthew Schaefer , Adam Pelech , and Alexander Romanov , with Isaiah George knocking on the door for a roster spot and Malte Gustafsson being selected this year, there's a chance Aitcheson may be left in the dark when it comes to making his Islanders debut.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Kashawn Aitcheson arrives to the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Aitcheson impressed the hockey world in the 2025-26 campaign whenever he was on the ice. With the Colts of the OHL, Aitcheson put up 70 points with 28 goals and set the franchise record for most points by a defenseman in his time with the team, as well as the single-season goal record, surpassing the likes of Aaron Ekblad and Brandt Clarke .
On top of that, in December of last year, Aitcheson participated in all seven games of the World Juniors with Team Canada. He joined the likes of Zayne Parekh , Carson Carels, Cameron Reid, and Keaton Verhoeff on the Canadian blue line. Aitcheson tallied one goal and three assists for four points, being impactful on the defensive end of things and helping lead the team to a Bronze medal.
Aitcheson signed his three-year entry-level contract back in March and is set to join the Islanders organization soon to be developed further there. He's performing well at the prospect camp and will continue to do so over the next week in the lead-up to the season starting at the end of September.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Kashawn Aitcheson is selected as the 17th overall pick to the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There's a growing concern that space is being taken from Aitcheson. Aitcheson should start his professional career with the Hamilton Hammers in the AHL, and he shouldn't be rushed into the NHL. Defensemen take a long time to develop and build their confidence before transitioning into the big leagues; not everyone is like Schaefer.
When you look at the defensive core on the Islanders, though, it's clogged. They'll have to make a move to make room for Aitcheson, as all of the defensemen are signed for two years or more (outside of George). If a spot isn't freed up for him, he's going to have a tough time breaking into the league.
It may be in the Islanders' best interest to trade one of those defenders for a goal scorer they desperately need sometime soon. Kirill Marchenko may be on the market, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to check in with the Columbus Blue Jackets , as it's still a fluid situation.
There's a lot of hope for Aitcheson as a prospect, and when he gets that chance, he and Schaefer are going to be one of the best offensive defenseman duos in the NHL. The Islanders might just have to move some things around to make it happen.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/islanders/onsi as Is Kashawn Aitcheson Falling Out of Favor With NY Islanders? .
