The New York Islanders selected defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson with the No. 17 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday.
It's the third first-rounder of the night for the Islanders, who took defenseman Matthew Schaefer first overall and winger Victor Eklund 16th overall. They acquired picks No. 16 and 17 as part of the trade that sent Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens earlier Friday.
Aitcheson is an absolute bulldog. The Barrie Colts defender competes extremely hard and loves dishing out huge open-ice hits.
He also has plenty of offensive touch. The 18-year-old's 26 goals this season were third among OHL defensemen, trailing only 2024 first-rounders Zayne Parekh (33) and Sam Dickinson (29).
Coaches and teammates will love Aitcheson's tenacity, and opponents will hate playing against him. However, Aitcheson's decision-making is still a work in progress and could mean the difference between becoming a top-pair, do-it-all defenseman, or more of a Radko Gudas-type player.
Read more about Aitcheson here.
What they're saying
"He's a hyper-competitive defender who doesn't back down from physical play and likes to agitate," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote in May. "He has the bite NHL teams will love, even if he does go over the line at times.
"He's a good skater with strong enough hands and hockey sense to make plays at higher levels and a solid point shot too. ... Even if his puck play is just decent, with his athletic tools and being a menace to play against, he can be a great top-four defenseman."
"He brings an entertaining mix of offensive skill and brute strength that makes him a nightmare to play against. ... The left-handed shot was smart with his aggressive style. ... (He also draws) the toughest defensive assignments each game," NHL.com's Adam Kimelman wrote.
