Kashawn Aitcheson Signs Islanders Entry-Level Contract To Secure New York’s Defensive Future
Kashawn Aitcheson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Islanders Yesterday. This means he will get an extended look during the preseason in September, and, if he plays well enough, may make the team. If he does make the team, he can play nine games for the Islanders before expiring a year on his contract.
Aitcheson, whenever he makes the Islanders and sticks, will go a long way to stabilizing the Islander defense. His rough-and-tumble play and offensive prowess will be important additions to the team. The Islanders have now signed all three of their 2025 first-round draft picks to entry-level contracts. The future is bright on Long Island.
Kashawn Aitcheson Vital Statistics
Aitcheson, 20, is very good. Over the last four years, including this season, he has been a defenseman for the BarrieColts. This year, he is a gaudy +45, and he has 28 goals, 42 assists, and 86 penalty minutes. His offensive production leads all defensemen in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the 28 goals are fourth in the league.
Aitcheson played for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2026. He fits in with the Islanders well and projects as a long-term second-pair defenseman in the National Hockey League. In particular, his toughness fits with a team that struggles to be tough. It ranks near the bottom of the National Hockey League in hits, and opposing teams frequently target young star Schafer with rough play. Maybe Aitcheson can protect him.
3 Pack
The future is bright for the Islanders; they have a lot of talented young players on the way. With Schafer, Aitcheson, and Victor Eklund, the Islanders have now signed all three of their first-round draft picks from 2025. Schafer and Aitcheson are defensemen, Eklund, whose brother plays for the San Jose Sharks, and is playing this year in the Swedish professional League, with grown men.
There are several more reinforcements on the way. Notable names include Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, Quin Finley, Danil Prokorov, Jacob Kvasnicka, Jesse Nurmi, Liam Foudy, Luca Romonov, and many more. It is the case that not all of these prospects will be impactful in the National Hockey League, but there are so many that the law of large numbers dictates that several will.
Aitcheson Prognostication
One of the effects of being so rich in prospects is that the Islanders can afford to take it slow with Aitcheson. He is most likely to play all of next season, after spending four seasons in Barrie with the Colts, with the Bridgeport Islanders. If he impresses in training camp, he will make the Islanders. They have shown this season with Scheafer that they are willing to play youngsters at the highest level.
Parting Shots
This article was about Aitcheson signing an entry level contract with the New York Islanders last Night. With the Aitcheson signing, the Islanders now have signed all three of their first round draft picks from last season. Along with Cal Ritchie, Matthew Schafer, and the raft of prospects ready to make their debut with the Islanders, the team is about to get much younger. This is good because the Islanders have the fourth oldest roster in the National Hockey League. There is about to be a changing of the guard on the Island, and there is a chance that the Islanders will get much better.
