Aho Finding Ways to Contribute Consistently for Islanders

Sebastian Aho has found his stride on both ends of the ice this season, becoming a reliable five-on-five contributor for the Islanders.
Since making his season debut on Oct. 22 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Aho hasn't missed a game, and he has become more of an offensive factor as of late, scoring his first goal of the season against the Calgary Flames on Nov. 7 and posting a two-assist game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Aho said he feels the biggest growth in his game has been finding consistency.
"To be more consistent and not have those nights where you make a couple of big mistakes and you're not feeling it," Aho said.
Last season, Aho played a career-high 36 games, earning increased playing time due to the Islanders' COVID outbreak and Scott Mayfield's injury down the stretch. But this year, Aho still had to battle to earn a spot as an everyday player, and an early IR stint kept him out of the lineup on opening night.

For many players, the uncertainty of not knowing when you're going to play your next game can be a challenge. Stepping in and out of the lineup and moving from the taxi squad, where he spent nearly the entirety of the abbreviated 2020-21 season, to the main roster can make it hard to build chemistry with a defensive partner or maintain momentum when playing well. It also means he's appreciating the chances to play consistently even more.
"You want to play, that's the fun part of hockey, is to play games," Aho said. "To not be out there, it takes a toll on you, but I've always been a pretty positive person and just trying to take it day by day. I've never really lost the belief in me that I can do it. It's been a little bit of a grind, I won't lie, but it's nice to be here."
One of Aho's struggles last year was maintaining possession of the puck and avoiding turnovers. According to Natural Stat Trick, Aho has just three giveaways this season in 12 games, an improvement after having 26 giveaways in his 36 games last year. He said he's gotten better at picking his spots and knowing when the time calls for an easy clear along the boards, vs trying to make a higher-risk play.
That's key growth for Aho, who's had offensive success in the American Hockey League and Europe. Aho was drafted on the heels of a 30-point season with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League and he's recorded 105 points (21G, 84A) in 156 games with Bridgeport.

In recent games, especially against the Blue Jackets, Aho has shown his offensive vision and playmaking ability. One of his strongest was his assist on Brock Nelson's first goal. Aho drove to the net and then took the puck behind, shooting from the other side. The shot brought Columbus goaltender Joonas Korpisalo out of position, which left a wide-open shot for Nelson on the rebound. He made another key pinch on his first goal of the season, jumping into open ice to take a feed from Mathew Barzal.
"He's just up and down the walls and I feel like me and him kind of have a little bit of a connection out there," Barzal said. "He seems to be able to read off me pretty well and seems to be open a lot. I feel like we could have three or four maybe more that we could have connected on."
Another example of that came during the Islanders game against Detroit on Nov. 7, when Aho, the only Isles d-man under 6'0, drove to the net on a feed from Barzal and bowled over 6'4, 204 lbs. Moritz Seider in the process.
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Aho primarily plays with Scott Mayfield, giving their pairing some balance as far as size and style of play. While the two have been together on ice, the Islanders have out chanced the opposition 77-59 - at five-on-five - according to Natural Stat Trick.
"The communication between us is great on the ice," Mayfield said. "We're able to read off each other. I think we complement each other well. He skates, moves the puck up, I like getting into corners, a little more physical so we're reading off each other now. Offensively we're able to move around, create some confusion, and there's been some production there too."
Head Coach Lane Lambert said the progression in Aho's game this year comes down to him keeping it simple and not trying to do too much this season.
"It's gratifying because he's put in all that work after not being in the lineup, doing a lot of extra work on off days and things like that," Lambert said. "He's growing. He's keeping the game simple. He's moving his feet, which he can do very well, and just making a good first pass, and it's been successful for him."