After Sunday’s New York Islanders’ win over the Vegas Golden Knights, it is still clear that something needs to be done about Zdeno Chara. He is a useful player to this team, but should not be playing every game. It is time for a younger defenseman to replace him. It is now time for Sebastian Aho to be given a chance with the Islanders.

It is important to restate that it was not a mistake that the Islanders signed Chara. Chara is a useful and important player to this team, but again, he should not be playing every game. He simply cannot do it at the age of 44. And this is where Aho comes into play, literally.

A lot of fans will call for Robin Salo to play, as he had a great pre-season and has put up four points in six games for the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. However, he still is not ready yet as this is his first season in North America. He still needs time to develop, but in the next two seasons, he will make a huge impact on the NHL roster.

Many would argue for Thomas Hickey, too, as he is a very similar player to Nick Leddy. But he has plenty of question marks that surround him. Hickey, while a fairly good defensemen, does not produce enough offensively to justify putting him in the lineup. Aho, who may not have the same offensive attributes, is a more solid two-way defensemen. Aho has some good offensive game to him, as he has put up 107 points in 159 games in the AHL.

What Aho does have going for him is that he is a solid in his own zone. While a bit undersized, standing at five-foot-11, Aho is great in the corners. Aho doesn’t turn the puck over that easily, which has also been another problem for the Islanders this season. Aho, who wouldn’t be a long-term solution, would be a great short term solution for this team until Salo is ready. Because as we are seeing with Chara, the Islanders need someone better as the sixth defensemen.

Aho has to go in for Chara. The Islanders are in a spot they have not been in a long, long time. For a team to contend and even win the Stanley Cup, they cannot have any major holes in their lineup. And for the Islanders, that major hole is Chara. Therefore, Aho should go in and solidify the sixth defenseman role for the Islanders.

Jack Kobil

Hi, my name is Jack Kobil. I am currently attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC. I am a huge Islanders fan and I love to share my passion for this team.