Sebastian Aho

The Islanders had displayed zero desire to give Aho an extended run with the team over the past few years, so the fact he struggled in 71 games a season ago doesn't come as much of a surprise. Aho posted five goals and 23 points, adding an assist in six postseason contests. New York's top five defensive spots are spoken for heading into the 2023-24 campaign, leaving Aho to battle with youngster Samuel Bolduc for the No. 6 spot. In an ideal world for the club, Bolduc would win the job, but the victor will have minimal fantasy value regardless.

Aho put together another solid campaign with AHL Bridgeport last year, recording 30 points in 49 games. It's pretty obvious the Swede is ready to make the jump back to the NHL level -- he last suited up for the Islanders in 2017-18, when he had four points in 22 contests. Aho, a right-shot defenseman, may have to settle for a part-time role in 2020-21 unless he can unseat Scott Mayfield or Noah Dobson for an everyday job. As such, fantasy managers shouldn't draft the 24-year-old Aho, as the uncertainty surrounding his usage will make it nearly impossible for him to produce enough to help virtual squads.

The offseason departures of Dennis Seidenberg and Calvin de Haan mean Aho will have an opportunity to crack the starting lineup on a consistent basis. He will be competing with Scott Mayfield for the final starting role on the blue line. In 22 NHL games for the Isles last season, Aho deposited a goal and four points with a minus-5 rating, but in the AHL, he was a prolific offensive producer, tallying nine goals and 29 points in 40 games. Aho is worth a late-round flier in deeper leagues, but he will need to assert himself in training camp to avoid staking out a second residence in the press box once the regular season rolls around.