On Tuesday, the Penguins signed Sebastian Aho—no, not that Sebastian Aho, but the seasoned NHL defenseman with the same name—to a two-year deal. The contract has an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level. Aho, 28, is a left-handed defenseman who has played 190 career games over five NHL seasons, all with the New York Islanders.
Hailing from Sweden, this Aho differs from the All-Star center Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes, who is from Finland. The Islanders originally selected Aho in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. Standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 180 pounds, Aho has recorded 11 goals and 50 points with a minus-10 rating in the NHL. He did not play for the Islanders during their first-round playoff loss in April. Although left-handed, Aho frequently played on the right side last season.
Aho’s signing bolsters Pittsburgh’s depth on the blue line and likely means that Pierre-Olivier Joseph will not re-sign with the team in free agency. Along with Aho, the Penguins have signed veteran left-handed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and brought back another lefty, Ryan Shea, during the first two days of free agency. Earlier in the offseason, Pittsburgh also signed Filip Kral, another left-handed defenseman.
Aside from Aho’s signing, Tuesday has been relatively quiet for the Penguins after they made one trade and several signings on Monday. The team is still searching for an inexpensive veteran winger who can play higher in the lineup.
Available options include Vladimir Tarasenko, James van Riemsdyk, and Daniel Sprong. Pittsburgh currently has $3.5 million in projected salary cap space, according to CapFriendly.
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