Is Sebastian Aho playing tonight against the New York Islanders? April 19, 2023 NHL Playoffs

Sebastian Aho is fine. There were some concerns, but he will indeed be playing the second game against the New York Islanders.

He has been one of the best offensive players for Carolina. With 36 goals and 31 assists for a total of 67 points this season, he has made a substantial contribution to his team's offense.

His defensive skills were particularly impressive, as seen by his plus/minus rating of +8. He has averaged 19 minutes and 29 seconds of playing time each game, demonstrating his significance to the club.

The Hurricanes have another difficult battle today when they play the Rangers, so they will rely on Aho to spark the offense once more. He will take charge tonight against the Islanders and will want to ensure that they have a 2-0 lead.

Funny crash between two Ahos

As the opening round of play between the two teams got underway at Carolina's PNC Arena, Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho delivered a hard hit on, you guessed it, New York Islanders defender Sebastian Aho.

If you didn't know, there are two Sebastian Ahos in the NHL, and their worlds intersected in the funniest way imaginable.

In that sequence, Carolina's Aho made a solid move on New York's Aho, and we wager that New York's Aho will want to repay the favor to Carolina's Aho in the following match. It's going to be the most interesting face-off in this match.

Who is Sebastian Aho?

In 10 games for Finland during the IIHF Championships, Sebastian recorded two goals and nine assists, propelling Finland to renown in the hockey world. But why was he never acknowledged for his performances? Well, many scouts and fans believed that his linemates were more to blame than he was.

Patrik Laine was picked second overall in the 2016 NHL Draught, while Jesse Puljujarvi was projected to be picked third overall but ended up being picked fourth overall after Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Aho is a skilled two-way player with incredible passing abilities, but no one was interested in signing him to the NHL, mostly due to his little size. The center, who is 5'9" and weighs 176 pounds, has never been a large man. But Sebastian makes up for his lack of stature with speed and intelligence. This was very much noted during his rookie season.

That's why Aho will always be crucial for Carolina. He has turned out to be a solid player for them since his rookie season.