Aho on pace for one of best rookie seasons in Canes history
When Finland dominated the 2016 World Junior Championship - winning the gold medal on home ice while posting a tournament-leading 23 goals - it became clear the NHL was about to see an influx of elite Finnish talent.
Winnipeg Jets winger Patrik Laine has dominated that narrative thus far, already emerging as one of the game's top goal-scorers. But don't sleep on Laine's world juniors centerman, Sebastian Aho, because the latter is putting together one of the best rookie seasons in Carolina Hurricanes history.
Through 54 games, Aho has amassed 17 goals and 32 points, second-best among Hurricanes skaters in both categories. Stretch that production out over a full 82-game season, and Aho projects to finish 2016-17 with 25 goals and 49 points.
That would rank as the second-highest mark among all Canes rookies in history, bested only by Jeff Skinner's Calder Trophy-winning effort in 2010-11, when the young pivot posted 63 points.
Aho's projected total would even top longtime captain Eric Staal. The 2006 Stanley Cup champion exploded offensively in year two of his career, but posted a much more pedestrian 31 points as a rookie. Aho's already above that mark with plenty of games left on the schedule.
The 19-year-old is looking just as good among the Canes' all-time group when it comes to goal-scoring. Reaching the 25-goal plateau would rank him second in team history in that regard as well, again topped only by Skinner.
Given Aho's recent play, reaching those heights doesn't seem like much of a stretch.
Aho. A hat trick. The 19-year-old has three. 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/g70nGckMW0
— NHL (@NHL) February 1, 2017
After posting seven goals through his first 36 games in the big leagues, Aho opened the floodgates and racked up eight goals in 13 January tilts. He's continued that run in February, taking his recent numbers to 10 goals and 12 points over his past 17 games.
Finding the right offensive pieces to build around hasn't been easy for Carolina. In four of the past six drafts, the Hurricanes used their top pick to select a defenseman. But some of the club's more astute selections - particularly Aho, Victor Rask, and Elias Lindholm - are beginning to right the ship.
And 54 games into the finest first-year effort the club has seen since Skinner, Aho looks poised to lead the next wave of Hurricanes scorers.