NY Islanders prospects Kashawn Aitcheson and Victor Eklund will be highly coveted by potential trade partners

It's no mystery that the NY Islanders are in the market for a top-6 winger and are willing to pay a hefty price for one with term. Linked to players like Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and potentially Owen Tippett, to obtain a young, controllable, 25+ goal scorer, a high price, which includes top prospects, will be the cost.

After trading Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for a package that included the 16th and 17th overall picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Islanders selected Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson with those picks - two prospects that will be highly coveted by potential trade partners.

Team's will want to get a hold of Aictheson and Eklund

Aictheson, a 19-year-old defenseman for the Barrie Colts of the OHL, has been one of the most dynamic players in all of junior hockey this season. He leads all OHL defensemen in goals (26) and points (63), while setting the Barrie record for career points from a blueliner.

For his efforts since New Year's Day, Aitcheson has been named the OHL Defenseman of the Month for January and February.

Eklund, despite his smaller stature at 5'10", was known as one of the hardest workers among all draft-eligible prospects this summer, and has continued to develop his game in the SHL. Through 38 games this season, Eklund has tallied five goals while adding 14 assists. Eklund played a pivotal role for the Swedes at the World Junior Championship, leading all defensemen in ice-time en route to Sweden's first Gold Medal since 2012.

Mathieu Darche won't want to part with either of these prospects as he sees both as valuable building blocks for the future. But to get something, you need to give up something. Aitchseon may be the more likely of the two to potentially be on the move due to the depth the Islanders have at LHD. With under 96 hours before the deadline, we'll see if Darche can make an impact move but manage to hold onto Aitcheson and Eklund.