It’s no secret, that the 2025 NHL draft class for defensemen isn’t as strong as it was last year. In 2024, seven defensemen were drafted in the top half of the first round, led by OHL standouts Zayne Parekh — drafted ninth overall by Calgary — and Sam Dickinson — drafted 11th overall by San Jose.
This year, outside of projected first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, the talent level for blueliners falls off.
However, Barrie Colts’ rugged, tough-as-nails blueliner Kashawn Aitcheson has impressed scouts with his immense physical play, but recently he’s showcasing what he can do offensively.
Terry Wilson/OHL Images
The Barrie Colts and Oshawa Generals had a Friday night showdown to end the first month of 2025, an epic battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.
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The game went exactly as one would expect, with two evenly matched teams having to settle the score in 3-on-3 overtime.
Despite 16 NHL-affiliated prospects participating in the game, it was the hometown hero for Oshawa, overage forward Luke Torrance, who did it all by himself, letting off a lethal wrister off the rush that got past Colts netminder Ben Hrebik — who was excellent, making 38 stops on 41 shots — to give his Generals the 3-2 victory.
For the No. 15 ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, Kashawn Aitcheson, his game did not have a glamouring start.
In a diving attempt to block the cross-crease pass early in the first period, Oshawa defender Luca D’Amato had his pass go off Aitcheson’s stick and into the net.
Alas, Aitcheson made up for his own goal later in the first minute of the third period.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound left-shot defenseman is known for his big hits, agitating, and physically abrasive defensive style of hockey. But he has really come into his own this season on the offensive side of the puck and has been effective quarterbacking the powerplay.
Kashawn read the Generals penalty killers gravitating to the left side of the ice, which opened up a ton of space for him to slide down the weak side of play.
His initial one-timer is robbed by Jacob Oster, but he gathered up the rebound and tucked the puck in for his seventh powerplay goal of the season.
The Colts’ third-year defender continues to add to his career high in goals total with 15 now on the season. He’s five points away from eclipsing the 39-point career-high season he had last year.
Aitcheson is the fifth-ranked North American defenseman by NHL Central Scouting in their midseason rankings. At this point, it would be extremely shocking to see him fall out of the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
He’s riding a six-game point streak, posting four goals and nine points during his recent hot stretch of play.
The OHL already knows the damage Kashawn can do in the playoffs when the physicality and intensity ramp up. Continuing to produce at the rate he’s been doing this year won’t just increase his draft value but also will make Barrie even more dangerous in the playoffs.
Related: Frontenacs Overwhelm Spirit In Battle Of Flames Prospects
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