Sebastian Aho (the other one) sees a fit on the Penguins' blue line

Sebastian Aho is a pretty prominent name in hockey.

The Carolina Hurricanes have been blessed to deploy the dynamic Finnish forward who blends offensive acumen with defensive discipline and has been a major reason that team has reached the postseason for six consecutive seasons.

And the Pittsburgh Penguins? They have the other Sebastian Aho.

This one is the Swedish defenseman who plays a reliably safe, inert game as a reserve on the blue line.

Aho — the Penguins’ Aho — has heard just about every kitschy joke or quip about there being two of them in the NHL.

“It started when we were like 16 and we played against each other with the national teams,” Aho said in Cranberry on Sept. 20. “People in Sweden started joking about it, and I came over here and totally forgot about it. We started playing against each other (again in the NHL) then it just exploded. It is what it is.”

What this Aho is is a left-hander who can play both sides of a defensive duo and move the puck with speed. And the latter attribute is generally the base component to be employed on the Penguins’ blue line. That’s why the Penguins invested a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000 into him in July.

For much of training camp, Aho (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) has been utilized on the right side of the Penguins’ second pairing alongside left-hander Marcus Pettersson. With All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson absent for all of camp until this point because of an undisclosed injury, Aho is getting an extended look in a prominent role.

“I’ll play wherever I’m assigned to do,” Aho said. “I’m probably primarily a lefty, but I don’t mind playing right at all. I’ve done it so much in my career.”

Until this summer, the 28-year-old Aho spent his entire NHL career playing for the New York Islanders. A fifth-round pick (No. 139 overall) of that club in 2017 at the ripe age of 21, Aho debuted that same calendar year in December.

Primarily a reserve with the typically defensively stout Islanders, he welcomes a change in style as he acclimates to the normally offensive-aggressive Penguins.

“It was always fun, and it (stunk) to come play here. It was fun games. The crowd was great. It was a fun team to play against. They want to go for offense, but, at the same time, they always backcheck and you always felt like you had no time out there. That’s the game that I want to be a part of: fast, hard, try to go get the game and control the game.

“I want to try to play like that again. I feel like I used to play like that in Sweden. Then with the Islanders, we played a little bit of a different kind (of game). It will be fun to try something new again. Just switch up the scenery and everything.”

Another newcomer to the Penguins, forward Anthony Beauvillier, sees his former Islanders teammate settling in well with his new surroundings.

“Obviously, very smart with the puck,” Beauvillier said. “He’s got a very good first pass. He can skate. Defends well with his stick. He’s quick to get up the ice. He’s a sneaky, really good defender with his stick and his feet. He can make some quick defensive players and move the puck really quick. He’ll fit really with the system here.”

Being able to fit on both sides of a defensive duo is helpful to Aho’s cause as well.

According to the Lines Lines Lines account on the X social media Web site, which tracks where players line up to open games, the southpaw actually skated in far more contests on the right side (44) than the left side (14) in 2023-24.

That ambidexterity came at an early age.

“Probably when I was 12, 13,” Aho said. “When I played junior hockey in Sweden, we usually played lefties on the right side and vice versa. … It’s changed over the years. But I’ve always been a left and right defenseman.”

Nothing is guaranteed for Aho in terms of being around for the first game of the regular season Oct. 9, especially with incumbent reserves such as John Ludvig and Ryan Shea doing what they can to make their cases to be a part of this team.

But given Aho’s versatility and offensive mindset (to say nothing of Karlsson’s continued absence), there’s a pretty good chance his name will be on the Penguins’ season-opening roster.

“I’ve had (competition) all my career,” Aho said. “I feel like it’s always been like that. I try to thrive on it. I like competition. It’s great that we have so many great defensemen. It pushes us all to be better.

“Whoever plays, (they’re) always going to be at the top of their game. Can’t ask for much more than that.”

Notes: Karlsson continued to rehabilitate his ailment off the ice. He has yet to practice or participate in a morning skate since training camp opened Sept. 18. … Penguins forward Blake Lizotte had a doctor’s appointment to evaluate an undisclosed injury he suffered during a preseason contest Sunday when he was struck by a puck while sitting on the bench. … The Penguins assigned goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.