On Friday morning, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they have invited free agent forward Zach Aston-Reese to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).
It was expected that the Leafs would either sign a forward or invite one to camp on a PTO, so this doesn’t come as a major surprise. Many fans of the organization, however, hoped that player would be Sonny Milano, who still remains an unrestricted free agent despite a solid 2021-22 season.
Aston-Reese, 28, has been a rather underrated bottom six forward over the past four seasons, the majority of which have come with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He appeared in 52 games with the Pens in 2021-22, registering two goals and 11 points. He was then traded to the Anaheim Ducks as part of a package for Rickard Rakell, and managed three goals along with a lone assist in the short 17 game stint.
The best part of Aston-Reese’s is his defensive game, as shown on the chart above courtesy of JFreshHockey. His defensive play at even strength is exceptional and is the reason why he has carved out a 230-game career despite limited offensive skill. On top of that, he is also capable of contributing to the penalty kill, as he averaged nearly a minute and a half per game in ice time with the Pens when down a man.
While Aston-Reese is capable of playing an everyday role in the NHL, he won’t be in easy to earn a contract from the Leafs. Not only are they a team who is currently over the max salary cap, but they still have yet to work out a contract with defenseman Rasmus Sandin. He will need to play some of the best hockey of his life in training camp in order to give himself a reasonable shot.
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