Maple Leafs sign Zach Aston-Reese to a PTO, add physicality and defensive presence to training camp roster – Maple Leafs Hotstove

The Maple Leafs have signed forward Zach Aston-Reese (ZAR) on a pro tryout deal, the club announced on Friday.

ZAR, 28 last month, has played 230 regular-season games (32 goals, 66 points) and 23 playoff games (one goal, four points) in the NHL. He’s listed at 6’0 and just over 200 pounds, but he’s one of the more physical players in the league — among NHL forwards he was 11th in hits last season; For the past three seasons combined, he ranks 18th in total hits.

Clearly visible in the numbers, he doesn’t score much, but he’s good at coming in with the forecheck, which contributes to his game’s primary identity as a forward check.

For several seasons, ZAR has also been one of the better defensive strikers in the entire league.

Zach Aston-Reese (Leafs Pto) is the kind of one-dimensional player who is so good in his one dimension that most teams would benefit from having him, maybe all 32 teams. pic.twitter.com/Z912e1iBwi

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) September 9, 2022

For the past three years, Zach Aston-Reese’s Impact on Goal Prevention (RAPM xGA) ranks #2(!) among all Fs.

ZAR also consistently played top opponents in PIT, with a difficult shift start.

Targeting him as a PTO option over Nash/Virtanen is a no-brainer. pic.twitter.com/qXzqyvyEJ8

– Sid (@NHL_Sid) September 9, 2022

He doesn’t score many goals – he’s never scored in a double-digit season – but he scores, plays in defense and is now trying to form a side that finished second in the league in goals per game last season. He can play on either wing, and while he has sometimes taken faceoffs in his controller role, he is on point 37 percent of his career.

ZAR is quite a similar player as Summer newcomer Nicolas Aube-Kubel; If the coaching staff played the two together, the fit would be obvious on a checking line that hits a ton, basically doesn’t score at all, and can make good shifts against top lines, freeing the Leafs’ top players to advantage weaker ones matchups.

Where that fit would potentially be very interesting would be if Nicholas Robertson could emerge as a legitimate goalscorer at the NHL level this season. That would give the Leafs an opportunity to run one of the best lines in the league, a scoring line, a two-way line, and a control line.

For example:

Ammer-Matthews-Marner
Robertson-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Kerfoot-Jarnkrok
(although you could argue that any of the three centers above can play)
NAK – Combat – ZAR

It would be a minor addition (should ZAR get an actual contract at camp) and not the kind of move that would attract attention, but it’s the type of signing that could create roster flexibility and additional (potentially exciting) opportunities. The Matthews line is definitely one of the best in the league, and when the Leafs have a fourth line they can competently trust against any opponent, the Leafs can mix and match lines two and three at will until they get the optimal setup have found . Not being able to entrust the fourth line with much responsibility adds to the burden on the two lines above.

Interestingly, for such a strong defensive striker, ZAR didn’t play a prominent role in the penalty shootout. He’s averaged over a minute there in his last 1.5 seasons (mostly with Pittsburgh), but among Penguins forwards he’s finished seventh shorthanded per game on the ice. The Leafs need to replace Ilya Mikheyev and even Ondrej Kase’s understaffed minutes, which won’t be an easy task. ZAR could help grab some of those minutes, but he’s not necessarily been a workhorse over the years, understaffed.

All in all, this is a PTO signing, so there’s no risk, just reward. ZAR is of a good age, has proven himself in the league and when he comes to camp ready for a contract it’s easy to see him fitting into the squad and benefiting from it.