Zach Aston-Reese, nomad no more, has a home with Blue Jackets after turbulent stretch

COLUMBUS, Ohio In the fall of 2022, Zach Aston-Reese signed a professional tryout offer to go to training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs .

He impressed enough in training camp to earn a one-year, one-way contract with the Leafs.

He played 77 games and scored 10 goals that season.

It wasnt enough to build a future with the Leafs, so he wound up on a PTO the following season with the Carolina Hurricanes before signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Detroit Red Wings for the 2023-24 season.

He played only three games with the Wings, spending almost all of the season in the AHL.

Advertisement Then this fall, after signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Vegas Golden Knights , Aston-Reese landed on waivers at the end of training camp.

The Blue Jackets , who had early dibs on the waiver wire, claimed Aston-Reese to help overcome a wave of camp injuries.

Thats six different sweaters since 2022.

But on Monday, it finally became safe for Aston-Reese, a 30-year-old forward with 352 NHL games on his resume, to unpack and make plans.

The Blue Jackets signed Aston-Reese to a one-year contract extension that will pay him $775,000 through next season.

That salary, the NHLs minimum, is the same hes making this season.

He wasnt looking for a raise, though, just some stability.

A two-year contract was discussed between Waddell and Aston-Reeses agent, Dan Milstein, before they settled on the one-year deal on Sunday.

It feels really good, Aston-Reese told The Athletic .

Ive always believed in myself, but its nice to have a staff that believes in me as well.

Theyve given me an opportunity.

Im so grateful and happy to be here.

I love this team, and Im proud to be a part of it.

Its so good to know where Im going to be.

Its not just me anymore, either.

Ive got a girlfriend (Sasha) and we have two dogs, so that (stability) is really nice.

The Blue Jackets have played Aston-Reese up and down the lineup, but after the early weeks of the season hes settled into a bottom-six role with penalty-killing duties.

In Saturdays 2-1 win over the St.

Louis Blues , he skated on the third line with center Luca Del Bel Belluz and right wing Mathieu Olivier .

In 42 games, he has four goals and 11 points, 19 penalty minutes and a minus-6 rating.

With his speed, size (6-1, 200) and physicality, hes one of the Jackets top forecheckers, too.

Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell has a brief history with Aston-Reese.

Waddell was the GM in Carolina when they signed him to a PTO before the start of training camp.

Advertisement During the summertime, as a GM, maybe you think you could do better, and you want to think youve got young guys in your organization who could do the job, Waddell said.

But then you watch him day in and day out like we have here this season and you find out why hes hung around for so long.

Aston-Reeses signing takes one of the Blue Jackets pending unrestricted free agents off the market heading into the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Its a balance, Waddell said, wanting to keep the right veteran players while still allowing room for the young talent thats percolating at AHL Cleveland and in the junior ranks across North America.

The closest to the surface would appear to be winger James Malatesta and Del Bel Belluz, who was called up following an injury to veteran Sean Monahan .

We have a few guys coming, Waddell said.

But I dont see (Aston-Reeses) signing as any kind of a roadblock.

Aston-Reese said he was excited when the Blue Jackets claimed him on waivers on Oct.

7, three days before the season opener.

He wasnt quite sure what to expect, but he saw an opportunity on a club that has finished near the bottom of the standings the past two seasons.

But after that first game (a 3-2 loss in Minnesota) this season, the way that we played, the pace and the skill that was right there ...

I was like, Man, we could be really good,' Aston-Reese said.

Its a great group of guys.

Its a really close room.

Yeah, its a place I want to be.

(Photo: Kirk Irwin / NHLI via Getty Images).

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