The calendar has now turned to September, only turning up the heat on both free agents looking for contracts and teams looking to fill roster holes ahead of training camp. A marginal salary cap increase over the past few seasons has made late-offseason moves tougher to make work, though, and it’s becoming more and more common to see situations get resolved at the last minute due to a lack of other options.
Two players who could be in that boat are a pair of former Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Evan Rodrigues. Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski reported today that sources tell him both Aston-Reese and Rodrigues have interest and multiple offers from NHL teams but are “holding out for better situations.” Kingerski named both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks specifically as teams that have kicked tires on Rodrigues, which had been previously reported. He noted that Aston-Reese had interest from two or three NHL teams, but that the bottom-six utility player is looking for more offensive opportunities on his next team.
Kingerski also mentioned to a lesser degree, that veteran center Brian Boyle has an interest in returning to Pittsburgh, although there isn’t much space for him on the organizational depth chart.
Whichever team does sign Aston-Reese will be getting one of the most valuable bottom-six threats (if not the most valuable) still on the market. His career-high of 17 points may not jump off the page, but he’s made a name for himself as one of the top defensive players, at least analytically speaking, in recent years. The 28-year-old product of Staten Island was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks at this year’s trade deadline in the Rickard Rakell trade and had four points in 17 games during his brief stint as a Duck.
An obvious fit for Aston-Reese would be the Winnipeg Jets, who still have some cap space to burn after signing Sam Gagner earlier this week. The Jets have some weak bottom-six depth that would allow Aston-Reese to see some more offensive looks, and his services could help solidify a historically defensively inept team.
Rodrigues has had about 3 solid months statistically In his entire career. I’m not understanding GMs sudden Interest.
If the Pens rookies aren’t ready to step in, ZAR could step right back into his role as a solid while not spectacular 4th liner.
The music has stopped, guys. The chairs are pretty much full. Only a handful of teams have ANY cap space left. No one’s going to jump out of the rafters to hand you $2.5 and term. Wait any longer and all that’ll be still on the table from anyone is one year, $1 MM, take it or go play in Europe.
Rodrigues is a pretty good player. He’s better than at least 10% of the guys who have NHL deals now.
ZAR is starting to break down, but he should still get a 1 year deal.
I’d take either over Archibald.
Zohorna, O’Connor, Poulin, should all get long looks at camp.