Training camps around the league started last week. There have also been preseason hockey games that were held in Australia. Hockey season as fans know it is officially back. For the Carolina Hurricanes, it means that the quest for a fourth-straight division title is underway. At this point of camp, the Hurricanes have already made a roster cut in Jakub Vondras being sent back to the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Hurricanes’ fans should not expect many more cuts since the team needs at least 40 players for their split-squad game in Florida on Sept. 29. Currently, the team has 46 players on the training camp roster.
One name on the roster that Hurricanes fans should keep an eye on is someone who was invited to camp on a professional tryout (PTO) this offseason. While the Hurricanes have reached their maximum number of PTO invites for training camp, the one name who has a legitimate chance to make the roster is forward Zach Aston-Reese.
Can Aston-Reese Make the Hurricanes Roster?
Coming into the 2023 Hurricanes training camp, Aston-Reese was added to the roster as a PTO invite. The reason why Aston-Reese and so many other players were invited on a PTO with Carolina was for the split-squad games that the Hurricanes have on Sep. 29. Going into the split-squad game, as mentioned before, the team needs 40 players total. However, that does not mean that Aston-Reese or the other invitees don’t have a shot to make a roster spot. Last season, Calvin de Haan and Derek Stepan made it onto the Hurricanes roster after receiving PTO deals with Carolina.
Out of the PTO deals that Carolina has given this offseason, Aston-Reese has the best chance to crack the roster going into the 2023-24 season. On the Hurricanes’ podcast “Canes Cast”, Bally Sports pre and post-game host Shane Willis said that Carolina might need to bring in a “full boat” going into the season. Usually, teams might bring 20 or 21 players into the regular season. However, since Carolina does not have an American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the team might need to bring the maximum number of roster spots going into opening night.
That being said, the “full boat” approach might open up two or three more roster spots for guys who otherwise might not have made the team. The extra spots could mean an extra defenseman or two, or maybe even another forward. For Aston-Reese, that might be a great opportunity for him to make the Hurricanes’ roster as a team who are well known for their depth usage.
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During the 2022-23 season, Aston-Reese played 77 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, finishing with 10 goals and four assists for 14 points. In the 2023 NHL Playoffs, Aston-Reese had one goal in six games for Toronto. However, during the last few weeks of the regular season, it seemed like the line of Aston-Reese, David Kampf, and Sam Lafferty were making big strides on the fourth line.
When it comes to Aston-Reese’s game, he is not a player who is flashy on the scoresheet but plays a very shutdown two-way game. Despite last year being his first season in the minus, he’s usually either even or on the plus side for the plus/minus stat column. Furthermore, Aston-Reese is not a player who gets into penalty trouble very often. Throughout his six-year career, Aston-Reese has never gotten over 30 penalty minutes in a season. Also, he has scored some goals on the penalty kill, which shows his capabilities on special teams. The Hurricanes could capitalize on Aston-Reese’s experience on the penalty. Adding him to an already amazing group could add another layer to the penalty kill special teams unit.
It Makes Sense for Carolina to Keep Aston-Reese
For the Hurricanes, it makes sense to keep Aston-Reese on the roster going into opening night. Aston-Reese provides depth for the forward group that is known for depth scoring from the third and fourth lines. Also, he has some experience playing on the special teams, especially the penalty kill. His play style fit in well for the Hurricanes on both sides of the ice. Aston-Reese has a great skill set for the forecheck and backcheck. Plus, in terms of cap space, he would not break the bank for Carolina.
Before becoming a free agent earlier this offseason, Aston Reese’s last cap hit was only $840,000. His cap hit was only 1.02% of the Maple Leafs cap. There is no reason why Carolina cannot give Aston-Reese a one-year deal worth $990,000 or $1 million for the season. It’s a low-risk pickup for Carolina for a guy who can provide solid depth on the fourth line and someone who they can utilize on the penalty kill. Out of all the PTO deals that they have, Aston-Reese makes the most sense to claim a roster spot. Moreso, especially where Carolina needs more roster players with the lack of an AHL affiliate.
Aston-Reese Provides More Strategy for Hurricanes
While Aston-Reese has not gotten over 20 points in a season, he brings a strong shutdown game that head coach Rod Brind’Amour would appreciate. Furthermore, as stated before, it gives the Hurricanes more strategy for certain opponents throughout the season. The extra body also allows other guys on the team to get rest as well. If more guys get the rest needed, Carolina could be the more refreshed team as the season progresses. Having someone like Aston-Reese could pay dividends for Carolina throughout the 2023-24 season.
It would give the Hurricanes an advantage throughout the season and possibly the playoffs to have a guy like Aston-Reese on their roster with the team going in the “full boat” mindset. Aston-Reese will try to prove that he should stay in Carolina and how keeping him would pay well in the end for the Hurricanes in more ways than one. Only time will tell, but there is a case to be made for him to claim a spot on the roster coming out of training camp.