ZAR feature

Over the last three years, the only thing constant in Zach Aston-Reese's life has been change.

Hockey has a way of making that happen, especially when you’re a versatile, bottom-six forward like Aston-Reese. After spending his first four-plus seasons in Pittsburgh, Aston-Reese has moved more than a U-Haul truck, going to Anaheim at the 2022 trade deadline, spending 2022-23 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing most of last year with Grand Rapids of the AHL with a three-game cameo in Detroit, then signing a PTO this offseason with Vegas.

He didn’t get to enjoy Sin City very long, though, as he was placed on waivers on NHL roster cutdown day in October, only to be claimed by a Blue Jackets team that needed forwards. It turned into perhaps the most serendipitous thing that could have happened, though, as the 30-year-old wing has found a fit in Columbus to the extent he signed a one-year contract extension with the Blue Jackets on Monday.

As you might imagine, he could not have anticipated how any of this would work out just a few short months ago.

“If you go back all the way to summer, I never thought I would be in Columbus,” Aston-Reese said. “Then signing an extension was the last thing on my mind. It feels good to have earned it. I know a lot of the guys are excited. Coaching staff is happy for me, so that feels good.

“I’ve always believed in myself, but it’s nice to have everyone else believe in you as well.”

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      Blue Jackets vs. Flyers

      Aston-Reese earned the deal – emphasis on earned – by doing a lot of things right in his first half season in Columbus. He’s chipped in four goals and 11 points in 42 games, but his impact has gone far beyond that.

      He has always been one of the top forwards in the league defensively when it comes to analytics, and Aston-Reese has a variety of facets to his game, including speed – he's in the 93rd percentile among NHL forwards in speed bursts over 20 mph and the 78th percentile in terms of top-end speed – and physicality, as he’s third among CBJ players with 97 hits.

      Add in the fact he can play up and down the lineup and on special teams and Aston-Reese is someone head coach Dean Evason can depend on.

      “Work, commitment,” Evason said when asked what Aston-Reese had done to earn the contract extension. “Just his forecheck, his intensity level to do the right things, playing hard, competing. He’s done that. He’s earned a contract and we’re happy for him and for us as an organization.”

      Aston-Reese was one of several veterans brought in this offseason by the Blue Jackets front office whose presences have helped turned the team’s fortunes around, as Columbus sits in a wild card spot in mid-January. Such additions as Aston-Reese, James van Riemsdyk, Jack Johnson and Kevin Labanc have not only stabilized the lineup for the Blue Jackets, they’ve added leadership and experience in key situations.

      For Aston-Reese, that has largely meant skating on the opposite wing of Mathieu Olivier, and the two have used their penchant for big hits and responsible play to create a formidable defensive duo no matter who the center has been.

      “He’s been awesome,” Olivier said. “He’s been exactly what we needed in our bottom six. He can fill in top six as well if you need him. I know playing with him is unreal. There’s something about predictable hockey that is really effective. When you’re in a bottom six role and you’re trying to make an impact night in and night out, playing with predictable guys is huge, and knowing what to expect from other guys on your line. Me and Reeser have figured that out pretty well together.”

      Aston-Reese said he’s always had that physical nature to his game going back to squirts, when he was moved up a year early because of his propensity for taking the body. Even now, his 6-1, 200-pound frame allows him to pack a pretty good punch, and he tries to focus on that area of his game.

      “I’ve always enjoyed it,” he said. “I had an older brother (William) that beat up on me all the time, so it was a way for me to get all that frustration out from being the younger brother. But I think since I came into this league, that’s something that’s always been expected of me. When I’ve gotten away from it, I've had conversations with coaches on where the lack of success is coming from, so that has to be a staple of my game to do well.”

      While Aston-Reese tries to play with some bite to his game, he also showed he has the talent to score goals during his college days at Northeastern. He posted 14 goals and 43 points in 41 games as a junior to help the Huskies to the NCAA tournament, then led college hockey in both goals (31) and points (63) as a senior in 2016-17.

      In the NHL, he’s totaled 46 goals and 91 points over his eight seasons, but he’s had to round out his game and do the little things to stick.

      “I think it’s hard early on, especially for younger guys when you’re the best on your team playing 20-plus, 18-plus minutes a night and then come up and everyone is just so good,” he said. “Being able to stay in the game where you’re not getting a shift every five minutes, it’s such an important mind-set to be able to establish. It’s easy to throw yourself a pity party and feel bad for yourself, but at the end of the day, no one really cares. You’ve got to adjust.”

      That’s exactly what Aston-Reese has done, and now he finds himself in Columbus for at least another season with some much-needed stability in his career. His laidback nature has allowed him to fit in not just on the ice but off it, as Olivier said their senses of humor mesh, and Aston-Reese has a fair number of interests outside of hockey ranging from music to golf to the occasional woodworking project.

      That might help explain how he’s so quickly found a home in Columbus, and Aston-Reese makes no bones about the fact he’s enjoyed his time with his new CBJ teammates.

      “It’s been great, honestly,” Aston-Reese said. “It feels like a big family. Dean is really big with us doing stuff as a team on the road, so we’ve done a couple of bonding events. I don’t know – there's not really cliques. I feel like every road trip it’s a different group of guys you go to dinner with, so we all get along and I think it shows a bit on the ice.”

      Interested in learning more about the Pick 6 Flex Plan, presented by Franklin University? Please fill out the form below and a Blue Jackets representative will reach out with more information!