Toronto Maple Leafs

Aston-Reese Is Part of Changing the Maple Leafs’ Identity

The Toronto Maple Leafs have an elite offensive unit. Are they also putting together a bottom-six that’s defensively effective as well?

by
Old Prof
October 5, 2022

Nobody announced that this was going to happen, but it’s obvious that the Toronto Maple Leafs are changing their identity. No one on the team’s Core Fou; and, in fact, the team has retained its powerful offense.

In fact, it looks as if the Maple Leafs might enhance their offensive skillset if Nick Robertson makes the team out of training camp. He offers the potential of even more effective scoring. He’s tied with the NHL preseason scoring lead with seven points. If he’s successful and lives up to his potential, the team’s offense might even be enhanced.

Who Said a Team Can’t Be Offensive and Defensive at the Same Time?

But right under our noses, the team is becoming more physical and much harder to play against. Last season, it began with the signing of David Kampf to a contract as a third-line center. Kampf brought a shutdown aspect to the team on a line with the now-departed Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall.

With Mikheyev gone Maple Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas signed Calle Jarnkrok to take his place. Jarnkrok has looked great during the preseason. He’s smart, poised, experienced, reliable, and doesn’t mind playing the defensive role he’s been assigned. And he can also add secondary scoring.

Calle Jarnkrok, now with the Maple Leafs

Last season, Michael Bunting became part of the team’s highly-successful first line. He’s not only a puck-digger in the image of Zach Hyman but he’s an agitator as well. He’s always chirping at opponents, causing mayhem, and drawing penalties from frustrated opponents.

This season, Dubas signed Nicolas Aube-Kubel Aston-Reese and brought Zach Aston-Reese to training camp on a PTO. Aston-Reese has made his mark, and it would seem like a given that he will be signed by the team. If he is, he’ll become part of a crash-and-bang fourth line with Aube-Kubel and (probably) Adam Gaudette.

The Maple Leafs Are Becoming More Physical, While They Remain Offensively Able

Aston-Reese is a bottom-six forward who provides the Maple Leafs with the kind of physical play the team needs. With the third line intact and continuing to provide shutdown hockey, the fourth line will be tasked with being in the face of the opposition and making the team hard to play against.

With the Maple Leafs’ fourth line bashing incessantly on the other team’s top players, it helps let the Maple Leafs’ top talent be exactly what they are. In that way, the bottom-six units support the team’s top-six units.

During his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Aston-Reese became a strong defensive forward who provides plenty of grit. That’s an aspect that has been coming to the team for a couple of seasons now, and it might be the tipping point for moving forward during the postseason.

Zach Aston-Reese, now with the Maple Leafs

Aston-Reese is a hitter. In 69 games with the Penguins and the Anaheim Ducks, he totaled 231 hits. But he also knows how to play defense as well. Last season, he blocked 42 blocks and had 19 takeaways (to his 10 giveaways). He’s a player who could – and I think will – carry part of the physical load needed from the bottom-six units.

Thus Far, Aston-Reese Has Impressed Fans and Coaches

Since coming to Maple Leafs’ training camp, the 28-year-old Aston-Reese has played impressive hockey. Last week, playing with a group of young Maple Leafs’ players – most of whom will be headed to the Toronto Marlies in a week, he worked with Kampf and Aube-Kubel to shut down a more experienced Ottawa Senators’ first line.

What Aston-Reese also brings to the team is a change of identity. No longer is the team soft and easy to push around. Now, there’s some jam. That shapes the team’s identity and helps Maple Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe construct both a shutdown line that can go up against the opposition’s top lines and prevent scoring chances.

In addition, with Aston-Reese on the fourth line with Aube-Kubel and Gaudette (or another player), the Maple Leafs have a physical line that will consistently beat the other team from the start of the game until the game’s end.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel, now with the Maple Leafs

The fourth line thus far has demonstrated tenacity, physicality, and strong defensive acumen that can help turn the team into legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Aston-Reese brings so much to the team that fans should look for him to sign a contract with the Maple Leafs in the next week.

If the Maple Leafs Can Sign Him for $1 Million, It’s a Bargain

Assuming Aston-Reese signs a show-me deal for around $1 million, he will become a physical defense-minded forward who, as noted, might be the tipping point for a longer postseason journey.