The only player Pittsburgh has to worry about going to arbitration is forward Zach Aston-Reese. The 24-year-old appeared in 43 games this year with the Penguins, scoring 17 points. In his NHL career, he has played in 59 games and tallied 23 points.He signed with the Penguins as an undrafted free agent in March 2017. He is now at the end of his entry-level contract and is rightfully looking for a raise. I’m not sure if Pittsburgh thinks he is asking too much or for too long of a term but obviously, there is something that is keeping them from making a deal. Personally, I think he’s looking for $1.5-2 million and the Penguins don’t want to pay that. If I was the GM, I would give him around $900,000, $1 million max, and I think a two or three year deal would be perfect. Let him prove that he is worth the $1.5-2 million a year and then give it to him. Hopefully, the NHL will side with Pittsburgh.
Update July 22, 2019
Today was Aston-Reese’s hearing and they just barely avoided arbitration, announcing they had come to an agreement shortly after 12:00pm EST. They agreed on a two year, one-way contract worth $2 million, that carries a $1 million AAV. Personally, I don’t know how to feel. I’m disappointed that its $1 million but I also thought that he was going to get $1.25 million a season, so at least it’s less than I anticipated. Overall, it’s for the best and I’m glad he is returning, but I just wish they had been able to keep it under $1 million per season.
Hockey Addict 