Now well into August, there's still some time for remaining UFAs to find new homes for next season, but the more time that goes by, the more of these opportunities may dry up, which gives remaining free agents an incentive to sign sooner than later to avoid being passed over this summer.
Former Leafs winger Zach Aston-Reese was forced to go through this last summer, failing to find a deal in free agency. Eventually, it led Aston-Reese to sign a PTO with the Leafs, which then turned into a 1-year contract. However, while there was a lack of interest last summer, that doesn't appear to be the case this summer, as Aston-Reese is believed to have at least 3 suitors interested in enlisting his services.
Per popular rumour site, HockeyBuzz, Aston-Reese is currently being connected to the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Florida Panthers. While not officially linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins yet, HockeyBuzz also wonders about a potential reunion for Aston-Reese in Pittsburgh.
Aston-Reese scored a career-high 10 goals with the Leafs last season, adding 4 assists for a total of 14 points across 77 games. Aston-Reese is a 307-game NHL veteran who played most of his career in Pittsburgh before brief stops in Anaheim and Toronto.
Nobody in Toronto has formally come out and publicly shut down the idea of Aston-Reese returning with the Leafs next season, but the most likely outcome here appears to be ZAR landing in a new city for the 2023-24 season.
