Zach Aston-Reese has spent most of the past week at Penguins training camp playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.
For most 23-year-old hockey players, that’s an achievement in and of itself. But Aston-Reese has a higher standard.
“Just personally, I’d say my performance was kind of average,” Aston-Reese said. “I’m finding that it’s a lot faster and quicker. With that said, though, I felt better each and every day. I’ve been coming to the rink with a mindset to get quicker everyday and learn.”
The fact that the coaching staff put Aston-Reese with Malkin and Kessel in training camp, though, shows what their hopes and expectations are for him. Signed as a high-profile undrafted free agent last spring, Aston-Reese could very well make an impact for the Penguins in the NHL this season. He showed a prolific goal-scoring ability in college and tallied eight points in the 10 AHL games he played last season.
That doesn’t mean the adjustment to playing with NHLers on a daily basis has been completely smooth, though.
“I think early on the pace and the speed of everything was an adjustment,” he said. “But I felt throughout the three or four days, my legs have gotten a little more up to pace.”
Aston-Reese wasn’t exactly able to wade his way into this training camp, either, as the coaching staff threw him into the deep end right away, playing on a line with two of the best offensive players in the league.
If he can consistently get up to speed with the NHL game over the next few weeks, Aston-Reese might fit in nicely on Malkin’s left wing opposite Kessel. He’s a slightly more physical player who could open up space for two naturally gifted goal scorers to operate.
“He potentially has the skill set to play there moving forward,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s not etched in stone, but what we did think was that when a young player like Zach has an opportunity to play with established guys like Geno and Phil, it’s a great opportunity for him.”
And while he maybe would’ve liked his performance to be a bit better, Aston-Reese relished the opportunity to play with two superstars.
“It was pretty amazing,” he said. “That’s something you dream about when you’re a kid, watching those guys on TV. To play with them is pretty amazing, it’s pretty special.”
Playing with Malkin and Kessel isn’t exactly an easy job, either. The two went through a number of left wings over the course of last season and the playoffs, all of whom brought various skill sets to the table. Aston-Reese said he just didn’t try to overthink things.
“You just try to keep it simple,” he said. “You work hard, try to put the puck in those guys’ hands and play off them, find open spaces. They’re going to make the magic happen.”
Aston-Reese will make his preseason debut — not playing with Kessel and Malkin, who aren’t on the roster — Tuesday night against Buffalo at Penn State. Over the next two weeks, through the preseason slate, he’ll try to take his performance level from a self-described “average” to a spot that might make Sullivan think about an NHL roster spot on opening night.
“I think that’s everyone’s goal,” Aston-Reese said. “It’s been a competitive camp and everyone’s been great.
“I’m excited for [preseason games]. I think my biggest thing right now is just go out there, play hard and play my game.”
Sam Werner: swerner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SWernerPG
First Published: September 19, 2017, 8:43 p.m.