The arbitration hearing for Pittsburgh Penguins winger Zach Aston-Reese is set for July 22 in Toronto.
Aston-Reese, 24, recorded eight goals and 17 points in 43 games with the Penguins last season while making $925,000. Evolving Wild’s contract projections suggest he is in line for a two-year deal worth about $1.27 million annually.
There is a good chance Aston-Reese and the Penguins will hammer out a contract before the arbitration hearing takes place.
In Jim Rutherford’s five-year tenure as Penguins general manager, four players have had arbitration hearings scheduled. All were avoided.
In 2014, just after he was acquired from Nashville, forward Nick Spaling signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract the morning of his scheduled hearing.
In 2017, Rutherford worked out contracts with Brian Dumoulin and Conor Sheary before their hearings. Dumoulin signed a six-year, $24.6 million contract the day of his hearing, and Sheary signed a three-year, $9 million deal five days earlier.
Last summer, Jamie Oleksiak signed hours after his arbitration hearing was announced, agreeing to a three-year, $6.4 million contract two weeks before the scheduled date.
