Boston Not Decided On Heinen Despite Cuts
The Boston Bruins have trimmed their roster down to a final lineup, featuring Danton Heinen as the extra forward. They also sent Mason Lohrei to the AHL, opening enough space to sign Heinen (or another forward) to a cheap contract. However, general manager Don Sweeney said Boston is still weighing their options with Heinen, who will continue to practice with the team.
This is surprising news, as all signs pointed towards Heinen being the final feature of Boston’s opening-day lineup. The 28-year-old forward was originally drafted by Boston in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his debut with the Providence Bruins at the end of the 2015-16 season and made his debut with the Bruins in the following year, but it wasn’t until 2017-18 that Heinen received his full rookie season. He played in 77 games that year, recording 16 goals and 47 points and adding one more goal in nine playoff games. And while a strong rookie year, Heinen took a step back in his sophomore year – recording 11 goals and 34 points in another 77 games.
Heinen would go on to play a third year in Boston, before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Nick Ritchie. He would play in one full season with the Ducks before they failed to extend him a qualifying offer and made him an unrestricted free agent. Heinen signed with Pittsburgh out of free agency, appearing with them in each of the last two seasons and totaling 55 points in 141 games. But, facing free agency again this off-season, Heinen couldn’t find a new contract elsewhere; ultimately settling for a PTO with his original club.
Heinen’s pending contract is the final uncertainty facing Boston’s opening day lineup. The Bruins open their season on October 11th against the Chicago Blackhawks. Even if he does sign, it’s unlikely that Heinen suits up for this game, giving the Bruins a bit more breathing room with making a final decision.
Players Still On Training Camp Tryouts
While there have been many players who had been in training camps on tryout deals cut over the past week or so, there are quite a few whose fates have not yet been determined. Here’s a rundown of players who are still on PTO agreements with their respective teams.
Boston Bruins
Edmonton Oilers
F Adam Erne
F Sam Gagner
Gagner did not play in the preseason as he works his way back from hip surgery.
Florida Panthers
New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Libor Hajek
D Mark Pysyk
F Austin Wagner
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vegas Golden Knights
Some of these players will likely receive an NHL contract but cap-strapped teams will wait until it’s absolutely necessary to convert them to a guaranteed deal, either to optimize their LTIR pool or to try to save a day or two worth of cap space. Meanwhile, other teams could also come calling if a waiver target doesn’t make it to them. One way or the other, their fates will likely be decided soon.
Atlantic Notes: Primeau, Zboril, Heinen
Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau has struggled at the NHL level so far with a 4.11 GAA and a .871 SV% in 21 games but has shown enough in the AHL that he’s still viewed as a possible goalie of the future. He now requires waivers to get back to the minors but TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (video link) that the team believes he won’t make it through unclaimed. Accordingly, they’re giving serious consideration to carrying three goalies to start the season with Primeau joining holdovers Samuel Montembeault and Jake Allen. Primeau has two years left on his one-way contract which carries a cap hit of $890K but with the price of third-string goalies going up a lot this summer, even the one-way element might not dissuade a potentially interested team from taking a flyer on him.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril returned to practice yesterday for the first time since being injured in Boston’s preseason opener, relays Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link). The blueliner was in a non-contact sweater but it was still a step in the right direction. This is an important camp for the 26-year-old who is entering the final year of his contract, one that carries an AAV of $1.1375MM. Boston could opt to waive Zboril, giving them some much-needed cap flexibility so he’ll be looking to get into some games to try to lock down his spot.
- Still with Boston, Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston argues that the Bruins should keep winger Danton Heinen who is in with the group on a PTO. While he’s not a prototypical fourth-line player, he would give them a bit more offensive punch. With the firepower they lost over the summer, they could stand to benefit from carrying a bit more of an offensive-minded depth player. Speculatively, Heinen would wind up with a deal at or close to the league minimum of $775K if he got a contract offer but they would need to open up some room before they could even offer that.
Boston Bruins Sign Danton Heinen To PTO
In a press release from the team, the Boston Bruins have announced they have signed forward Danton Heinen to a professional tryout during training camp. In his career, Heinen has previously played over 200 games for the Bruins, being drafted in the fourth round by the team back in the 2014 NHL Draft.
After spending his NCAA career at the University of Denver, Heinen spent two years with the Providence Bruins before making the full-time jump to the NHL. Getting off to an incredible start in his first full season with the Bruins in 2017-18, Heinen would score 16 goals and 31 assists in 77 games, becoming one of the better secondary scorers in the lineup.
Unfortunately for both he and the team, Heinen would fail to reach those scoring heights again, and the team finally dealt him to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Nick Ritchie back in the 2019-20 season. Needless to say, his time in Anaheim became a complete failure, only scoring 10 goals and eight assists in 52 total games with the club.
After his time with the Ducks came to a close, Heinen would sign back-to-back one-year deals with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he did see his play mildly improve. In his first season with Pittsburgh, Heinen earned the best goal-scoring output of his career up to this point, scoring 18 goals and 15 assists in 76 games. Last year, seeing his average ice time cut by almost two minutes, he would only put up eight goals and 14 assists in 65 games played.
Even though the team did capture the President’s Trophy last season after the greatest regular season in league history, after the offseason they had this year, the Bruins could certainly stand to gain some more forward depth. There will be no expectation that Heinen will become the secondary scorer he used to be in Boston, but he should be able to add an offensive boost to the team’s bottom-six in the upcoming season.
Free Agent Profile: Danton Heinen
This is the time of the summer when NHL signings are few and far between. Many teams have made their moves and are now tweaking around the edges, while other teams are looking to figure out how to become cap compliant in October. For the unrestricted free agents who remain unsigned, it must be a stressful time of year, it’s almost like a game of musical chairs, everyone has their seat, and only a select few are left standing.
For winger Danton Heinen he is familiar with this waiting game, he wasn’t signed last summer until late July when he inked a one-year $1MM deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. At the time, Heinen was coming off a career-high 18 goals and a very respectable 33 points. It seemed like an absolute steal at that price point, but then Heinen failed to match that production this past season. Coming off a very disappointing season it’s hard to see Heinen topping his salary from this past season, and it appears he might have to wait even deeper into the summer to find an NHL deal.
Heinen entered this past season with an opportunity to capture a spot in the Penguins lineup next to Evgeni Malkin. At the beginning of the season, the Penguins weren’t sure how Jason Zucker would fit into the lineup and Heinen was brought in as a depth piece who could fill in admirably in the top six, and that is what he did to start the season. Heinen began the year with six points in his first five games including a two-goal game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in October as he filled in for an injured Jake Guentzel alongside Sidney Crosby. However, over the course of his next 34 games, Heinen would put up just five assists and didn’t score another goal until late January, a period of over three months between goals. Heinen finished the season with eight goals and 14 assists in 65 games and ended up in Mike Sullivan’s doghouse many times throughout the year.
While Heinen’s offensive numbers took a nosedive last season from the year previous, they fell close to his career average as he has typically been a 10-15 goal scorer and a player who can contribute 25-30 points. Outside of a single 47-point season, Heinen has never topped 34 points in any other NHL season. His lack of offensive ability wasn’t an issue earlier in his career as his shortcomings could be glossed over because he offered a lot more defensive prowess and the ability to disrupt plays in the defensive zone. He could also get to the front of the net, but that seemed to disappear last season as he appeared to lack the confidence to get to the dirty areas of the ice to distract defenders away from some of the Penguins more gifted offensive players. Overall, it was a tough season for Heinen and the Penguins as he seemed to struggle more and more as the season went on, as did the entire Penguins lineup.
Despite the disappointment of being a healthy scratch many times this past season, Heinen is still very much an NHL player. The flat salary cap has put him and many others in the precarious position of being left without a job deep into the offseason despite having a small track record of NHL success. Heinen has 70 goals and 106 assists in 413 career NHL games, and while those offensive numbers aren’t eye-popping, he does offer several intangibles that could be attractive to many teams. He is a decent skater and doesn’t mind taking a hit to make a play, however, he does get pushed around a lot and could probably stand to put on a bit of muscle to help him when he does get into the dirty areas of the ice.
Stats
2022-23: 65 GP, 8-14-22, -5 rating, 12 PIMS, 96 shots, 40.0% faceoffs, 51.3% CF, 10:45 ATOI
Career: 413 GP, 70-106-176, +10 rating, 72 PIMS, 675 shots, 31.3% faceoffs, 51.9% CF, 13:35 ATOI
Potential Suitors
After spending seven years in the league, it is unlikely that Heinen would want to be part of a rebuilding team, however, given his precarious position in the league he doesn’t have the luxury of being picky. Heinen has dressed for three different franchises at this point and may never see the security of a long-term deal with any one team. That doesn’t mean he won’t have suitors as teams are always looking for solid depth options late in the summer and around training camp when injuries begin to pop up.
In the East, one team that could use some good forward depth is the Ottawa Senators. They’ve had success before taking on reclamation projects and Heinen could certainly be categorized as that. Heinen doesn’t need to be fully rebuilt but he does need to be put in a spot where he can play with good players in the bottom six and get the opportunity to jump up into the top six from time to time. Ottawa could offer exactly that as Heinen would be a good fit on their third line next to your center Shane Pinto. The Senators could also use a good depth forward who could jump up and replace Dominik Kubalik should he struggle with his new team. The Senators will also be dressing a few young forwards in their bottom six and could use a solid veteran to help guide the youngsters and show them what it takes to be a pro.
Sticking with the East, Heinen could also be a good fit with one of the Penguins closest rivals the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets don’t have much in the way of offensive firepower in their bottom six forward group and Heinen would actually represent an upgrade on several of their current options. Thus far the Blue Jackets have prioritized acquiring defensemen this offseason, however, Heinen could represent a cheap upgrade who wouldn’t require much term or cap space.
Out West, a couple of teams could make sense of potential destinations for Heinen. A native of Langley, British Columbia, a trip home to Vancouver would make for a nice story and a fit for both player and team. The Vancouver Canucks currently have Teddy Bleuger pencilled in as their third-line center; a player Heinen knows well having played on a line with him in both of the past two seasons. Heinen would be a more than capable replacement for Phil Di Giuseppe and could also add a bit of depth on the wing for the Canucks, something they are certainly lacking.
Staying in the West, the Winnipeg Jets lost a few forwards this offseason and seem to be in a bit of a holding pattern. Much has been made of the trade targets on the Jets, but it appears that they do want to make another run at the playoffs next season with much of the same core. If Heinen were to sign with the Jets, it would most likely be as a 13th forward and the opportunity to push fourth-line winger Morgan Barron. The 24-year-old Barron had similar numbers to Heinen last year but battled injuries early in the year. The Jets have a few terrific young forwards and adding a solid veteran like Heinen could help provide some mentorship to the youth in the Jets forward ranks.
Projected Contract
Heinen wasn’t mentioned as one of our Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents before free agency began. He fell well outside that list as this past season in Pittsburgh really damaged his free-agent stock. While Heinen has his shortcomings, he is still just 28 and has had recent success when sheltered in the right situation. He can contribute on a third or fourth line and chip in a bit of offence as well. At this point Heinen would do well to top his deal from last July, he is likely to still get a one-year deal, but it will probably fall around the $1MM guarantee he received from Pittsburgh last summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Penguins Injury Notes: Petry, Bonino, Poehling
For the second straight game, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the services of defenseman Jeff Petry. The 35-year-old played just three shifts in the first period before he exited the game after taking an elbow from Tyler Motte. Petry also exited Tuesday nights 6-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens with an apparent injury. Petry’s injury luck in the last two games has forced the Penguins defense to play shorthanded in back-to-back games, leaning heavily on Kris Letang who himself has dealt with a series of health issues this season.
If Petry is out for any length of time it would be likely that recent healthy scratch Chad Ruhwedel would draw back into the Penguins lineup. The Penguins do have Mark Friedman and Ty Smith stashed in the minors but would need to move Nick Bonino onto LTIR to call up either player. Ty Smith was quite good in limited NHL action earlier this season, however the young defenseman is still week-to-week with a facial fracture.
In other Penguins injury news:
- Seth Rorabaugh is reporting that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told tonight’s MSG broadcast that Pittsburgh expects center Nick Bonino to be back by the playoffs. Bonino was re-acquired on trade deadline day by the Penguins to center their fourth line but was only able to dress in a handful of games after spending most of the season with the San Jose Sharks. Jeff Carter has taken Bonino’s spot on the fourth line in recent games but has struggled mightily going -4 in just 8:28 of ice time on Tuesday against Montreal.
- Ryan Poehling did return to action tonight after missing over a month with a lingering upper body injury. The young forward saw duty on the fourth line next to Jeff Carter and Josh Archibald. Poehling’s return could create an interesting situation on the Penguins fourth line should Jeff Carter continue to struggle. Poehling was centering the unit earlier in the season prior to the injury and showed good chemistry with Drew O’Connor and Danton Heinen.
Penguins Milestones: Guentzel, Heinen
Very early into the Pittsburgh Penguins game against the Montreal Canadiens, Jake Guentzel scored 21 seconds into the game, which is the 400th point of his career. Guentzel now has 189 goals, and 211 assists through 437 career games, all spent in Pittsburgh. Originally a third-round pick of the Penguins back in 2018, Guentzel quickly became one of the top forwards on the team. Scoring 33 points in 40 games in his rookie 2016-17 season, Guentzel helped the Penguins secure their second Stanley Cup in as many years.
Another player on the Penguins marking a big milestone tonight is forward Danton Heinen, who has now played in 400 games in the NHL. Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL by the Boston Bruins, Heinen has become a decent depth scorer in the league. His best year came during the 2017-18 season, scoring 47 points in 77 games for Boston. A couple of years later, as his production declined, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Nick Ritchie. As his time in Anaheim came to an end, he finally made his way to Pittsburgh, scoring 24 goals and 27 assists in 128 career games for the Penguins.
Central Notes: Plante, Jets, Maxwell
Derek Plante’s time away from the Blackhawks is going to be relatively short as Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune reports that Plante is expected to rejoin Chicago as an assistant coach on Luke Richardson’s staff with an official announcement expected next week. Plante has spent the last two seasons as the Associate Coach with Minnesota-Duluth of the NCAA but before that, he spent five years as a Player Development Coach with the Blackhawks. He’ll join former interim head coach Derek King and Kevin Dean as Richardson’s assistants. Plante briefly spent time as a player with Chicago back in 2000 when he was acquired (with Dean) in a trade near the trade deadline.
More from the Central:
- When Danton Heinen opted to re-sign with Pittsburgh on a one-year, $1MM deal, it seemed a little on the light side relative to his production. He was, after all, coming off an 18-goal, 33-point season. However, it wasn’t the biggest offer he had as Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe relays (Twitter link) that several teams, including the Jets, tendered higher offers. Heinen would have made some sense for Winnipeg – they have some cap flexibility this summer that they haven’t had in recent years which gives them the flexibility to upgrade their depth. Fortunately for them, there are several similar wingers still on the market and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pivot to one of those before long.
- The Blues are set to add to their scouting department as Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that St. Louis is expected to hire Kevin Maxwell. Maxwell had spent the last decade as the head professional scout for the Rangers while also spending time with the Islanders, Stars, Flyers, and Whalers.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Danton Heinen
After choosing not to issue him a qualifying offer, the Pittsburgh Penguins have brought back forward Danton Heinen on a one-year, one-way deal worth $1MM.
Heinen takes a steep discount to stay in Pittsburgh, actually taking $100K less than his previous contract. It’s tough to believe that he wouldn’t have received many other offers after the 27-year-old had a strong 2021-22 campaign.
His career-high 18 goals ranked seventh on the team last season, adding 15 assists for 33 points in total in 76 games. While he averaged under 13 minutes a game, he posted stellar all-around offensive and defensive results.
It’s a solid bet that Heinen’s value on the ice will eclipse that of his cap hit next season, adding to Pittsburgh’s summer of value signings (at least in the short term). He’ll compete with other depth wingers such as Jason Zucker, Brock McGinn, and Kasperi Kapanen for ice time in the Penguins’ top nine.
Penguins Notes: Malkin, COVID, Recalls
The day has come for Evgeni Malkin, who will make his season debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. The star center has been out all season rehabbing his knee after offseason surgery but now returns to a Pittsburgh lineup that won ten straight before falling to the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
With 48 games left in the regular season, Malkin will have a chance to climb a little further up the all-time points list. He currently sits 63rd with 1,104, just behind Patrick Kane‘s 1,119. Both those names could jump over several impressive names, including former teammate Marian Hossa who is 57th with 1,134. Given Malkin recently said that he wants to play several more seasons, there’s no telling how high he’ll climb before eventually hanging up his skates.
- Unfortunately, Malkin’s return won’t be the only story of the day for the Penguins. Danton Heinen and Zach Aston-Reese have both tested positive for coronavirus and have entered the league’s COVID protocol. They are out for tonight’s game. Head coach Mike Sullivan explained that Heinen is experiencing symptoms, but Aston-Reese is not. The latter could test out of the protocol after five days, while Heinen will need his symptoms to resolve (and provide a negative test after a minimum of five days) before rejoining his teammates.
- The interesting part for the Penguins is how they’ll make the financials fit, as they actually don’t have the cap space to activate Malkin from long-term injured reserve without sending someone else down. With Heinen, Aston-Reese, and Casey DeSmith all on the COVID protocol, they’ll first have to get cap compliant before using emergency recalls to fill out a lineup.
- Moving Jason Zucker to LTIR could solve the issue for now but he too is close to a return. Zucker skated with the club today in a non-contact jersey, but Sullivan explained that his status hasn’t changed and is not ready to return just yet. Given Zucker hasn’t played since December 19, his stint on LTIR could be backdated to allow the Penguins to activate him whenever ready.