The Boston Bruins will miss this forward next season.
The Boston Bruins will miss this forward next season.
Before the start of training camp last year, the Boston Bruins signed Danton Heinen to a professional tryout (PTO) contract. After posting eight goals and 22 points in 65 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022-23, he had trouble landing a deal during the summer. However, due to his impressive preseason, the Bruins later signed him.
In the end, it was a move that both the Bruins and Heinen benefitted from greatly.
Heinen not only got his career back on track with the Bruins last season but also became one of the Original Six club's most important offensive contributors. In 74 games, the Langley, British Columbia native posted 17 goals and 36 points. Due to his strong season, Heinen got a nice payday in free agency this time around, signing a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
While the Bruins made some much-needed additions with their money this offseason, they will also miss having Heinen around, especially at his previous $775,000 cap hit.
Heinen was one of the Bruins' most versatile players in 2023-24, as he fit virtually anywhere in their lineup. Due to his strong production, he most notably spent a decent chunk of the season in their top six. However, he also worked in their bottom six when needed and provided them with another option for their penalty kill. Thus, the Bruins have lost an impactful Swiss army knife player in Heinen.
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Overall, Heinen proved to be an excellent low-risk, high-reward signing for the Bruins last season. Due to this, he received a solid payday from his hometown team, and it will be interesting to see what he does for an encore in Vancouver from here.
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