The Boston Bruins have re-signed Danton Heinen to a two-year contract extension value $5.6 million. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $2.eight million and can maintain Heinen with the group by the 2020-21 season.
This deal comes slightly below a month earlier than Heinen’s arbitration assembly was set to happen on Aug. three. The expectation was that each side would finally come to phrases on a brand new deal with out the connection souring and that’s precisely what occurred on a really affordable bridge deal.
Heinen will nonetheless be a restricted free agent on the finish of this new deal. Whereas many gamers look to take their bridge offers into unrestricted free company if doable, the Bruins have been fortuitously in a position to signal Heinen to this truthful cap hit (which may have reached $three million per season in arbitration) whereas retaining one yr of restricted standing for the 6-foot-1 ahead.
Heinen is an Underrated Participant
Maybe one of the crucial underrated Bruins even by the group’s personal fan-base, the 24-year-old Heinen has been a really efficient NHL participant in his two seasons within the league so far. Turning heads as a rookie with 16 objectives and 47 factors in 77 video games, Heinen broke onto the scene in an enormous manner.
Sadly, he’d take a step again in 2018-19 and would rating solely 11 objectives and 34 factors in 77 video games as a sophomore whereas enjoying in primarily a third-line position. To his credit score, although, Heinen’s peripherals have at all times been overwhelmingly constructive and he’s been an environment friendly participant with and with out the puck regardless of the dearth of offensive numbers portray him in a foul mild for a lot of.
Danton Heinen, Boston Bruins, Dec. 2, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Whereas Heinen wasn’t given a lot time alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand final season, he proved to be among the many only choices subsequent to the Bruins’ two subsequent gamers. For no matter purpose, although, head coach Bruce Cassidy felt most snug deploying David Pastrnak on the highest line quite than alongside David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, limiting the manufacturing of the second line.
Ultimately, no person can inform Cassidy that he’s mistaken in his evaluation because the Bruins certified for the Stanley Cup Closing regardless of the clear lack of five-on-five scoring the Bruins displayed all season lengthy in addition to the group’s top-six failing to provide offense when it counted.
Nonetheless, Heinen would discover himself as a scapegoat for a lot of no matter the truth that he was removed from the most important drawback on the group. Whether or not the criticisms have been truthful or not, the actual fact of the matter is the Bruins are a greater group with Heinen on their group than they’re with out him. Statistically talking, it’s an irrefutable truth. When watching him on the ice, it’s additionally troublesome to level the finger at him on scoring performs in opposition to as a rule.
Associated: Boston Bruins 2019 Offseason Outlook
The Bruins nonetheless must care for contracts for Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, each of whom are additionally restricted free brokers. If the group goes to care for this whereas additionally conserving a buffer of cap house heading into the common season, they’ll must make a commerce or two.
There are alternatives like David Backes, Kevan Miller and John Moore, all of whom are expendable at this level and carry cap hits that aren’t doing the group any favors.
