Boston Bruins: Danton Heinen Shining in Preseason in Search of Roster Spot
When Frank Vatrano was ruled out for three months with torn ligaments in his foot, somebody needed to step up. Fortunately for the Boston Bruins, somebody has. In his first three NHL preseason games (all coming this year) Danton Heinen has scored three goals – with one coming in each game.
Players will take goals any way they can get them, but scoring in every game so far shows consistency from Heinen. It also shows that he’s aware of the circumstances and is capable of taking advantage of the situation.
Upon his return from Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey, and prior to the Bruins third preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers, head coach Claude Julien had this to say about Heinen:
"“I think he’s been a real good player. He’s a smart player that seems to be heady and sees the play well. He seems to be in the right place and understands the game. The hockey sense is something that you either have or you don’t, and I think he has great hockey sense. It certainly makes a great hockey player. I’ve liked him so far and I’m looking forward to seeing more of him.”– Claude Julien"
Julien also touched upon the fact that some big-time lineup positions are empty and need to be filled.
"“We have to keep an open mind. Frank Vatrano is hurt, and we kind of felt that he was going to have a really good start to this year. His confidence seemed to be at its highest, and the World Championships were good for him. We have to look at what we have for a replacement. We went after Jimmy Vesey and we didn’t get him. So there are some spots that are open, and there’s no doubt about it.I’m going to be looking at compete level and I’ll be watching for the next three games to see who can fit in those spots. There are open spots, so it’s not cut-and-dried like a lot of years when it has been.”– Claude Julien"
Carving Out a Role on the Team
Heinen found chemistry alongside David Backes and David Pastrnak last game, with both David’s making their preseason debuts against the Flyers. Backes recorded three assists in 20:14 of ice time, Pastrnak scored two goals and an assist in 16:58 of ice time and Heinen scored one goal in 18:34 of ice time.
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As it stands, there’s an opening on the Bruins second line left wing spot next to David Krejci and Pastrnak. With Heinen playing so well alongside Pastrnak last game, he opened up discussion for his chances at taking that spot. If the Bruins are okay with playing Heinen on his off-wing, then they could also look at playing him alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Finally, Heinen could see himself playing on the Bruins’ third line alongside either David Backes or Ryan Spooner.
Despite leading the league in preseason goals (although he’s played one more game than Avalanche’ forward Mikhail Grigorenko), Heinen knows he can still improve. Following the Bruins second preseason game, Heinen had this to say:
"“I think I’ve rushed a few plays where I feel like I could hang onto [the puck] and make a smarter play. So it’s little things like that. As I play a little more then I get more comfortable hanging onto it, so I hope to do a little more than that.”– Danton Heinen"
Next: Frank Vatrano Out Three Months
At this point, it’s likely Heinen makes the opening day roster. It’s unclear where he’ll fit in, or who he’ll skate with, but he’s made his case known. At just 21-years-old, Heinen is still very young; but his compete level is already at an intensely high level. With the Bruins looking to finally break the trend of missed playoff bids, Heinen’s emergence is an encouraging sign.