Boston Bruins: Anticipating Danton Heinen’s next contract

We are going to take a look at the three big restricted free agents of the Boston Bruins’ upcoming off-season and understand what they can earn in a contract. First up, Danton Heinen.

As the Boston Bruins roll on, it is tough to think about the future with them in the Eastern Conference Finals. The fact is that players, Danton Heinen being one of them, will enter restricted and unrestricted free agency as soon as this year’s great Stanley Cup playoffs are over.

Danton Heinen has been a key contributor to the Boston Bruins the past two seasons, filling in on any line needed, mostly finding a home on the third line this year. At times he can really be in control and look like one of the best players on the ice.

And then other times, Heinen can drive the Bruins faithful nuts with his lack physicality a lot of the time and ability to at times disappear even when he is playing.

Despite the up and down play, Danton Heinen has proved to be an asset more than anything for the Boston Bruins with point totals of 47 points in the 2017-18 season and 34 points this regular season. His playoff play has been very helpful for them as well, totalling 1 goal and 4 assists and being a +6 so far.

The question is now, what type of contract could come his way this off-season?

The best comparison of play would be to Alex Killorn of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2016, he was given a seven-year, $31.15 million contract with the annual average of $4.45 mil annual average.

In his two seasons leading up to this contract, Killorn had a total of 78 points in those two years. Killorn is much like Danton Heinen as he is able to fill in the holes a team may have, whether it is on the wing or filling in at center on any line.

In comparison to Heinen, their point totals are close to each other right before their restricted free agent year. Heinen has totalled 81 points the past two seasons and is a player the Boston Bruins won’t want to lose because of his ability to fill in anywhere in the lineup.

While a seven-year deal may be a bit much for the Bruins to offer, the annual average of $4.45 million is a believable margin for Heinen.

While it is a wait and see considering there is plenty of playoffs left in this one for him to light up the scorecard, a $4.45 million annual amount is surely something Heinen and the Bruins could agree on this summer.