B’s Heinen goes forward
With new deal in place, looks for big 2019-20
Without a new deal in place, Bruins winger Danton Heinen was one of 40 players around the NHL who filed for arbitration as a restricted free agent, meaning a hearing would be scheduled for next month as part of a long arbitration process.
But he’s happy it didn’t get to that point.
The same week he and his agent filed for arbitration, Heinen struck a new deal that will keep him with the Bruins for the next two seasons at an average annual value of $2.8 million. Heinen was confident a deal would get done all along.
“I definitely was not going to be looking forward to that,” Heinen said yesterday of an arbitration hearing that was set for Aug. 3. “You see around the league, it’s not the nicest process to go through, so I was definitely excited to get it done. … My agent, I just kind of trusted him and he’s looking out for my best interests, so I trusted what he was doing.
“I’m excited with what we got done.”
Now Heinen can focus on building on his first full two seasons with the B’s, which have been encouraging.
With the ink not yet dry on the new deal that was announced Tuesday night, the 24-year-old joined a conference call from his home in Langley, British Columbia, where he will be spending most of his summer as he trains and works on ways to improve his game.
One point of emphasis will be finishing his chances. After a rookie season in which he posted 16 goals and 31 assists, his numbers dipped last season to 11-2334. Though he had some big moments in the playoffs, he produced two goals and six assists in 24 games as the Bruins made a run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“You definitely always want to score more goals,” Heinen said. “There’s nothing better than scoring. But I’ve always worked on my shot. In the summertime, I continue to work on it. That’s definitely something I emphasize and I’m going to continue to work on. I think I also need to get into a mindset where I’m shooting more and more confident in my shot because different opportunities you might pass up or whatever, but I believe in my shot and I believe I can score. I think it’s just continuing believing in that and working on it. …
“I think as a player, you try not to get your head wrapped around too much in numbers. … For me, I think as an all-around player I felt more comfortable in my all-around game. Sometimes it’s the way it works. It’s situational and every year is different, but I think if you keep on sticking and working on the details, keep trying to improve your allaround game, that stuff will come and that’s what I’m focused on, keep on getting better and keep on focusing on the little things.”
The Bruins certainly saw his all-around game improve, too, as evidenced by the number of ways they used him on different lines last season. When David Pastrnak went down with an injury during the second half of the year, the B’s trusted Heinen enough to put him on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand for extended time, and he held his own.
Where Heinen factors in on next year’s roster remains to be seen, but playing with Bergeron and Marchand certainly can point to him belonging as a top-six forward.
“Maybe a bit,” Heinen said about whether he stated a case a top-six guy last season. “I think playing with those guys, it’s an honor, for sure. It feels good to be a guy they tried up there and gave the opportunity to me, and I didn’t take it lightly at all. But at the same point, it’s whatever’s best for the team, again, but if that’s where they need me, that’s where I’ll play.”
Whatever the case, Heinen seems to be happy in any role he’s given.
“I see myself as an offensive guy and I think at the end of the day, it’s kind of what’s best for the team,” Heinen said. “I trust the coaching staff and what they think is best. But I see myself as an offensive guy and we’ve taken steps in that direction for me. I feel like I’ve played all over, but it’s honestly wherever they want me or whatever they need me to do.”