The start of training camp will come yet another familiar face back in the locker room, as the Boston Bruins have confirmed that forward Danton Heinen will join the organization on a professional tryout agreement.
Heinen, originally drafted by the Bruins with a fourth-round pick (No. 116 overall) back in 2014, comes back to Boston after spending the previous two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Utilized in a fourth-line role for the majority of last season, Heinen comes to Boston in search of work following a 2022-23 campaign that featured just eight goals and 22 points in 65 appearances with the Penguins.
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 08: Danton Heinen #43 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period of a game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on February 8, 2022 in Boston. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Heinen’s production dropoff was certainly a staggering one, all things considered, as his 2021-22 season featured a career-high 18 goals for the Penguins, while his 33 points were the most he had in any single season since his 2018-19 campaign with the Bruins. 15 of Heinen’s 18 goals in 2021-22 came during even-strength play, too, making him the Pens’ third-highest goal scorer at even-strength action.
But much like he did towards the end of his time in Boston, Heinen struggled as a wildly hot-and-cold scoring threat for Pittsburgh, and ultimately seemed to fall out of favor with Mike Sullivan this past season, with three just appearances of at least 12 minutes of time on ice over the final month-plus of the season.
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY SportsFeb 8, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Danton Heinen (43) goes around Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) to score a goal at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports)
Shipped out of Boston ahead of the 2020 trade deadline in a one-for-one swap that brought Nick Ritchie to Boston, the 6-foot-1 Heinen actually made a habit out of burning his former team, with three goals and an assist in six games against the Bruins since leaving town. Of course, the most notable point of the four came with Heinen’s primary helper on Kasperi Kapanen’s goal in the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park.
Overall, the 28-year-old Heinen has put 33 goals and 69 points on the board in 184 games between Anaheim and Pittsburgh since his departure from the Bruins.
OTTAWA, ON – NOVEMBER 27: Danton Heinen #43 of the Boston Bruins looks on in a game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on November 27, 2019 in Ottawa. (Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
A Bruin from 2016 to 2020, the left-shooting Heinen’s return comes with Heinen looking to put himself back on the map (and where he was at his best), with 34 goals and 103 points in 220 games with Boston.
Heinen’s best year with Boston was his first full NHL season, too, with 16 goals and 47 points in 77 games for Boston during the 2017-18 season.
The good news for Heinen is that some of his best linemates throughout his time with the Bruins are still in town.
Brad Marchand is still with the Bruins, of course. Marchand and Heinen played over 267 minutes of five-on-five together from 2017 through 2020, and the Bruins outshot opponents 214-178, out-chanced them 134-116, and outscored them 16-9 over that stretch.
Heinen also had considerable experience playing with Bruins center Charlie Coyle. Together for 390 minutes of five-on-five play during Heinen’s final two seasons with the Bruins, the Bruins outshot opponents 214-175 and outscored them 13-8 during the on-ice run of Coyle-Heinen. The duo made up two-thirds of what emerged as a go-to option for Boston on their third line during the 2019 postseason.
Heinen also played for current Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery during his run with the University of Denver, and put up 36 goals and 93 points in 81 games with Denver from 2014 through 2016.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 29: Danton Heinen #43 of the Boston Bruins in action against the St. Louis Blues during Game Two of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on May 29, 2019 in Boston. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
This is Boston’s second confirmed tryout invite ahead of training camp, with winger Alex Chiasson also set to join the team in search of a contract for the 2023-24 season.
Chiasson’s invite seems more based around the idea of the Bruins bringing in some added power-play firepower, while Heinen’s invite may be more about trying to see if he can rediscover some old chemistry should Boston’s current lineup plans fail to bring the results the B’s are hoping for in 2023-24.
The Bruins, who have started holding captains practices at Warrior Ice Arena, are currently slated to officially open training camp in about two weeks.
