The Pittsburgh Penguins have added former Anaheim Ducks Danton Heinen to their forward corps today.
The Penguins have signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year contract.
The one-way contract runs through the 2021.22 season and carries a value of $1.1 million.
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Danton Heinen Signs With Pittsburgh Penguins
The 25-year old Heinen is coming off a 43-game season with the Ducks. He scored seven goals and 14 points, mostly skating with Jakob Silverberg and either Sam Steel or Adam Henrique. The trade brings him back to the East coast, having started his professional career with the Boston Bruins. He started off in Boston with a bang, getting 16 goals and 47 points in his first full season. Unfortunately, those remained career highs as he was traded for Nick Ritchie – also a free agent this year – in 2020.
Over his five-year career, Heinen has a 54.4 percent Corsi, but those numbers are dramatically different between Anaheim and Boston. It’s very easy to believe that the lower numbers of last season are at least partially the result of skating with a weaker team. This could be a test of his career trajectory – regaining his scoring touch and getting to the top lines, or becoming a reliable addition to a dangerous team.
Last season was the first year Heinen was used regularly on the penalty kill. Whether this says more about the Ducks’ depth or his ability to learn is a question for his coaches, but the new skills won’t hurt his chances to get on the ice in Pittsburgh.
What This Changes
It’s no surprise his numbers fell with Anaheim, but he remains a young forward that the Penguins will look to for depth scoring. He can play on either wing, but don’t look for him to be patrolling the top-six any time soon. Heinen makes for some nice skill depth, though, and in case of injury, he can move up. If he does manage to take a top spot, his small contract would make him excellent trade bait come deadline time. If he stays lower, he can stay on the club and follow their push for another Stanley Cup.
For both player and team, this deal is a very safe bet.
Main Photo:
DENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 16: Danton Heinen #43 of the Anaheim Ducks skates in warmups prior to their game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on March 16, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
