Danton Heinen was among the many feel-good stories of the Boston Bruins' 2023-24 season. After failing to land a guaranteed deal during the summer, Heinen settled for a tryout with the Bruins. From there, he impressed during training and earned a league-minimum deal for the season.
The Bruins and Heinen reuniting turned out to be beneficial for both parties. Heinen had an outstanding bounce-back season with the Bruins and became one of their most important offensive contributors. In 74 games, the Langley, British Columbia native posted 17 goals, 36 points, and a plus-16 rating.
Heinen's all-around solid play earned him top-six minutes for a decent portion of the season, and his secondary scoring helped the Bruins significantly. Because of this, it should be a no-brainer for GM Don Sweeney to re-sign Heinen. It also has been reported that the Bruins and Heinen have started contract talks.
If the Bruins lose Heinen to free agency, it will create a pretty notable hole on their roster. Heinen's a bit of a Swiss Army knife, as he works virtually anywhere in the Bruins' lineup. This also applies to both of their special-team units, as he plays an effective two-way game.
It will be intriguing to see if Heinen and the Bruins can agree to a new deal before July 1. After how well last season went, it could be a big mistake for the Bruins to let him walk.
