BOSTON — Danton Heinen was patient as the 2023-24 NHL season began and he was still on a professional tryout with the Bruins. The PTO lasted nearly two months as Boston sorted out its salary cap situation before Heinen signed a one-year deal at the end of October.
Since then, he’s been a noticeable addition to the team.
Heinen scored a goal in the Bruins’ 5-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. It marked the fourth of the season for the forward, who now has nine points in 18 games played.
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“What I liked about Danton Heinen (Saturday) was: He makes a mistake, the puck gets jacked in our net. He comes out makes a big play,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “You want to have a short memory so you can go back out there and make plays. We want people to be aggressive and want the puck, and he wants the puck So that’s a good thing.”
Heinen stepped into an even bigger role Saturday when Pavel Zacha missed the final two periods with an upper-body injury. The Bruins had the next man up mentality between taking on additional minutes and Montgomery moving the lines around.
“I feel like in that situation, guys just step up and we rely on our systems or processes,” Heinen said after Saturday’s win.
Heinen has brought a lot of value during his second stint in Boston. A two-way skater who can play on the third and fourth lines, Heinen has looked like a steal in free agency. The Bruins were the only team interested in his services after a down 2022-23 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His future was up in the air while the Bruins tried to fit him on the roster. His numbers aren’t flashy, but what he’s brought to the team in 18 games has helped them win games.
It’s unclear if Zacha will miss any time. Montgomery said he’d have more information about the forward’s injury Monday. But if he is to miss time, it’s clear Heinen and the rest of the Bruins will be prepared to step up and try to fill the void that Zacha would leave behind.
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