The Boston Bruins have signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year contract worth $775,000. The Bruins had previously signed him to a professional tryout contract. He hasn’t played any games yet in the 2023-24 season in any league.
Heinen played last year for the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring eight goals and 22 points in 65 games. He is one of the last 2023 free agents to get signed by an NHL team. As of this writing, there are only a few players left unsigned. They include Patrick Kane and Josh Bailey. Kane is dealing with an injury and will likely join an NHL team as soon as he’s healthy. Bailey was released from his PTO with the Ottawa Senators and there is no guarantee he’ll play in the NHL this year.
Heinen has returned to the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He played some of his best hockey in Boston, including when he scored 16 goals and 47 points in the 2017-18 season. The Langley, BC native was also a member of the Bruins team that went to the Stanley Cup finals in 2018-19. He scored eight points in 24 games during that run.
At 28 years old, Heinen still has a lot left in the tank just sometimes the free agent market dries up and leaves a couple of capable players unsigned. He is hoping that a return to the city where his NHL story began will revive his career and put him in a position for a better contract next year.
The Bruins have started the year with a record of 7-0-1 as they try to replicate their success last season when they finished with an NHL record of 65 wins. However, eventually, reality will set in for this Bruins team and they’ll need all the depth they can get, which is where Heinen will be a big help for the club.
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