NEWARK, NJ — There’s a reason why New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche made sure that Emil Heineman was part of the return package in the Noah Dobson trade.
Islanders Emil Heineman On Trade To Long Island, Playing For Matheiu Darche & Next NHL Steps
EAST MEADOW, NY — Former Montreal Canadiens forward and current New York Islanders forward Emil Heineman spoke with us for the first time at Anders Lee’s Jam Kancer in the Kan event on Saturday.
While his grittiness and forechecking are standouts, his shot is tremendously underrated.
Not only is it accurate, but it’s also heavy, which means that even if the goaltender is able to get into the right position, the speed and strength of the shot have a strong chance of winning the battle or, at the very least, creating a juicy rebound.
Tuesday night at the Prudential Center was the first time we were able to see that shot in game action outside of his Montreal highlight clips.
On the power play, Heineman was stationed in the high slot — the bumper — and after getting an on-the-money, quick pass from Calum Ritchie, he let that puck go.
Jacob Markstrom is a premier goalie, and while he got over in time, the shot was so hard that the fellow Swede could not move his blocker-side arm fast enough to stop the puck from ultimately getting behind him:
With that heavy, accurate quick release and physicality, he may be as close to a Cal Clutterbuck replacement as you will see.
Last year, in 62 games with Montreal, Heineman recorded 18 points, including 10 goals and eight assists, while adding 173 hits to the ledger, averaging about 2.79 hits per game.
However, diving further into the stats, he scored 10 goals in 37 games, struggling to find the net after being hit by a car while the Canadiens were in Utah—an unfortunate event in what started as a very promising rookie campaign.
Ten goals in 37 games is a 22-goal pace, something the Islanders will gladly take from a player who is likely to start alongside Casey Cizikas and Maxim Tsyplakov on the fourth line.
But Heineman could very well be more than a fourth-line player, as it’s clear he can play on the power play, and we already know he’s someone who can also play on the penalty kill.
“I’m trying to be as useful as possible,” Heineman told The Hockey News. “I would like to do as much as possible, and that includes both PK and PP.”
Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom is excited about everything Heineman brings to the table.
“He plays with a lot of grit. He’s heavy out there, and he plays with a lot of speed,” Holmstrom told The Hockey News about Heineman, a player he went up against his entire life. “He’s got an unbelievable shot as well.”
If Heineman can get that shot off often, opposing goaltenders better watch out.
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