Still unsure about Heineman's ultimate potential as an NHLer, but I've liked what I've seen so far from his (albeit very short) stint with Laval.
He has very good (and smooth) 4-way skating, shows guts, battles hard for puck possession, his arsenal of shots is pretty good too, he plays a proactive up-tempo game in all three zones, and defends generally well to boot though he must still adapt to NA ice in that sense. And though Emil Heineman isn't the most physical player I know, nor the most imposing with his somewhat thin frame by NHL standards, I've also liked his strength/balance and how efficiently he involves himself in board battles.
So yeah, we've definitely got an NHLer on our hands with him. But what remains to be seen is if Heineman manages to make himself a long-term fixture on our team instead of being more in line with a Pezzetta type of player, or a Ryan White. And what role he ultimately ends up filling on our team still needs to be more clearly defined.
Personally, I just like the type of player that Emil Heineman is, his never give-up attitude, just like I used to like Lehkonen's two-way game and fearless approach,they are my "jam" if you will.
And so I'll be cheering for him to surprise people at camp next year, perhaps even secure himself an opening roster spot although I think an extra year in the AHL could help acclimate him better.
