Good to know majority here think this team is so good and deep they don’t need Heinen
Kinda odd since all I read for 3 weeks how Pastrnak is one dimensional and soft, trade McAvoy before NMC kicks in, Carlo a third pair, Zacha is not a top 6, DeBrusk blames everyone for anything and is immature, Lindholm I could write a 5 season Netflix on his negative aspects, Ullmark cares more about his children’s happiness than ours, Coyle disappears in the playoffs, Geekie I can’t even put together all the things he’s not good at - but to summarize he’s being used at center or to high in lineup
Sweeney has his own thread detailing his incompetence
But Danton Heinen can be replaced by someone better ?
someone better
Assuming this is the top 9
(Which it should be to contend)
Zacha - UFA - Pasta
Marchand - UFA - JDB/Replacement
Freddy - Coyle - Geekie
Who does he replace and where does that guy go?
Not better than Zacha, Pasta, Marchand, JDB, Frederic or Geekie (and even if a case were made about Freddy or Geekie, they are already signed, so they’d need to be moved out or to the 2nd line, which isn’t ideal because they aren’t second line talent).
Sure he can play on the 4th line, but if they improve the top 6 as they should, how much do you think they can pay 4th liners.
If the Bruins do this right, they bring in 3 top 6 guys (or 2 and JDB) and have maybe a million or 1.5 in cap space to start the season.
Having third liners on the second line is not doing it right.
Signing extra and redundant guys for middle six, is not doing it right.
Use the cap space and develop a team that is much better than one we saw this spring.
And, lastly, if Heinen were signed for 2 million next season and Geekie or Frederic were UFA, I’d be saying the same thing and suggesting they let the one who is UFA walk.
IMO they have 4 third liners for three spots. Based on contract situation, Heinen is the odd man out, unless he wants to play for far less than most think he’s worth.
