Penguins sign forward Danton Heinen to one year deal

The Penguins have added from the free agency pool again, signing forward Danton Heinen to a one year contract for a $1.1 million cap hit. From a team release:

>Heinen, 26, spent the 2020-21 campaign with the Anaheim Ducks, suiting up for 43 games and notching seven goals, seven assists, 14 points and one game-winning goal. His seven goals were tied for fifth-most on the Ducks.

The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Heinen has played parts of five seasons in the NHL split between the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. In 272 career games, Heinen has recorded 44 goals, 77 assists, 121 points and is plus-9. His best season came in 2017-18 when he finished fifth on Boston with a career-high 47 points (16G-31A) in 77 games.

The Langley, British Columbia native has 33 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience, all with the Bruins, where he’s picked up three goals, six assists, nine points and is plus-6 in 33 games. He dressed for all seven of the Bruins Stanley Cup Final games in 2019, registering one assist.

Heinen is interesting as with the Bruins he scored 47 points in 77 games back for the 2017-18 season. His scoring has gone down over the past few seasons, but If he can re-find the level he was once at that could add a second level of production for the Pens next season.

Heinen is also a defensive-minded type of forward that should fit on the PK and help the Pens in that regard too. Pittsburgh is clearly hoping going from a non-playoff team like Anaheim to the Pens will help him put up the numbers he did on a playoff caliber team like Heinen did with Boston.