Heinen Off to a Great Start

When Danton Heinen arrived at Penguins training camp after signing with the team as a free agent this summer, he was given opportunities to skate alongside some of the team's higher-end forwards.
The 26-year-old showed he was more than capable of keeping up, leaving quite an impression on head coach Mike Sullivan.

"He has the offensive instincts to think the game on a high level," Sullivan said. "I think he can play in the top-six if we need him to, but I think he'll also bring an offensive dimension to our top-nine if we need him to. I think he's going to be a real good player for us."
That point was driven home in the Penguins' 5-1 win over Detroit on Sunday in their third game of the preseason. Heinen had the chance to skate on Pittsburgh's top line with Jeff Carter and Bryan Rust with Jake Guentzel out, and made the most of his opportunity.
Heinen finished with three points in the contest, assisting on the Penguins' two first-period goals and scoring one of his own in the second period, squeaking a shot by Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic after picking up a rebound.
"I thought he played a great game today," teammate Kasperi Kapanen said of Heinen. "He was active, he was skating, he was on the forecheck, and three points is always a good sign. I thought he stepped up."
Sullivan also praised Heinen's performance in his second preseason game following his debut in Pittsburgh's 3-0 loss to Columbus on Sep. 27, where he notched two shots in 16 minutes of ice time.
"I thought that line was good, and I thought Danton was good on it," Sullivan said. "His offensive instincts have been on display here this whole camp. He was good in the inter-squad games. I thought tonight was his best exhibition game. I think when he plays with our offensive players, his offensive instincts are more evident.
"We think he's a good player. We think he can play the type of game we're trying to play in Pittsburgh. I think with each day that he gets under his belt and gets a little bit more familiar with how we're trying to play, it's just going to help him. I thought he had a real good effort tonight."
Heinen also got an increased role on the power play - skating on the top unit - and the penalty kill, which have been two big points of emphasis for the Penguins during training camp.
"The last couple of years, I've played on the penalty kill a little more," Heinen said. "I got comfortable in the second half of last year. If that's somewhere I can slot in and help the team, I'm happy to do that."
Overall, Heinen's biggest focus this season is to be a strong 200-foot player who can be relied on both defensively and offensively. From a production standpoint, he would love to get closer to the numbers he posted in 2017-18 with the Boston Bruins, where he tallied 16 goals and 47 points in 77 games. To do that, Heinen said he needs to trust his shot.
"Instead of always looking for the open guy, maybe shoot a bit more," he said. "I know I have the capability, it's about getting back to it. They're a team that likes to play up-tempo, so for me I feel like I'll try to fit in and help anyway I can."
When Danton Heinen arrived at Penguins training camp after signing with the team as a free agent this summer, he was given opportunities to skate alongside some of the team's higher-end forwards.
The 26-year-old showed he was more than capable of keeping up, leaving quite an impression on head coach Mike Sullivan.
"He has the offensive instincts to think the game on a high level," Sullivan said. "I think he can play in the top-six if we need him to, but I think he'll also bring an offensive dimension to our top-nine if we need him to. I think he's going to be a real good player for us."
That point was driven home in the Penguins' 5-1 win over Detroit on Sunday in their third game of the preseason. Heinen had the chance to skate on Pittsburgh's top line with Jeff Carter and Bryan Rust with Jake Guentzel out, and made the most of his opportunity.
Heinen finished with three points in the contest, assisting on the Penguins' two first-period goals and scoring one of his own in the second period, squeaking a shot by Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic after picking up a rebound.
"I thought he played a great game today," teammate Kasperi Kapanen said of Heinen. "He was active, he was skating, he was on the forecheck, and three points is always a good sign. I thought he stepped up."
Sullivan also praised Heinen's performance in his second preseason game following his debut in Pittsburgh's 3-0 loss to Columbus on Sep. 27, where he notched two shots in 16 minutes of ice time.
"I thought that line was good, and I thought Danton was good on it," Sullivan said. "His offensive instincts have been on display here this whole camp. He was good in the inter-squad games. I thought tonight was his best exhibition game. I think when he plays with our offensive players, his offensive instincts are more evident.
"We think he's a good player. We think he can play the type of game we're trying to play in Pittsburgh. I think with each day that he gets under his belt and gets a little bit more familiar with how we're trying to play, it's just going to help him. I thought he had a real good effort tonight."
Heinen also got an increased role on the power play - skating on the top unit - and the penalty kill, which have been two big points of emphasis for the Penguins during training camp.
"The last couple of years, I've played on the penalty kill a little more," Heinen said. "I got comfortable in the second half of last year. If that's somewhere I can slot in and help the team, I'm happy to do that."
Overall, Heinen's biggest focus this season is to be a strong 200-foot player who can be relied on both defensively and offensively. From a production standpoint, he would love to get closer to the numbers he posted in 2017-18 with the Boston Bruins, where he tallied 16 goals and 47 points in 77 games. To do that, Heinen said he needs to trust his shot.
"Instead of always looking for the open guy, maybe shoot a bit more," he said. "I know I have the capability, it's about getting back to it. They're a team that likes to play up-tempo, so for me I feel like I'll try to fit in and help anyway I can."