Penguins forward Danton Heinen avoided a summer of discontent

The summer of 2022 wasn’t all that different than the summer of 2021 for Danton Heinen.

His employer opted to let him go.

During the 2021 offseason, the versatile forward had just concluded an underwhelming campaign as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, who opted not to extend him a qualifying offer as a pending restricted free agent.

The Pittsburgh Penguins opted to pluck him off the scrap heap, signing him to a low-risk, one-year contract worth $1.1 million.

Heinen took that opportunity and did good things with it. Frequently used in a top-six role in a lineup that was regularly pockmarked by various medical woes, Heinen set a career high in goals with 18 while collecting a total of 33 points in 76 games.

Yet, as a pending restricted free agent once again, the Penguins did not extend a qualifying offer.

But the circumstances — and the end result — were different.

Given how well he played, the Penguins were wary of potentially going to arbitration with Heinen and what a potential award he might have received would have done to their tenuous salary cap situation.

Essentially, Heinen was good enough to get the salary he wanted and probably deserved.

“We were very happy with Danton,” Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke said in July. “He’s a great kid. He had a good year for us. But by performing as well as he did, it puts us in an arbitration position that’s untenable.”

Yet, he still found his way back into the Penguins’ nest.

With the NHL’s salary cap still impacted by the financial ramifications the pandemic had on the league’s revenues — the cap rises in conjunction with hockey-related revenue — several viable NHL players went relatively late into the offseason without a contract, including Heinen.

But July 27, two weeks after the NHL’s free-agent signing period opened, Heinen re-signed with the Penguins, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1 million, $100,000 less than his previous contract.

Even with the uncertainty that played out and the decrease in pay, Heinen is sated to remain in Pittsburgh.

“It was a little bit touch and go there,” Heinen said. “Just kind of talking around, listening to my agent. When I found out (the Penguins) could have me back and could fit me in, I was super excited. This is a place I want to be. Super happy how it played out.”

Heinen harbors no resentment over not receiving a qualifying offer from the Penguins.

“I understand,” Heinen said. “I get it. I can see what went on. No hard feelings. I’m super excited to be part of this group. I’m happy to be here.

“It’s all good.”

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has plenty of good to say about Heinen.

“One of the greatest values in Danton’s game is his versatility,” said Sullivan, who suggested Heinen might be a candidate to join the penalty kill this season. “Those guys aren’t easy to find. The ability to play up and down the lineup in different roles … it’s an advantage for a player in so many ways. That’s one of the things that attracted us to Danton. We can move him up and down the lineup. He can play both wings.

“He’s got real good offensive instincts. He’s good on the power play. We can move him in the top-six (forwards) if we need to. But he can play in the bottom-six (forwards). He’s a conscientious player, and he can play the style that we can play.”

A pending unrestricted free agent after this upcoming season, the 27-year-old Heinen realizes another strong campaign with the Penguins could lead to his 2023 summer being much different than the previous two.

“I try not to put too much pressure on myself,” Heinen said. “Same mindset as last year. Just try to come in, try to help the team any way that I can. If we’re doing the right things and you’re helping the team, it will all work out in the end.”

Notes: Defenseman Jeff Petry was fined $5,000 by the NHL for roughing. During the second period of Tuesday’s 6-2 home preseason loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Petry punched Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren in the back of the head. … Forward Teddy Blueger left Wednesday’s practice in Cranberry because of an undisclosed injury. … Forwards Jeff Carter (undisclosed injury) and Kasperi Kapanen (illness) did not practice Wednesday because of ailments that have sidelined them in previous days. … Goaltenders Taylor Gauthier and Tommy Nappier were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

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