In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, old friend Danton Heinen has secured a professional tryout (PTO) contract from the Bruins. In other news, Brad Marchand spoke with reporters about the prospect of becoming the Bruins’ next captain. Meanwhile, Charlie Coyle weighed in on what it was like at captains practice without Patrice Bergeron. Let’s discuss all of this and more in today’s Bruins News & Rumors column.
Bruins Back Heinen on PTO
The Bruins are taking another shot on Heinen, signing him a PTO. The 2014 fourth-round pick previously played four seasons with the Bruins, from 2016-17 to 2019-20. He was traded during 2019-20 to the Anaheim Ducks for fellow free agent Nick Ritchie.
Heinen, 28, spent last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, posting eight goals and 22 points. It was a drop in production from the season prior, as he had 18 goals and 33 points in 76 games in 2021-22. Bruins fans know that Heinen can produce decent secondary scoring when playing at his best, so let’s see if he can impress at camp and earn himself a deal.
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Scheifele, Ullmark & Boqvist
There’s no risk in this Heinen PTO signing. He now gives the Bruins another potential option to consider for their bottom six. When noting that their forward depth was decimated this summer, taking a shot on an old friend like Heinen is understandable. Remember, he did form strong chemistry with Coyle.
Marchand Weighs In On Possible Captaincy
When Bergeron announced his retirement earlier this offseason, the “Marchand for captain” talk immediately began. It is entirely understandable, as Marchand has spent the entirety of his 14-year career as a Bruin and has become an excellent leader in the process. Due to this, he was recently asked about the possibility of becoming the Bruins’ next captain. Here’s what the star forward had to say:
“That’s not something that I really think about too much. Obviously, it’s a big honor to be in the leadership group of this organization when you look at the guys that have been there before, but we’ve always done it collectively as a group. So regardless of who wears it, it’s a collective thing and even guys without letters step up a lot of times throughout the years. So, again, when you lose Bergy and Krejci, leadership is going to come from a group not from one certain guy or a couple guys. It’s got to be from a big collective group so that’s what we’re gonna rely on this year.”
Brad Marchand
This is a nice response by Marchand and shows that the Bruins’ leadership group remains strong, even with Bergeron and David Krejci calling it quits. It will be fun to see if Marchand ends up getting the ‘C’ but he seems content either way.
Coyle Discusses Bergeron Not At Practice
Following a recent captain’s practice, Coyle weighed in on Bergeron no longer being with the team. Here’s what the veteran center had to say on the matter.
“Without those guys, especially Bergy not being around here, it’s just like your dad’s not here watching over you. It’s like when Bergy is here everything is great, everything’s all set. But we’re gonna miss those guys.”
Charlie Coyle
This was a humorous response from Coyle, but it also shows how significant Bergeron’s presence was in the club’s locker room. The same can be said for Krejci. Now players like Coyle, Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak, and Brandon Carlo will need to step up as bigger leaders for the club.
Bruins Unlikely to Trade Goalie Before Season
Per Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy, an NHL executive source said that they would “be shocked if the Bruins trade a goalie now.” Murphy also noted that the same source works for a team that was interested in both Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman this season. His source would not, however, explain why his team were unable to acquire either netminder.
During the beginning stages of the summer, Ullmark’s name in particular picked up a lot of steam in the rumor mill. The Bruins needed to free up cap space but opted to move Taylor Hall and his $6 million cap hit to the Chicago Blackhawks instead. Yet, now with the Bruins’ roster looking set in stone for 2023-24, it makes sense that the Bruins are expected to keep both goalies.
The Ullmark/Swayman tandem will play a major part in whether the Bruins will be a playoff team or not this season. If they can continue to be the league’s top tandem, they should be able to sneak in.
