Here’s every NHL team’s player to watch break out this year
By Paul Grant
Boston Bruins: Danton Heinen
The Bruins have been stacked with breakout players in the last few years, with Charlie McAvoy being a delight on D and David Pastrnak lighting it up on O. So this was a tough one. How do you top those legit breakouters? With lesser-known breakouters, that’s how.
Center Danton Heinen isn’t exactly under the radar after last season, when he scored 16 goals and added 31 assists while playing mostly alongside David Backes and Riley “Don’t Call Me Rick” Nash, and being a beastly bear on the power play. And, oh yeah, he finished fourth on the team in points. But with the core group up front of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Backes, the Nashes and others aging significantly, young fellers such as Heinen are bound for more glory. More ice time, more responsibility, more offense, more breakoutedness. See how that works?
If he develops the right way and is given the time to succeed, Heinen could be a player in the mold of Bergeron, he of the adept passing and playmaking. (Remember that “in the mold of” doesn’t mean “as good as.”) Nonetheless, Heinen is one to keep an eye on this season.