The New York Islanders are heading into training camp with some fresh momentum from the rookies, but one of the biggest questions already sitting in the middle of the roster is Emil Heineman.
Victor Eklund and Cole Eiserman were the names that popped this week, with both standing out in camp and in the scrimmage against the New Jersey Devils. Still, the spotlight now shifts to the main group, and Heineman is one of the players worth watching closely.
Heineman arrived from the Montreal Canadians the prior summer as part of the Noah Dobson trade, and his first run with the Islanders came with plenty of noise. He burst out of the gate and looked like a real find before his production cooled once January hit. He scored 12 of his 22 goals from October through December, which made it easy to picture him as the prize of that deal early on.
The back half of the season told a different story. His scoring slipped, much like the team’s overall performance, as the Islanders faded after the trade deadline and Patrick Roy lost his job. That wasn’t on one player alone, but it does leave a real question hanging over camp: which version of Heineman shows up this season?
There’s still plenty of room for growth here. Heineman is only 24, and he is not close to being a finished product. What he already brings, though, is clear enough - a hard, physical style that should hold up no matter what, plus an elite shot that gives the 6'2 winger a path to a more dangerous offensive role.
That makes his season feel important in a very direct way. If Heineman takes another step, he could become a top-line piece. If not, he may settle into more of a checking role while still adding some scoring punch to the depth chart.
There’s also the contract angle. By the end of the season, Heineman will be a restricted free agent and will be looking for a new deal beyond the one that pays him $1.1 million a year now.
Simon Holmstrom is in the same boat, since he’ll also become a restricted free agent after the season. Holmstrom is currently on a $3.625 million salary and is positioned to earn more after establishing himself as a dependable two-way forward who can score 20 goals.
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Mathew Barzal was the notable absence from the first skate, and his knee inflammation immediately became the biggest concern around camp. The Islanders are expecting him to be sidelined for two weeks, which puts an early wrinkle in the start of camp and leaves the club waiting to see how the rest of the opening stretch unfolds without one of its most important pieces. [Read more 🡒]