ONLY IN AMNEWYORK
EAST MEADOW, NY — Emil Heineman has not been able to escape this trend of being the smaller piece of a larger trade.
In 2021, he was a part of the package the Florida Panther sent to the Calgary Flames for star forward Sam Bennett. One year later, he was a part of the deal that sent Tyler Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens to Calgary.
The 23-year-old made 66 appearances for the Canadiens across the last two seasons, but just before the 2025 NHL Draft back in June, he was sent to the New York Islanders alongside two first-round draft picks for defenseman Noah Dobson.
The scouting report had been unchanged during his stints with Florida, Calgary, and Montreal: He could play a 200-foot game with speed and score goals thanks to a strong shot, but lacked an overall offensive game. It’s why he was deployed as a fourth-liner last season with the Canadiens, and why he appeared to be a throw-in in the Dobson deal.
That, however, was not the case from the Islanders’ side of things. General manager Mathieu Darche was adamant in having Heineman be a part of the deal, and the preseason has shown why.
Heineman has the “elite shot,” as Darche described, to contribute on the power play, which he did against the New Jersey Devils by cannoning a heavy, one-timed slapper from between the circles through Jacob Markstrom.
“That’s something really fun to hear, and it brings you a lot of confidence,” Heineman told amNewYork when asked about Darche’s continued complimentary assessments of him. “They want you to come here, be part of this team, and make a difference, too. That’s a really good feeling. They’ve been so good to me.”
His grit and physicality — he recorded 173 hits last season — not only makes him a two-way player, but an option for the penalty-kill as well. On top of that, he has been practicing on the Islanders’ first line for the past couple weeks leading up to Thursday’s season-opener in Pittsburgh.
“I was not expecting this,” Heineman admitted. “I’ve been playing fourth line pretty much all of last year. I was coming here with an open mind, help the team whichever way I could, and just develop as a player; develop my game. It’s a great opportunity. There are some great players, I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Among those to learn from is his first-line-mate Bo Horvat, whose similar straight-forward style of play provides a reliable point of reference for Heineman.
“He’s a really good centerman who can carry a lot of pucks,” he said. “He’s a little bit like my game. It’s straightforward. I think we can fit quite well with that. He’s a really skilled player and has that grit to it.”
This is a potential promotion that Heineman has earned completely based on merit, as his skillset and attitude has also won over head coach Patrick Roy.
“His shot, his speed, his strength [have impressed me],” Roy said. “But more improtantly the way he conducts himself, the way he comes on the ice and is always ready. I love that.”
Making this all the more impressive is that this is a somewhat unproven player who has had a whirlwind of a six-month stretch. He went from participating in the playoffs with the Canadiens directly to the IIHF World Championships with Team Sweden. Then came the trade and the move to a community, which he described as “smooth,” adding that Long Island “suits me quite well.”
Now comes a prime opportunity for Heineman to assert himself at the NHL level while also proving multiple franchises that they were wrong about him.
“I’m coming off a full summer of getting ready and mentally wanting more… I want to take that extra step,” he said. “I’ve grown as a person. I feel more mature. That doesn’t mean I’m all set, but that’s what I feel.”
