Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we’re onto the 10th ranked player, Emil Heineman.
The Canadiens acquired Emil Heineman from the Calgary Flames in the Tyler Toffoli trade back in 2022. Heineman was originally drafted by Florida but was traded to Calgary as part of a package that sent Sam Bennett to the Panthers back in 2021. Despite being dealt twice already, Heineman has yet to make his NHL debut.
In fact, Heineman just made his North American debut with the Laval Rocket this season, appearing in 11 games in the regular season as well as two in the playoffs. Previously, he had been playing for Leksands IF of the SHL in Sweden before coming overseas to Canada. In Sweden, Heineman performed okay, registering 15 points in 35 games, but he certainly didn’t blow anyone away with that.
So his immediate impact with the Rocket upon his arrival was a bit surprising as he scored seven goals and nine points in just 11 games with Laval. Heineman’s game clearly translates better to the smaller North American ice than the Olympic-sized pads in Europe. So it will be fascinating to see what he can do in a full season in Laval in 2023-24.
THE MAN DOESN'T MISS!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) April 2, 2023
It's Emil Heineman on the power play! pic.twitter.com/2tFVn8h1E1
When talking about Heineman, the first thing about his game that stands out is his wicked shot, which can already beat NHL goalies. His shot is hard, and he can put it anywhere, which will come in handy at the NHL level. The Canadiens could certainly use a weapon from the left side on their powerplay, and Heineman would definitely provide that for them. He’s also a good enough skater to keep up with the pace of play in the NHL, and he has the smarts to put himself in good positions in the offensive zone.
Still, he’s got more polishing of his game to do, especially in the defensive zone. He’s by no means a liability here, but for the role he’ll likely carve out with the Canadiens (or any NHL team, for that matter), he’s going to need to be relied upon in defensive situations. That’s an area he can work on and improve this year. If he does, combined with a lethal shot, he becomes a much more valuable player in the Canadiens organization.
Heineman likely projects as a middle-six forward in the NHL, which isn’t too shabby. The Canadiens will need complementary scoring in a few years when it’s time to compete, and Heineman has the tools to help with that.