There weren't many Montreal Canadiens players who wanted the 2024-25 season to end less than Emil Heineman. He entered training camp with his status up in the air, as some wondered if he'd spend another year in the American Hockey League before making a full-time transition to the Habs. However, he made the team out of camp with Oliver Kapanen and eventually earned the opportunity to stay for the entire season.
A freak injury on the streets of Utah took away some games from Heineman this season, but he still played 62 games in the team's bottom six. Heineman showed that he can be a valuable contributor in the bottom half of the lineup, as he recorded 18 points in 62 games while playing mostly with Jake Evans and Joel Armia. Armia might not return next season, but Heineman and Evans could be a combination for the Habs for at least the next few seasons.
One positive of the early playoff exit is that Heineman can now return to international hockey for the first time since the 2020 World Junior Championship. Attending this year's Men's World Championship will be even more special, as Sweden will play at Avicii Arena in Stockholm. The arena is 260 kilometers away from Heineman's hometown of Leksand.
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity because there might not be too many more seasons where the Canadiens are out in the first round. There also aren't many more times where all of Sweden's best forwards are unavailable or still in the playoffs. Heineman isn't going to always be the first choice for Sweden, and the country isn't always going to host when he is asked to play for Sweden.
It'll be a special time in the country for these World Championships, and they are icing a star-studded lineup. Filip Forsberg, Lucas Raymond, Mika Zibanejad, and Leo Carlsson highlight the forwards, while they have Rasmus Andersson, Jonas Brodin, and Simon Edvinsson on defense. Jacob Markstrom also committed to be their goaltender after they denied Linus Ullmark.
Heineman is the replacement for William Eklund, who suffered a lacerated wrist from a skate blade during one of the pre-tournament games. It's an unfortunate injury for the San Jose Sharks forward, but it's an opportunity Heineman will take. Sweden isn't happy with their 4 Nations Face-Off result, and they might be looking for some fresh faces in their bottom six for next year's Olympics.