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Emil Heineman Continues to Shine For Islanders
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- Emil Heineman Continues to Shine For Islanders
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Emil Heineman is technically on his fourth NHL franchise at the age of 24. But on Long Island, the Swedish forward hasn't just found a home; he's found a place to thrive.
Drafted 43rd overall by the Florida Panthers in 2020, he was traded to the Calgary Flames in 2021, along with draft picks, in exchange for Sam Bennett . Less than a year later, he was dealt again, with draft compensation, to the Montreal Canadiens for Tyler Toffoli .
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Heineman played four games for Montreal in 2023-24 before becoming a regular in 2024-25, suiting up for 62 games.
Days before the 2025 NHL free agency window started, the Montreal Canadiens decided to make a big splash. They sent restricted free agent Emil Heineman and two first-round picks to the New York Islanders in exchange for Noah Dobson . Heineman was viewed as an afterthought in the trade by some. The main prize, after all, was picks #16 and #17 in the upcoming draft.
Six days after the trade, Heineman signed a two-year deal to stay on Long Island for just $2.2 million total. The contract is proving to be worth its weight in gold for the Islanders.
In 36 games with the Islanders this season, he's netted 12 goals and 18 points. He scored 10 goals and 18 points in 62 games with Montreal last season.
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What The Analytics Show
Heineman has been a revelation for the Islanders. He's been a staple in their top six and provided the speed required to play in the new up-tempo offensive system laid out by head coach Patrick Roy. Heineman is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL. According to NHL EDGE, his maximum speed this season has been 23.4 miles per hour, faster than 97% of players. He uses his speed to create space for himself and his teammates and generates scoring chances as a result of the extra space he's afforded.
He's not just a speedy player. Hockeystats.com provides a favorable outlook on his overall analytics. The website does not currently provide data for just the 2025-26 season.
(Via Hockeystats.com)
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Hockeystats.com also lists Heineman as having a +1.7 WAR rating since the beginning of 2024. This means Heineman has contributed 1.7 more wins-above-replacement than a league-average forward during that span.
With the Islanders injuries, however, it's been harder for Heineman to make as much of an impact lately. According to HockeyStatCards , Heineman is averaging a -0.15 game score since November 22. This means the Islanders are, on average, playing slightly worse with Heineman on the ice. But in the 21 games before this stretch, Heineman averaged a +0.87 game score, meaning he was a positive overall contributor. As the Islanders get healthier, expect Heineman's game score to bounce back to where it was. Because he's the frequent punch line of jokes from Islanders fans on Twitter whenever Heineman scores a goal, it's worth noting Noah Dobson's WAR in the same timespan is +2.8, and he's averaging a +1.83 game score this season.
Can Heineman Keep This Up?
Even with the slight dip in overall play, Heineman continues to find the back of the net. He scored his twelfth goal in the dying seconds against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 20.
Heineman's twelve goals are second on the Islanders, only behind Bo Horvat 's 19. The Islanders rank 22nd in the NHL in goals-for-per-game at 2.83. Heineman has been a steady presence on Long Island in the top six. He turned 24 in November, meaning he still hasn't reached his proverbial ceiling.
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He will be an RFA at the end of 2027 at age 26. If he keeps this up, the probability the Islanders offer more than $1.1 million a year goes up with each passing day. Long Island needed a forward to step up this season, and Emil Heineman has been the man for the job in his debut season with the team.
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