Emil Heineman

In his first NHL campaign, Heineman was fine as a bottom-six contributor for the Canadiens. He had 18 points, 64 shots on net, 173 hits and a minus-6 rating over 62 regular-season appearances. Heineman has some promise as a second-round pick of the Panthers from 2020, but it will be tough to capitalize on that potential if he remains in a bottom-six role for the next few years. Ideally, he'd bump up to be a power forward capable of pushing for 30-plus points in a middle-six spot instead. However, he figures to remain in a bottom-six role to start 2025-26 after being flipped to the Islanders over the summer in the return for Noah Dobson. On the plus side, he might get some power-play ice time -- Heineman earned five of his 18 points with the man advantage, which is an area the Isles need to improve. Read Past Outlooks