Islanders’ Emil Heineman shines in top-six role with game-winning goal

PHILADELPHIA — When the Islanders traded for Emil Heineman on draft night, the book on the Swedish wing was that he would be a prototypical fourth-liner.

High energy, physical, speedy.

An easy replacement for the role that Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin used to play on Long Island.

In Thursday’s preseason finale against the Flyers, though, Heineman was in the top six.

This was no random occurrence of preseason roster shuffling, but a deliberate call in the eventual 4-3 win.

Heineman might just work his way into that role for the Islanders, who are still shuffling through potential lineup options.

If not on opening night, it’s certainly something the Islanders may explore down the line.

“I feel like sometimes it’s not just about the skill [in the top six], but bringing a different element to the line,” coach Patrick Roy said before Thursday’s game. “More physicality. Someone that will go get the puck. Someone [that] will go crash the net, someone [that] will go to the net. So I feel like it’s exciting to see that mix.”

Some of this experimentation is coming because no one else has quite seized the job for the last spot in the top six, on Bo Horvat’s right wing.

While Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri have been constants on either side of Mat Barzal throughout camp, and the Islanders have looked committed to keeping Jonathan Drouin on Horvat’s left, they’ve given a number of players a look on his right.

Max Shabanov, who started camp there, has looked like a player very much in the midst of adjusting to the NHL during the preseason.

Anthony Duclair has looked good lately, but clearly has a lot of trust to earn back with Roy. Heineman, whose strong release has opened eyes in camp and whose physicality may work in the top six, may be as good an option as anyone.

“For me, I’m just trying to have a complete game,” Heineman said. “Trying to be useful all over the ice and when the time comes, I would like to be able to put the puck in the net. So I think it’s, for me, I just want to be as helpful as possible. Of course I like to shoot: it’s fun.”

With Horvat and Drouin both staying home from Thursday’s game, Duclair and Heineman ended up as linemates, with Duclair’s feed up the ice giving Heineman the decisive look at the game-winning goal at 17:06 of the third period.

“He can play anywhere with anyone,” Duclair said. “He’s a horse. He’s so strong on pucks, he’s got a hell of a shot. He’s making the most out of his opportunity here. We’re lucky to have him. He’s gonna be a huge part for us. He’s really good defensively as well. Really smart player.”

Last year, his first full season in the NHL, Heineman scored 10 goals in 62 games with the Canadiens. What’s stuck out specifically, Lee said, is that Heineman rarely seems to miss the net.

“You give him an opportunity to shoot the puck, he really does put it in the net,” Lee said. “So find him. Get him the puck. He gets open, he gets an opportunity, he’s gonna put some pucks to the net with that shot.”

Needless to say, more of those opportunities would come Heineman’s way if he was playing alongside Horvat and Drouin than if he was on the fourth line in a largely defensive role.

“That’s the first thing I noticed,” Roy said of Heineman’s shot. “When he came in our practice I said, ‘whoa, wow’. Mathieu [Darche] was talking a lot about his shot when we were talking about a trade with Montreal and I didn’t know him very well. … But the first thing I saw in camp, I said ‘whoa, OK, we got something there for sure’.

“And I think Bo enjoyed playing with him. I thought that line with Drouin, Bo and him brought something very interesting for us.”

“And I think Bo enjoyed playing with him. I thought that line with Drouin, Bo and him brought something very interesting for us.”

Of course, it’s also not that simple for Roy, who had a series of unanswered lineup questions on his plate Thursday, with the hope that the preseason finale would bring some clarity.

Cal Ritchie, who got one last shot to impress in the top six with Horvat skipping the trip to Philadelphia, was one. Where to slot Duclair, Heineman and Shabanov next Thursday in Pittsburgh was also high on the list.

“There’s gonna be important decisions for us to make, but I’m very happy with [Ritchie],” Roy said. “Whatever decision we’re gonna make, he did what he had to do to make an impression. Makes our decision extremely difficult.”