(Photo Credit: NHL.com)
By Mike Cratty Twitter: @Mike_Cratty
Earlier today, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney announced that the team has recalled 22-year-old forward Danton Heinen from Providence. On top of that, he also announced that the team has brought in forward Ryan White on a PTO. Both players will travel with the team to Colorado. Here is what the forward lines looked like at practice today.
Being an extra will be good to start for Ryan White as he is new to the system. Danton Heinen adds some speed and skill to the fourth line. If that fourth unit stays together, it will be an intriguing one to watch in game two of the home-and-home with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Danton Heinen call-up shouldn’t surprise many people. He was one of the last forwards in the mix for a roster spot at camp and has shown skill and promise ever since he joined the Bruins organization in April of 2016. David Backes and Noel Acciari are out for extended periods of time and Heinen will help soften the blow.
Heinen tallied an assist in the one AHL game he played this year. Last season, he scored 14 goals and added 30 assists, good for 44 points in 64 games. Following that, he lit it up in the Calder Cup playoffs with nine goals, nine assists and 18 points in 17 games. Expectations should be a bit higher this time around versus last year when he failed to tally a point in eight NHL games.
The Ryan white addition, on the other hand, was a bit of a surprise. One of the main driving forces behind the move could be to add a forward that brings similar things to the table as Noel Acciari. I don’t hate the move, I’m just surprised someone wasn’t called up from Providence for such a role. Players like Anton Blidh and Colton Hargrove are some players that come to mind, maybe even Jesse Gabrielle after a solid camp.
White is on the grittier side when it comes to bottom-six forwards, known as an agitator throughout the league. Here’s a fun Bruins fact about Ryan White.
(Video Credit: hockeyfights.com/YouTube Channel)
Last season, White spent time with the Minnesota Wild and Arizona Coyotes. In 65 games, he scored nine goals and added seven assists, good for 16 points. Keeping up with his agitator reputation, he added 84 penalty minutes.
White spent a chunk of the offseason on a PTO with the Vancouver Canucks and was released from that PTO this past Saturday, October 7.
Ryan White isn’t a sure thing to stay for long, as he is only on a PTO. Danton Heinen will have eyes peeled after an impressive 2015-2016 AHL campaign. The Bruins need all the help they can get right now and are hoping these guys can make an impact in one way or another.
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