Emil Heineman could become a better version of Artturi Lehkonen.

Dose
Crédit:

The game of comparisons between certain NHL players is not always precise/effective, as many players try to become their own version.

However, it can help to get an idea of the type of a certain player.

Montreal Canadiens fans are starting to get to know Emil Heineman more and more, but they don’t yet have a clear comparison.

However, upon reflection, an former player from the Canadiens came to mind, and there are apparent similarities.

Artturi Lehkonen plays a style of game quite similar to that of the Swedish rookie.

Keven Mawn from La Poche Bleue seems to share the same opinion.

Heineman has proven his effectiveness in defensive play, but he is still a bit below the Finnish player.

However, Heineman’s shot has surprised more than a few this season. And even though Lehkonen already has a season of 21 goals in 63 games (and another of 16 in 45), I give the advantage to the Swede, as he should continue to improve.

It should also be noted that the Canadiens rookie is on track for a season of at least 20 goals, based on his goals per game rate.

And all this, while only playing 11 minutes per game.

Moreover, his effectiveness in puck protection is simply incredible. Lehkonen always works hard when in possession of the puck, but he does not have the same protective skills that Heineman has recently demonstrated.

In the last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Heineman brushed off Nick Perbix (6 feet, 4 inches and nearly 210 pounds) as if nothing happened.

All of this allowed the Swede to feed Joel Armia, who then scored.

In addition to being at the 3rd place among rookie scorers, Heineman does not hesitate to deliver body checks. He is also ranked 3rd among rookies in that aspect (87), behind Zachary L’Heureux (106) and Maxim Tsyplakov (89).

His limited ice time combined with his statistics makes us believe that he is really not being utilized enough by Martin St-Louis.

When will he get a real chance on the top two lines, with good line mates for Heineman? He fully deserves it.

In brief

– Very nice photo.

– Easton Cowan takes the blame for the loss against the United States.

– Hard to argue otherwise.

– What a beautiful play.

– Still very disciplined, this Kopitar.

– Can’t wait to see if he will eventually be good enough to play with or against his older brother, Bronny James.