Islanders may have stumbled into their next fan favorite with Emil Heineman

Emil Heineman looks like a steal for the New York Islanders. And seven games into the season, it's looking less like the 'steal' label is an overreaction, and that Heineman is transforming into the kind of player the Isles can add to their retooling core.

Matthew Schaefer may be the headliner, while Simon Holmstrom, Max Shabanov, Alexander Romanov, and Mathew Barzal are all players in their 20s who are factoring in. You also can't forget about older, yet still productive players like Bo Horvat and Jonathan Drouin, who could also be on Long Island for a while.

That said, any time you land a player like Heineman in a trade and he performs at a high-octane pace to kick off the season, consider it a bonus. Not that Heineman will keep up this kind of play, because things even out as the season progresses. But right now, he looks like a good system fit, and that could change everything for the Isles. 

There are renewed expectations for Emil Heineman

With five goals and six points in seven games, Heineman is on pace to find the net between 58 and 59 times and land between 70 and 71 points. That said, he's not hitting 58-plus goals, so you can forget about it. Things will even out, and that number will surely drop.

Still, given how he's found ways to score on opponents and play a consistent game, Heineman could realistically end up with between 25 and 30 goals and still hit the 58-59 mark in points with assists. That would make him top-six material for a team that needs more youngsters to step up.

And do you want to know what's even more amazing about Heineman's play so far? He's not giving up his defensive assignments, with 29 body checks. As for his on-ice save percentage at even strength? It's an incredible 97.1 percent.

Emil Heineman looked like a defensive-minded forward when he came to Long Island

Before heading to Long Island and showing hockey fans all over the NHL landscape he has the potential to be a complete player, Emil Heineman looked like he'd factor in as a defensive forward. The Isles needed one, and Heineman fit the bill, with the way he provided an intimidating presence with 173 body checks in 2024-25. 

Most of Heineman's starts came in the defensive zone during his last year with the Canadiens, and he took just 40.3 percent of those starts in the offensive zone. Yet, even if he was more of a defensive zone player in Quebec, he still logged over 60 power-play minutes. 

Shifting gears back to Long Island, that trend looks like it's continuing, as he's seen seven minutes so far on the man advantage. It further shows fans that Heineman can be a complete player on Long Island, which is ideal for a team that will be seeing some veteran turnover at some point.