Full Breakdown
Blue Jackets Re-Sign Danton Heinen and Set Sights on Playoffs
7/23/2026, 1:08:37 PM
Heinen’s One-Year Deal Adds Depth
On July 22, Columbus re-signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries a $1 million NHL cap hit, $550,000 at the AHL level, and a guaranteed minimum of $700,000. Heinen, 31, split the 2025-26 season between the Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh, posting six goals and 12 points in 46 games. He arrived in Columbus in December 2025 via a trade that sent forward Yegor Chinakhov to Pittsburgh. Over ten NHL seasons, Heinen has recorded 102 goals and 253 points in 612 games.
Playoff Ambitions Expressed by Players
The club missed the postseason for six straight seasons, most recently falling short after a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in the final regular-season game.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s funny because there is the public side and then the personal side where you are just talking to your buddies,” — Erik Gudbranson
- “If I’m back, I’m changing this culture. These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them.” — Washington Capitals
Season Outlook
Columbus hopes Heinen’s veteran presence will bolster a forward group that helped spark a mid-season turnaround after coach Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evason in January 2024. That change produced an 18-4-4 stretch that kept the team in a playoff spot as late as April 1. With the contract secured and a clear focus on advancing beyond the regular season, the Blue Jackets aim to convert that late-season momentum into a postseason berth.
