Canadiens prospect Emil Heineman will make his NHL debut tonight: report

Montreal Canadiens prospect Emil Heineman is expected to make his NHL debut tonight versus the Minnesota Wild.

As first reported by Marco D’Amico of Montreal Hockey Now, the 22-year-old is expected to draw in the lineup. Michael Pezzetta will sit as a healthy scratch to make room for him.

Emil Heineman expected to make his NHL debut tonight with the #GoHabsGo against the Minnesota Wild.

— Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) December 21, 2023

It’s been a bit of a wait for Heineman, who was recalled on December 13th after Tanner Pearson was placed on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He sat out the first three games as a healthy scratch after being called up, but appears to be drawing in tonight.

Heineman, who was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, has appeared in seven games with Laval Rocket of the AHL this season, scoring a goal and four points. He played in 11 games with Laval last season, where he managed an impressive seven goals and nine points.

While it remains to be seen how Heineman will fare not only tonight but moving forward, but there is no doubt he is quite confident in himself. So much, in fact, that he boldly claimed he would crack the Canadiens roster this season ahead of training camp. Though that failed to be the case, he has an opportunity to remain with them moving forward should he make a good impression on the coaching staff.

The Canadiens will be looking to make it three straight wins tonight, as they picked up victories over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday as well as the New York Islanders on Saturday. Thanks to their recent play, they are right back in the playoff picture, sitting just four points shy of the Washington Capitals for a wild-card position.

You might also like:
• Believe it or not, the Canadiens are close to a playoff spot