Did Danton Heinen or Drew O’Connor Earn a Spot With the Penguins?

The 2022-23 Pittsburgh Penguins were weighed down by poor goaltending and a lack of contributions from their depth players. Still, with new management set to take the reigns this summer, some players may have earned another shot at helping the Penguins back to the playoffs next season.

2022-23 Penguins player reviews continue with Danton Heinen and Drew O'Connor.

Danton Heinen

If you were to look at only the first and last handful of games of the season, you would think Danton Heinen far exceeded expectations. Unfortunately, the story reads much differently when considering his other 57 games.

Heinen turned heads in 2021-22 with the Penguins, scoring 18 goals and becoming a plug-and-play guy in the top six whenever the team faced injuries. Most believed the Penguins were getting a bargain when they re-signed Heinen for $1 million last summer, but as it turns out, they got what they paid for.

Heinen wasn't horrendous last season. The biggest issue with his game was that he was unnoticeable when on the ice. Finishing with only eight goals, three coming in the first five games, Heinen struggled to find a rhythm this season.

His struggles could have been because of the lack of talent on his line, but Heinen showed that he couldn't drive a line toward offensive success. With the Penguins searching for answers at the bottom of the lineup this offseason, Heinen may become a casualty of this much needed change.

Drew O'Connor

For the third straight season, Drew O'Connor took a massive step in his development. This season was O'Connor's first taste of being an everyday NHLer, and he proved that he belongs at this level.

O'Connor showed what endeared him to Penguins coaches out of college. He became one of the Penguins' best forecheckers on the team and showed more offensive ability than in past seasons.

The one major issue with O'Connor is his lack of experience with the penalty kill. He finished the season with 25 minutes of shorthanded time on ice, becoming a fifth or sixth forward option for that unit. The Penguins need O'Connor to improve in that area next season.

In 2022-23, O'Connor was one of the few depth players that seemed to often with desperation as he tried to prove his value to the Penguins at the NHL level. The Penguins could use more of that as they hope to get younger next season.