Overview
- The Columbus Blue Jackets signed Danton Heinen to a one-year, two-way contract, a move the team announced Wednesday that keeps the 31-year-old forward in the organization for 2026–27.
- The reported deal carries a roughly $1.0 million NHL salary, a $550,000 AHL salary and a $700,000 guarantee, a structure that lets the club move Heinen between the NHL and AHL without taking a large cap risk.
- General manager Don Waddell said Heinen earned increased responsibility after joining Columbus in December and he is valued for his versatility as a two-way forward who can play multiple wings and lines.
- Contract talks with restricted free agents remain unresolved, with goaltender Jet Greaves facing an arbitration hearing that could begin July 23 and a reported gap between his $7.5 million ask and the club's $2.8 million proposal.
- Heinen brings ten seasons and 612 NHL games of experience to a Blue Jackets roster that must now balance short-term depth signings with upcoming arbitration decisions and larger extensions for core young players.