Heineman Keeps Shooting Despite Scoring Drought

Islanders forward Emil Heineman has increased his shot volume and on-target rate while still searching for consistent goals this season.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Hockey

Islanders forward Emil Heineman has taken more shots and placed more on target this season despite scoring only twice in 14 games. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Emil Heineman has scored twice in 14 games this season, but he has been attempting more shots and getting more of them on target in recent games. The increased shot volume comes as he works to convert chances into goals.

Why it matters

Heineman's shooting trend offers a signal that his offensive process is sound even while his goal output lags. For fans and fantasy managers tracking the Islanders, the rising shot rate points to likely future production if finishing improves.

Heineman has 38 shot attempts this season, 21 of them on target (55.2%), compared with 33 attempts and 15 on target last season, when he scored five goals. His line with Brayden Schenn and Victor Eklund carries a 63.3% expected goal percentage, though the source does not say how that rate will shape his finishing going forward.

The players

Emil Heineman

Heineman is a New York Islanders forward whose shooting volume and on-target rate have become the focus of his early-season performance.

Brayden Schenn

Schenn is a veteran NHL forward who plays on the line with Heineman and Victor Eklund.

Victor Eklund

Eklund is an NHL forward who plays on the line with Heineman and Brayden Schenn.

The details

Heineman posted roughly half of his season's shot attempts in the five games before a Saturday loss to the Edmonton Oilers, in which he was ejected for an illegal knee after 56 seconds. His early-season output showed 19 shot attempts in his first eight games, nine of them on target.

Last season: Heineman recorded 33 shot attempts and five goals.
First eight games this season: Heineman attempted 19 shots, nine on target.
Saturday: Heineman was ejected for an illegal knee versus Edmonton after 56 seconds.
Thursday night: The Islanders played the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Big Picture

Heineman's current season repeats the shot-heavy profile he showed last year, when he took 33 attempts, but his goal production has lagged behind that baseline. The gap between his shooting process and his finishing suggests the story is about conversion rather than volume.

Heineman's shot volume gives fantasy managers and Islanders watchers a reason to expect goals to follow if his finishing catches up with his shot rate. His ejection on Saturday removed him from the Edmonton game early, which affects his availability and the line's results in that contest.

The takeaway

Heineman's shot totals suggest his offensive process is intact even as his goals lag, so the next few games will show whether the on-target rate converts into production.