On June 24th, stalwart center Jack Drury was traded to the Nasvhille Predators in exchange for two players, one of those being Zachary L’Heureux, a former first round pick that made an impact in Nashville at both the NHL and AHL level this past season.
L’Heureux is a 23-year-old left-handed shooting left winger, who amassed five points across 25 games with the Preds this past season. L’Heureux also played 30 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate, and amassed 28 points across that time.
He’s a capable offensive player for the bottom-six group, but it’s clear where L’Heureux’s biggest impact will show for the team—His grit.
The team has lacked in this area for some time now according to some members of Avalanche nation (me), and a player who’s willing to protect his teammates, toe the proverbial line (and cross it sometimes) is a player that’ll fit in. Some pundits believe L'Heureux is capable of illustrating those traits.
Zachary L'Heureux is one tough, mean dude. Makes it his mission to play with as much physical force as humanly possible.
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) June 24, 2026
Productive in the QMJHL, it'll be interesting to see how he's used in Colorado. One of my favorite prospects from the past decade.
L’Heureux appears to easily get his wires crossed, as he’s been suspended on twelve different occasions going back to his time in the QMJHL. He received a three-gamer in the NHL last season for slew footing an opponent.
At 5’11 and about 200 pounds, L’Heureux may remind some of a younger Daniel Carcillo, who played in the NHL for five different teams over nine seasons. Carcillo, nicknamed Car Bomb, seemed to enjoy the violence of the game more than he did scoring, and that mindset did not enable him to last as he could have in the show.
For the sake of Avalanche nation, we hope L’Heureux channels some of his inner car bomb in a positive way, like Carcillo’s scoring touch, which L’Heureux has shown in the past.
Sean Avery is another comparison that comes to mind for L’Heureux. Avery had a scoring touch and the ability to impact the game both physically and mentally, getting into the heads of the opposition, and endearing himself to his team’s fan base.
A player with offensive ability, that’s able to contribute defensively and can be a pain to play against is a player that can make a big impact in limited minutes for the Avalanche. The team needs a bit more sandpaper, and has for years. They hope L’Heureux is the answer to that conundrum.
L’Heureux will likely become a fan favorite for the burgundy and blue. Hard-working fans appreciate a player who brings his lunchpail and punches the time clock when he steps on the ice, and L’Heureux does the little things that endear a player to the fan base.
If he can harness his aggression and use it positively to place the team in advantageous positions (such as drawing penalties as opposed to committing them), then the team can have success at depth spots.
For a team that has lacked in the physicality department, the acquisition of L’Heureux appears to be a shrewd move.
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