The Predators have called up left winger Zachary L’Heureux from AHL Milwaukee, and line rushes indicate he’ll make his NHL debut Tuesday against the Bruins, per 102.5 The Game’s Nick Kieser. Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean was first to report the move, which doesn’t require a corresponding transaction with an open spot on the Preds’ 23-man roster.
L’Heureux, 21, was the 27th overall pick in 2021. Most describe the 5’11”, 196-lb forward as an agitator, which might be a contender for hockey’s understatement of the year award. The Montreal native’s games played totals during his time in juniors with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats and Halifax Mooseheads consistently remained low due to multiple lengthy suspensions, and he wound up posting a whopping 197 PIMs in 66 games with Milwaukee last year in his first professional season.
However, that doesn’t take away from the legitimate upside in L’Heureux’s offensive game. After a 19-goal, 48-point regular season, L’Heureux led the AHL postseason in goals with 10 in 15 games as the Admirals lost the Western Conference Final to Coachella Valley. He also led all rookies in overall scoring with 15 points.
He was a legitimate scoring threat in juniors, totaling 190 points in 167 career QMJHL games. In February of this year, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked L’Heureux sixth in Nashville’s prospect pool. He’s not cracking many league-wide top 75 or top 100 rankings, but he still carries great upside. He could be legitimately impactful in a fourth-line scenario long-term, even if his offensive game never pops at the NHL level.
L’Heureux is expected to suit up on a line with Michael McCarron and Cole Smith as the Preds look to record their first win of the season and make progress in getting out of a 0-5-0 hole.
