Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Eligible to play Saturday
Rotowire
L'Heureux has completed his three-game suspension for slew-footing and is an option to face the Capitals on Saturday.
L'Heureux has appeared in 33 games during his rookie campaign, recording four goals, five assists and 38 shots while also dishing out 106 hits. While physicality is certainly part of the 21-year-old forward's game, he'll need to clean it up to remain in the NHL or risk the Predators sending him back to the minors to avoid the headache of having him suspended.
L'Heureux has been issued a three-game suspension Thursday for slew-footing Jared Spurgeon on Tuesday, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.
This is L'Heureux's 12th suspension, though it's the first of his NHL career. The 21-year-old previously received nine suspensions during his time in the QMJHL and two in the AHL. L'Heureux has four goals, nine points, 32 PIM and 106 hits in 33 appearances with the Predators this season. Ozzy Wiesblatt, who was recalled from AHL Milwaukee on Thursday, will likely make his NHL debut Friday versus Vancouver because L'Heureux is unavailable.
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Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Finds twine in overtime win
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L'Heureux scored a goal on three shots and added five hits in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over the Kings.
L'Heureux has picked up two goals and two assists over his last seven games. That corresponds with his move to the second line alongside Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, who had the helpers on his first-period goal. L'Heureux isn't an established name yet at just 21 years old, but he's fared well in his first NHL action. He has four goals, five assists, 34 shots on net, 88 hits, 12 PIM and a minus-7 rating over 29 appearances, giving him some speculative value in deep formats.
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Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Grabs helper in loss
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L'Heureux notched an assist, three shots on goal, two hits and two PIM in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Senators.
L'Heureux ended a five-game point drought with the helper. The latest lineup shuffle found him listed on the second line at even strength, but he still had just 12:38 of ice time Saturday. The 21-year-old forward is at six points, 27 shots on net, 70 hits, 12 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 23 appearances. He's doing fine in his first taste of the NHL, but not at a level that warrants much consideration in fantasy.
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Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Set to suit up against Philadelphia
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L'Heureux (upper body) will be available for Wednesday's game against Philadelphia, Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports.
L'Heureux exited Monday's 5-2 loss to the Devils after taking a cross-check to the face, but he'll be able to suit up a few days later while wearing a bubble. Over 17 appearances this season, the 21-year-old has tallied two goals, three assists and 50 hits while averaging 10:16 of ice time.
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Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Exits Monday's game
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L'Heureux (upper body) left Monday's 5-2 loss to New Jersey taking a cross-check to the face from Timo Meier, Wes Crosby of NHL.com reports.
Meier was suspended for one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday because of the incident. Before getting hurt, L'Heureux scored a goal and recorded five hits in 10:47 of ice time. If L'Heureux can't play Wednesday versus Philadelphia, Luke Evangelista could draw back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch in Monday's loss.
L'Heureux posted an assist and two hits in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Oilers.
He snapped a five-game point drought with the helper on a Cole Smith goal in the third period. L'Heureux is up to three assists, 11 shots on net, 35 hits, six PIM and a minus-1 rating over 12 contests while filling a fourth-line role. The 21-year-old winger's gritty style has been a fine fit for the bottom six, and he's doing enough to keep Mark Jankowski in the press box for now.
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Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Pockets helper
Rotowire
L'Heureux notched an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Avalanche.
L'Heureux had the secondary helper on Colton Sissons' go-ahead goal in the second period. This was the second assist in six games for L'Heureux this season. The 21-year-old has added three shots on net, 19 hits, two PIM and a plus-1 rating. He's seeing fourth-line minutes in his first taste of NHL action, but he could earn a look in the middle six later in the campaign if he puts up decent scoring numbers. If he gets hot, he could also be a streaming option in fantasy formats that reward hits.
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Predators' Zachary L'Heureux: Earns first career assist
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L'Heureux notched an assist, six hits and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blue Jackets.
The helper was the 21-year-old's first NHL point, as he set up an Alexandre Carrier goal in the third period. L'Heureux has played a fourth-line role over the last three games, racking up two shots on net, 13 hits and a plus-1 rating. He's doing enough to keep Juuso Parssinen and Philip Tomasino in the press box as healthy scratches, and given Luke Evangelista saw just 6:56 of ice time compared to L'Heureux's 13:34 on Saturday, it doesn't look like the rookie is on the bottom rung of the ladder right now.
