Drafted with the 27th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Zachary L'Heureux showed much promise in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). His game revolved around his physicality and his willingness to hit anyone along the boards to battle for the puck.
He got under opponents' skin, was willing to drop the gloves when needed, and used his defensive skills to help break up plays.
Though after being drafted, very little was shown with the Nashville Predators. Since 2019, he has embraced the physical role in this game but has often taken it too far, resulting in 13 suspensions that have hindered his development due to limited playing time.
He is often bounced between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL), not getting enough playing time to really show off and develop his skills.
When he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche with teammate Fedor Svechov, there were a lot of questions about the trade as a whole, but one was: could it be the change he needed to really turn his career around?
Bednar is familiar with players with a history of suspensions that, when implemented in their system, can really change a player's career. Look at Nazem Kadri coming from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He brought his physicality and edge to Colorado and learned when to get under players' skin and when to tone it down, not letting his emotions get the better of him.
L'Heureux is a player the Avalanche need in their lineup to bring that grit and bite to the team , someone willing to make opponents uncomfortable anywhere on the ice while being smart offensively and defensively. Something that was often missing in the playoffs against the Dallas Stars or the Vegas Golden Knights.
This coaching staff is not teaching him to stop checking, stop fighting, or stop playing with an edge, but when it's best to use it and when it's time to slow it down. In his first two games, he has already shown growth not only in maturity and physicality, but also flashes of the offensive talent that made him a top-10 draft pick.
Jake Middleton (55) Zachary L'heureux (68) Devin Cooley (1) Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He made a strong impression in his debut with the Avalanche against the Winnipeg Jets. Despite the unfortunate loss, in eight minutes of time on ice, he had three shots on goal, one block, and five hits.
He followed it up against the Calgary Flames by picking up his first career point as an Avalanche player by setting up Nathan MacKinnon, adding two shots on goal, two hits, and fighting Matt Coronato in the second period; given the smiles on the bench, it was a welcome sign of showing his ground and making his impression on the team.
He almost scored his first goal of the season on a breakaway, trying to tuck his shot five-hole against Devin Cooley, but he just made the save. After it, the camera panned to him on the bench, visibly frustrated.
While at first impression it shouldn't make a lot of sense, as by that time the Avalanche were up five goals on the Flames, it showed his willingness to help the team succeed, and if he scored, it would secure him the Gordie Howe hat trick.
He's a player that the Avalanche management and coaching staff see a lot of potential in, and they're trying to mold him into the player he can be. Not limit his game or completely change it, but make sure everything he does on the ice is purposeful.
In the two games, it's clear that whatever the coaching staff has told him has been working, and with more showings like this, it will be hard for Bednar to make the case to take him out of the lineup for other players in the future while he continues to impress and grow as a player.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/avalanche/onsi as L'Heureux Already Showing Immense Value To The Avalanche's Bottom-Six .
