Prospect Spotlight: Zachary L’Heureux
Prospect Spotlight is a feature highlighting NHL Draft eligibles and giving a peek into what makes them an intriguing prospect ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft. This edition features Halifax Moosehead’s Zachary L’Heureux.
- Date of Birth: May 15, 2003
- Position: W/C
- Team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
- Height: Five-foot-11
- Weight: 196 pounds
- Shoots: Left
L’Heureux finished T-1 in QMJHL rookie scoring last season
The third-overall pick from the 2019 QMJHL Draft had a very impressive rookie season, finishing tied for first amongst rookies in the league last season, along with Rimouski Oceanic’s Isaac Belliveau, with 55 points in 53 games. L’Heureux kicked off his rookie campaign with an 11-game point streak that saw him put up six goals and 15 points, including his first multi-point and multi-goal games in his very young QMJHL career. Although his point production was a little more sporadic over the course of the season, L’Heureux still managed to land on the scoresheet consistently and was named a finalist for the QMJHL’s Rookie of the Year award.
He’s off to a great offensive start in his draft year
After being traded from the Moncton Wildcats to Halifax in June, L’Heureux kicked off his season on a new team with a bang with two goals and three points in his first game in a Mooseheads uniform. As the QMJHL is the lone CHL league to have resumed play in the fall, L’Heureux has the benefit of playing out east in the Maritimes, as COVID-19 outbreaks have seen the QMJHL pause game action in Quebec, and be able to play consistently. L’Heureux has six goals and twelve points in his first 11 games this season and looks poised to put up big numbers by the time his draft year is all said and done.
L’Heureux doesn’t shy away from physical play
L’Heureux loves to throw his body around and can do it without taking many penalties.
Though he has already been ejected from three games so far during what has been a tumultuous QMJHL season, L’Heureux has only taken one penalty as a result of a hit. He continues to play with an edge (although he could do without the unsportsmanlike penalty for spitting that he took last week) and has already proven that he has the ability to put up points as well as be difficult to play against.
L’Heureux was actually doing a great job of staying disciplined and out of the box until he was ejected from that game and then handed a four-game suspension. So long as L’Heureux can prove that the incident was a one-off and continue to stay disciplined once he returns, NHL scouts should be excited about the package he can bring to the table.
What FCHockey’s scouts are saying about L’Heureux
“There’s definitely still a lot of work to be done for L’Heureux, especially in the consistency and defensive compete departments, but overall his skill set is undeniable and that alone could have him in the top-10 off the board on draft day. He looks like a middle-six power forward at his ceiling.” – Eastern Canada head scout Dylan Galloway
“He’s deceptive, creative, and has incredible control with open space or in the small areas. It looks like he has the puck on a string at times. Even when he’s challenged physically, he can hold the puck and still get a play off… His defensive game is good, but likely the largest area for improvement… Overall, he’s an all-situations player that excels in the offensive zone and in transition.” – Eastern Canada and Crossover scout Josh Bell