The Colorado Avalanche already have the kind of top-end talent that makes opponents brace for impact. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Cale Makar give them speed, skill and star power in abundance.
What they’ve been looking for is a different sort of weapon - the kind of player who can make life miserable when the game gets tight, physical and cramped. That’s where Zachary L’Heureux comes in.
General manager Joe Sakic didn’t acquire L’Heureux because he expected another high-volume scorer to land in the lineup. L’Heureux has nine career goals in 87 NHL games, and that isn’t the reason Colorado targeted him. The appeal is everything else he brings: physical play, relentless pressure on the forecheck, a knack for irritating opponents and a willingness to live in the dirty areas.
Sakic saw a need for that type of presence in last year’s playoffs, and L’Heureux fit the bill. He plays with an edge that can tilt a game, even if it doesn’t always show up in the box score. For the Avalanche, that’s the point.
Of course, that edge has come with baggage. According to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News, L’Heureux has been suspended 12 times for 42 total games across his six seasons in the QMJHL, AHL and NHL from 2019 to 2024. That history is part of the package, and it’s exactly why Colorado isn’t asking him to dial back the style that makes him effective.
The challenge is sharper than that. The Avalanche want him to understand the line between aggression that helps his team and aggression that hurts it. At 23, he’s still young enough that his NHL identity is not fully set.
If he can pair that edge with sound defensive play and some secondary scoring, he could grow into a real every-night NHL forward. Without that balance, he risks being used only as a human pinball designed to rattle the other side.
That’s the bet Colorado is making. L’Heureux doesn’t need to disappear into a loaded lineup; he needs to stand out by making opponents work for every inch. If he can do that without becoming a problem for the Avalanche themselves, he may be exactly the missing piece they were after.
For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, those complementary pieces matter. MacKinnon, Makar and Necas can carry the load, but playoff series are often decided by the players deeper in the lineup. Colorado is hoping L’Heureux can be the extra spark that gives them an edge when it matters most.
In Other News...
T.J. Hughes Just Made Colorados Final Roster Call Much Harder
T.J. Hughes gave the Avalanche one more thing to think about in their preseason win over the Winnipeg Jets, piling up a hat trick and an assist in a performance that was hard to ignore. Jared Bednar even spent part of the game testing Hughes at center before moving him back to the wing, a small lineup wrinkle that said plenty about how Colorado is still sorting out the edges of its roster ahead of opening night.
For a team trying to settle on the right mix, Hughes night only made the competition tighter. Hes in the group battling for a spot, and a showing like this does not make the decision any easier for the coaching staff as the Avalanche weigh who fits best when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Trade Buzz Around Dylan Larkin Just Got More Real
Trade chatter around Dylan Larkin has taken on a little more weight around the Avalanche, with Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Red Wings center has expanded his list of preferred destinations to include Colorado. It is the kind of development that instantly gets attention in this market, where the Avs are always weighing whether there is another high-end piece out there who can fit their pace, their core and their championship timeline.
Colorado is also still sorting through its own early roster picture after its third preseason game, when T.J. Hughes made a loud case for himself with a hat trick and four points while battling for a spot. The Avalanche are in that familiar position of trying to balance present-day ambition with roster decisions at the margin, and any serious talk about a player of Larkins caliber only adds another layer to what could become one of the more closely watched storylines in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Forward Is Suddenly Fighting For His NHL Future
Anton Blidhs NHL path has gotten a lot bumpier since his time with the Avalanche ended in a March 2023 trade to New York. The former Colorado forward has spent most of his time with the Rangers AHL affiliate in Hartford, and now he is back in a familiar roster squeeze after being placed on waivers.
If Blidh clears, the expectation is that he will report to the Hartford Wolf Pack again, a reminder of how thin the margin can be for players trying to stay on the NHL side of the line. For Colorado fans, it is another look at a player who once fit into the Avalanche organization and is now fighting to keep his career moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]