Predators, L'Heureux Must Prepare for Vengeance vs. Wild on Saturday

Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon is still injured after getting slew-footed by Nashville Predators forward Zach L'Heureux on New Year's Eve. The Wild players haven't forgotten about that - far from it.

With a rematch between the Predators and the Wild on tap on Saturday night, one of the Wild's toughest players, Marcus Foligno, is out for vengeance. And he's letting everyone know ahead of time.

"When you see a guy cheap-shotted, that stuff needs to be answered for. The L'Heureux thing is blatant, trying to hurt a guy," Foligno was quoted by The Athletic as saying. "It's not the '80s or '90s where you can get away with anything on the forecheck."

Foligno is also rather disappointed that some of the Predators' leaders didn't warn L'Heureux about his shenanigans ahead of time. Instead, L'Heureux made the choice he did, injuring Spurgeon and refusing the ensuing call to fight from forward Predators forward, and current Wild forward, Yakov Trenin.

"They've got a lot of guys on Nashville that understand the code, and the young kid doesn't understand. It's frustrating," Foligno added disdainfully. "There will be a price to pay for that game. I'm sure [L'Heureux will] have to answer to someone.

"When a guy crosses the line in that sense, [measures have to be taken]. Yeah, he got suspended, but we lost [Spurgeon]. It's a dirty play," Foligno continued. It should be more games. He shouldn't be able to just walk out of [Xcel Energy Center] that night because [Spurgeon] wasn't able to."

L'Heureux, 21, was suspended three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for his crime against Spurgeon, but this is nothing new for the Predators forward.

If anything, it's become a habit.

In his junior hockey career in the QMJHL, L'Heureux was suspended on nine separate occasions. In the AHL, twice. In his short time in the NHL, once.

L'Heureux, the Predators' 2021 first-round pick, has four goals, five assists, and nine points in 36 games this season, going scoreless in the three games he's played since returning from suspension.

The Predators will host the Wild at 7 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night.

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