Jeremy Lauzon Adds To Hits Lead, Predators Record Within Reach

Nashville Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon already led the NHL in total hits, but his lead grew substantially following a league-wide audit during the 2024 NHL All-Star break.

Lauzon had 200 recorded hits prior to Wednesday’s announcement, but he’s since been credited with an additional 29 hits, giving him 50 more than the next-closest player, New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck. He also has a 75-hit lead over the next-closest defenseman, Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks.

The 26-year-old Lauzon needs just 21 more hits to match the career best that he set last season (which he did in just 67 games), and he’s just 71 hits away from becoming the 27th player in NHL history and just the second Predator to reach the 300-hit plateau.

The Predators franchise record for single-season hits belongs to Tanner Jeannot, who had 318 during the 2021-22 season. Jeannot and Lauzon are the only two players in team history to have multiple seasons of 200 or more hits.

At his current pace (4.49 hits per game), Lauzon will finish the season with 368 hits — easily eclipse Jeannot’s record and marking the third-most single-season hits in NHL history behind Matt Martin, who had 382 and 374 hits for the New York Islanders during the 2014 and 2011 seasons, respectively.

Among Predators defensemen, Lauzon leads the team in penalty minutes (66), penalty minutes drawn (52) and goals above expected (2.1), and he ranks second in penalty kill minutes (128:13, behind Ryan McDonagh), goals (5, behind Roman Josi) and percentage of shifts started in the defensive-zone (15.7%, also behind McDonagh), third in takeaways (9) and fourth in blocked shots (74).

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