Hendrix Lapierre has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In return for the 24-year-old forward, the Capitals have received Pittsburgh’s 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick originally owned by the San Jose Sharks.
Lapierre, Washington’s first-round pick in 2020, is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1. The Quebec native has struggled to find a consistent and productive role with the Capitals since graduating to the NHL, skating a career-low 8:50 of ice time per game this past year.
In 74 games during the 2025-26 campaign, Lapierre recorded 16 points (4g, 12a). He went the first 48 games of the year without scoring a goal, a drought that lasted 90 total games when stretched back to the 2023-24 campaign.
Lapierre’s AHL career while in Washington’s organization has been much more impressive, as he won two Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears. During the 2024 AHL postseason, Lapierre led all players in scoring with 22 points (7g, 15a) in 20 playoff games, taking home that year’s postseason MVP honors. He’ll be reunited with then-Bears head coach, Todd Nelson, in Pittsburgh.
Lapierre, a natural centerman, was unable to secure a position down the middle with the Capitals, losing out to rookie Justin Sourdif in his final attempt to stick as a pivot with the club last season. To Lapierre’s credit, the Caps were great whenever he was on the ice at five-on-five at wing or center, seeing 54.7 percent of shot attempts, 56 percent of expected goals, 55.9 percent of scoring chances, and 59.2 percent of high-danger chances during his minutes.
With Lapierre’s departure and Connor McMichael’s exit earlier this week, Ivan Miroshnichenko becomes the “oldest” post-Stanley Cup first-round pick still with the organization.
The Capitals, who have just four draft picks this weekend, now have eight picks in both the 2027 and 2028 drafts.
