NHL Trade News
Penguins Acquire Hendrix Lapierre from Washington in Draft Pick Deal
The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to reshape their roster Thursday, acquiring center Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals.
The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to reshape their roster Thursday, acquiring center Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick originally belonging to the San Jose Sharks, per Pierre LeBrun. After adding Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, the Capitals felt like they could flip the former first-round center.
Lapierre, 24, was Washington’s 22nd overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft and has spent his entire professional career in the Capitals organization. A native of Gatineau, Quebec, he brings legitimate offensive tools to Pittsburgh — scouts have long praised his elite puck skills and ability to carry the puck at full speed.
The production at the NHL level, however, has been inconsistent.
Lapierre finished the 2025-26 season with three goals and 12 assists in Washington’s bottom six, bringing his career total to 47 points over parts of five seasons. So too a faceoff percentage hovering around 37% for his career remains an area of concern for a player who profiles as a center. It limits his ability to be effective in a bottom-six role.
Still, for Pittsburgh, the price is right. The Penguins carry nearly $38 million in projected cap space and are clearly in the business of accumulating young, skilled forwards as they navigate an accelerated or quasi-rebuild/retool. Lapierre, still just 24, represents exactly the kind of reclamation project Kyle Dubas likes to bet on — a former first-round pedigree player who hasn’t yet found his footing at the NHL level.
At the cost of two mid-to-late round picks, the Penguins have very little to lose.
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