Penguins acquire Hendrix Lapierre from Capitals for draft picks
The Washington Capitals busy offseason continues, as they’ve made another trade, sending center Hendrix Lapierre to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Lapierre going to the Penguins, while TSN and The Athletic insider Pierre Lebrun was the first to report which draft picks were going to the Capitals.
Lapierre was the Capitals’ first round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, going 22nd overall. He had a promising start to his NHL career, as he put up eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 51 games in the 2023-24 season. However, he struggled to maintain a consistent role on Washington the following season, spending the year between the NHL and AHL. And then in 2025-26, he spent the season in the NHL, but had a forgettable year with just four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 74 games.
Lapierre is a restricted free agent after the conclusion of his one-year, $850,000 contract.
With the recent acquisitions of Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, the Capitals find themselves with a crowded forward group, and that’s before they potentially re-sign captain Alex Ovechkin (assuming he isn’t retiring). Considering that, Washington was looking to free up their roster spots for next season without losing a player on waivers while also giving Lapierre a change of scenery and a chance to excel in a bigger role.
There are few teams more equipped to give Lapierre that change of scenery than the Penguins. General manager Kyle Dubas has developed a reputation for buying low on high-upside players, which was a driving force for the team’s surprise success in 2025-26. After the years that Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, Egor Chinakhov, Ryan Shea and Justin Brazeau had last season, it’s easy to see how Lapierre can be that for Pittsburgh this season.
The 2027 third-round pick belongs to the Penguins, while the 2028 fifth-round pick is the San Jose Sharks. The pick was originally acquired by Pittsburgh at the 2025 trade deadline in a deal that sent Vincent Desharnais to the Sharks.