Washington Capitals: Hendrix Lapierre Impresses in Debut

The Washington Capitals are known as an older team. With established stars that are poised for another run at the Stanley Cup, there’s no denying that this team doesn’t have a lot of open spots on their roster. Nicklas Backstrom’s health and the construction of the team’s left-side of the defensive core are the headlines for Caps’ fans. With that said, this preseason will be a good opportunity for the Capitals front-office to see how their younger prospects perform against tougher competition. Hendrix Lapierre is one of those prospects.

In recent rankings, the Capitals have found themselves in the bottom portion of the NHL in terms of overall prospect depth. That isn’t to say the Capitals don’t have young talent. Connor McMichael often steals the spotlight for young and upcoming Caps but it was Hendrix Lapierre who stole the show in his professional debut. The Washington Capitals’ first round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was impressive in the first game of the 2021-2022 preseason.

Lapierre centered the team’s third-line, with Joe Snively and Brian Pinho playing on his wings. The young Canadian center played 15:03 minutes, registering one shot on goal and assisting on both of the Capitals’ goals. Lapierre easily could have assisted on a third goal, if it weren’t for a great save by Troy Grosenick. Lapierre played with great speed, skill and confidence. He showed why the Capitals traded their third-round pick to move up in the draft in order to select him 22nd overall back in 2020.

Many considered Lapierre a potential top-10 selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft if it weren’t for head and neck injuries limiting him to 19 games the previous season. The Capitals general manager, Brian MacLellan is very high on the 19-year-old. 

“He’s a skilled player, potential to be a top-six centerman,” Brian MacLellan said. “Has real good character, real good personality, a lot of positives about the player.”

It will likely be at least a couple of years before Hendrix Lapierre makes it to the NHL during the regular season but it will be interesting to see how Lapierre plays throughout the rest of the preseason. Capitals’ fans should definitely be excited about his development, top-six centers are hard to come by and while it’s still very early in his career, the Caps may have found one.