Hendrix Lapierre is like Lightning McQueen. The fans love him whether you're in Washington, D.C., Hershey, Pennsilvania and anywhere across the globe where you rock a Caps jersey. The Quebec native was selected in the first round at 22nd overall in 2020 after the Washington Capitals traded up to get him. That trade came with the Calgary Flames.
After a brief six game stint in 2021 it was time to get more minor league hockey experience but at age 19 he struck gold on opening night against the New York Rangers in the first game back in front of a full house.
Then this past season he had eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. It was off to Hershey after an impressive 51 games in the big leagues and even got his first taste of NHL playoff action even though it was short lived. He had two points with a goal and an assist.
Last season he made $80,000 while his current cap hit is at $863,333. But before we talk more salary numbers let's talk some Bears numbers. In the regular season in 2022-23 he had 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points. In 21 games this past season he added five goals and 12 assists for 17 points. In the Calder Cup playoffs en route to their second straight title he won the MVP award further proving he deserves an exension but what would lhat look like
For comparison sake let's use Connor McMichael. He just got extended when free agency opened he signed a two year, $4.2 million deal. This is a fair contract as if his performance improves the Caps front office does a good job at extending. Look no further than T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson.
A deal similar to that one would make the most sense from a practical standpoint but like we said Lappy has to prove it. The clock is ticking on the drop of the puck of the regular season just like the first day of school.