Report: Capitals re-sign Hendrix Lapierre to one-year contract
According to PuckPedia, the Washington Capitals re-signed forward Hendrix Lapierre to a one-year contract. The deal carries a cap hit of $850,000 through the 2025-26 season.
Lapierre, who was set to become a restricted free agent had he not received a qualifying offer, could become an RFA next summer. Per PuckPedia, his minimum qualifying offer in 2026 would be $892,500.
The #ALLCAPS signed 23 y/o RFA F Hendrix Lapierre to a 1 year $850K contract.
8P in 27GP
Lapierre will be a RFA upon expiry with a $892.5K qualifying offer
Rep'd by Philippe Lecavalier @QuartexxHockey https://t.co/3QMUTHD6NH
Lapierre was just coming off his entry-level contract with the Capitals, which had a cap hit of $863,333, but an AAV of $1,105,833 thanks to performance bonuses built into the deal.
Lapierre was originally taken by the Capitals in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. He made an immediate impression with the team, scoring a goal in his debut with the Caps on Oct. 13, 2021. However, the team believed he needed more time to develop, sending him back to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Lapierre’s offensive ability was noticeable during his first year with the Caps’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, in 2022-23, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 60 games. The Gatineau native ended up scoring three goals and six points in that year’s postseason, helping the Bears win the Calder Cup.
Lapierre finally got back to the NHL during the 2023-24 campaign, spending 51 games with Washington, scoring eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. He also scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal, despite the Capitals falling to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the opening round.
He rejoined Hershey for the remainder of the AHL Playoffs, scoring seven goals and 22 points, winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as postseason MVP as the Bears won a second straight championship.
The 23-year-old saw less time with the Caps this past year, posting just eight assists in 27 games. With the Bears, he was a point-a-game player, scoring seven goals and 32 points in 32 games.
In 84 NHL appearances, Lapierre has scored nine goals and 22 assists for 32 points. With the Bears, he’s scored 27 goals and 52 assists for 79 points in 113 regular-season games, with another 31 points in 48 postseason affairs.