The Washington Capitals completed their last internal urgent matter of the summer, re-signing prospect Hendrix Lapierre to a one-year, $850K contract on Saturday night.
Lapierre split the 2024-25 season between the Capitals and the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The 2024 AHL Playoff MVP was a restricted free agent after being tendered a qualifying offer earlier this week.
PuckPedia was the first to report the news and the details of the contract.
Lapierre’s one-year deal will allow the prospect centerman to try and re-establish his top value next summer again as an RFA. The new contract comes after winning the Capitals’ third-line center spot out of training camp last fall, but scuffling during the first three months of the NHL season. He scored no goals and tallied eight assists in 27 NHL games, sometimes filling in as a winger.
The Capitals acquired veteran pivot Lars Eller to fill his spot for the rest of the season. General manager Chris Patrick believes head coach Spencer Carbery will give the role to Connor McMichael at the start of next year.
Patrick was asked about Lapierre’s status within the organization after the 2025 NHL Draft and indicated that the 2020 first-round pick was likely due for a short-term extension to try and cement his place on the team. “Yeah, I’d agree with that, yeah,” Patrick said.
Lapierre went the first 38 games of the 2024-25 campaign goalless before he lit the lamp in February. The 23-year-old pivot rebounded and re-found his confidence late in the year with the Bears, posting 32 points (7g, 25a) in 32 games.
“Coming down here, I think I cared,” Lapierre said during his Bears Breakdown Day interview. “I tried my best. I worked hard – there’s always room for growth and improvement. But I feel like, in the most part, I had a good mindset. I’ll keep working at it this summer. I’ll probably rewatch all my games from this year and work hard. I know good things will happen. I’m confident. I know I can do those things that [the Capitals are] asking me to do. I’m looking forward to next season.”
Patrick mentioned Lapierre Saturday in a group of five prospects that he believes could challenge for roster spots with the Capitals at training camp in the fall. In 84 career NHL games, Lapierre has recorded 31 points (9g, 22a).
“I think [his play after being demoted] put him in a good position here to say, ‘Hey, I’m deserving of this opportunity,'” Patrick said in May. “I hope he comes in and has a great training camp and really makes some tough decisions for the coaching staff.”
The 2025 summer will be Lapierre’s first full offseason since he turned pro during the 2022-23 season, as the Quebec native was part of back-to-back Calder Cup-winning teams in Hershey.
Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Re-sign Hendrix Lapierre
23-year-old forward recorded AHL career highs in assists and points in 2024-25
The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Hendrix Lapierre to a one-year, one-way $850,000 contract, senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
Lapierre, 23, recorded an AHL career-high 25 assists and 32 points in 32 games with the Hershey Bears in 2024-25. Lapierre ranked first on the team in points-per-game (1.00), tied for third in assists and tied for second in power-play assists (11). Lapierre, who recorded eight assists in 27 games with the Capitals before being loaned to Hershey on Dec. 29, registered 17 points (4g, 13a) in his first 17 games with the Bears and was named AHL Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 16. The 6’0”, 191-pound forward appeared in all eight of Hershey’s playoff games, registering three assists.
During the 2023-24 season, Lapierre established NHL career highs in games played (51), goals (8), assists (14) and points (22). The Gatineau, Quebec native made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 1 of the First Round against the New York Rangers on April 21, 2024, and finished the series with two points (1g, 1a) in four games. Lapierre also appeared in 21 regular-season contests with Hershey, registering 17 points (5g, 12a). Lapierre joined Hershey for the Calder Cup Playoffs, where he led all AHL skaters with 22 points (7g, 15a) in 20 playoff games. Lapierre, a two-time Calder Cup champion, recorded a team-high seven points (3g, 4a) in six games during the Calder Cup Finals to help the Bears capture their second straight championship and was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the Calder Cup Playoffs MVP.
Lapierre appeared in 60 games during his first professional season with Hershey in 2022-23, recording 30 points (15g, 15a). Lapierre ranked second among Bears rookies in goals, points, power-play points (10) and shots (114). Lapierre added six points (3g, 3a) in 20 playoff games, including the game-tying goal in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals, as Hershey won its AHL-record 12th Calder Cup championship.
The Capitals selected Lapierre with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. In 84 career NHL games with Washington, Lapierre has recorded 31 points (9g, 22a). Lapierre has registered 79 points (27g, 52a) in 113 career AHL games with Hershey.
