Photo: QMJHL
The Washington Capitals selected center Hendrix Lapierre, a native of Gatineau, Quebec, with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, which was held virtually. Lapierre, 18, played with the QJMHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens last season.
VITALS
- Age: 18
- Position: Center
- Height: 6-0
- Weight: 181
- Shoots: Left
The Capitals traded the 24th pick and 80th to the Calgary Flames to move up to the 22nd and draft Lapiere.
Lapierre won the Michel Bergeron Trophy as the QMJHL as the offensive rookie of the year in the 2018-19 season after recording 45 points (13g, 32a) in 48 games.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 7, 2020
He recorded two goals, 17 points, and a +4 rating in 19 games last season. Lapierre is off to a flying start this season with two goals and five points through two games.
In the off season, Lapierre trains alongside NHLers Kris Letang, Anthony Duclair and Jonathan Drouin in the MTL Pro League, a weekly 3-on-3 league that takes place during the summer.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 7, 2020
INJURIES
He was a top player at 16 and was the rookie-of-the-year in the QMJHL in 2018-19, He had one of the best Hlinka-Gretzky tourneys ever in the fall of 2019. But then Lapierre was diagnosed with what was believed to be his third concussion in a 10-month span. the injuries ended up being twisted vertebrae in his neck that mimicked concussion-like symptoms, and he’s apparently healthy now.
ELITE PROSPECTS
Elite Prospects wrote on Lapierre that “his pucks skills, and the ability to wield them with the same effectiveness at speed as he does at a standstill, make him a dazzling puck-carrier. Lapierre can effortlessly weave his way through an entire team on a moment’s notice, and he did that seemingly once a game during his tear at the Hlinka.”
PRE-DRAFT RANKINGS
- Lapierre was ranked 15th by TSN’s Bob McKenzie heading into the draft.
- TSN’s Craig Button ranked Lapierre #10
- NHL Central Scouting had Lapierre ranked #13
- Dobber Prospects ranked Lapierre #24
VIDEO
2018-2019 highlights:
Draft highlight package:
Rounds 2-7 of the NHL Draft will take place on Wednesday at 11:30 AM ET and can be seen on NHL Network. The Capitals remaining picks:
3rd round – 80th overall(Traded to Calgary)- 4th round – 117th overall
- 5th round – 148th overall
- 6th round – 179th overall
By Harrison Brown
I am ok with the pipeline…. D has AA, MF and JS… C has AP, CM, and now HL… we need to be patient with the health of AA and HL…
Fehervary is really out of the pipeline, as he will be on Caps roster this season. So we really have just Alexeyev as a big defensive prospect.