PuckSleuth
22Pittsburgh Penguins · Center · Shoots L
Hendrix Lapierre
Age 24 · 6'0" · 191 lb · Born in Gatineau, CAN
Cap hit
$1.3M
1.3% of $104M cap
Term
2 yrs
Through 2027-28, then RFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$1.581M
vs. $2.881M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
2
Goals
1
100.0% shooting
Assists
2
1 primary
Points
3
1.50 per game
TOI/GP
12:12
PP 2:03 · PK 0:00
xGF%
78.4
5v5, +21.6 vs. last yr
Game Score
+1.34
per game
Faceoff %
—
4 W · 9 L
Plus/minus
+1
Blocks 0 · Hits 4
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 vs MTL · W 6-5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:22 | 2:00 | 0:00 | 2-5 | 67 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +0.16 |
| Sep 30 @ PHI · W 7-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 13:02 | 2:06 | 0:00 | 2-4 | — | 1 | 0 | +3 | +2.51 |
| Apr 14 @ CBJ · W 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13:18 | 0:01 | 0:00 | 3-5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.13 |
| Apr 5 @ NYR · L 8-1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10:33 | 0:08 | 0:00 | 0-11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.04 |
| Apr 4 vs BUF · W 6-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11:05 | 0:00 | 0:03 | 6-5 | 60 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -0.14 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 637 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
93rd percentile
98th percentile
92nd percentile
87th percentile
97th percentile
91st percentile
59th percentile
74th percentile
87th percentile
21st percentile
18th percentile
35th percentile
40th percentile
45th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleDefensive-minded depth center
Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26
Lapierre is a lock-down defender with elite impact in his own zone, keeping opposing chances suppressed when he's on ice. However, he struggles to create offense, rarely getting into scoring positions and turning the puck over at an inefficient rate.
- Shooting volume
- 31
- Playmaking
- 36
- Zone entries(est.)
- 3
- Forechecking
- 53
- Physicality
- 51
- Defensive impact
- 95
- Puck management
- 21
- Speed
- 72
Where he shoots from
Slot 54% · Mid-range 35% · Perimeter 11%(85 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Elite defensive impact (95th percentile) suppresses opponent scoring chances
- Good skating ability (72nd percentile) helps him stay with opponents
- Strong on net defense (51st physicality) keeps space tight
Watch-outs
- Almost never enters the zone on rushes (3rd percentile), limiting offensive opportunities
- Weak puck management (21st percentile) leads to turnovers and lost possession
- Below-average playmaking (36th percentile) limits his value as a passer
Similar style: Alexander Kerfoot (NSH), Jake Evans (MTL)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 74 GP
Season total +16.1, or +0.22 per game.
- Scoring
- +11.0
- Shooting
- +4.0
- 5-on-5 goals
- +0.1
- Defense
- +0.9
- Physical play
- +2.1
- Puck battles
- -1.4
- Faceoffs
- -0.6
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Washington Capitals | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14.3 | 9:35 | 26.1 | — |
| 2023-24 | Washington Capitals | 51 | 8 | 14 | 22 | -1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 51 | 15.7 | 11:26 | 37.5 | +0.44 |
| 2024-25 | Washington Capitals | 27 | 0 | 8 | 8 | -3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0.0 | 9:48 | 39.6 | +0.21 |
| 2025-26 | Washington Capitals | 74 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 7.5 | 8:50 | 39.9 | +0.22 |
| 2026-27 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100.0 | 12:12 | 30.8 | +1.34 |
| Career | 5 seasons | 160 | 14 | 36 | 50 | -1 | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 130 | 10.8 | 9:54 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GS/GP is our Game Score per game.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- ‘He worked his butt off here’: Capitals happy for Hendrix Lapierre’s strong start with Penguins — ‘just not against us’
RMNB · Oct 2
- The Penguins new-look defense will get its first big test this weekend
pensburgh.com · Oct 2
- Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre make things ‘fun’ for the Penguins
community.triblive.com · Oct 1
- Off Day: Lapierre (10.01.26)
NHL.com · Oct 1
- Penguins Grades: Brilliant Performances and Great Third Line
pittsburghhockeynow.com · Oct 1
- Hendrix Lapierre scores in impressive debut with Pittsburgh Penguins
RMNB · Oct 1
- PIT@PHI: Lapierre scores goal against Dan Vladar
NHL.com · Oct 1
- NPG 71: State of the Penguins: Opening Night Lineup, Letang's Decline and a "Weird Spot"
player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F8681974_2026-09-23-193914 · Sep 23
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.49 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 21.5 mph
- 79th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 2
- Hardest shot
- 77.0 mph
- 71st pct
- Distance
- 2.1 mi
- OZ time
- 52.1%
- 98th pct
- DZ time
- 34.8%
Usage
Last game: vs MTL, Oct 3
Line 3 with Andrei Kuzmenko and Ben Kindel (7:26 together at 5-on-5) · PP2
From the NHL's shift chart.
Age curve
NHL forwards · production index
At 24, forwards typically produce 100% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 25, when the typical level is 100%.
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
2 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | PIT | $1.3M | 1.3% |
| 2027-28 | PIT | $1.3M | 1.1% |
RFA after 2027-28. $2.6M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).