If Pittsburgh Penguins' fans are hoping for GM and POHO Kyle Dubas to be active leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday, it appears the first domino may have fallen.
Well, even if the domino isn't quite as big as some were hoping for.
On Thursday, the Penguins acquired the rights to restricted free agent forward Hendrix Lapierre from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Lapierre, 24, was previously on a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Capitals last season, and he spent parts of four NHL seasons with Washington.
Selected 22nd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Capitals, Lapierre has yet to fully find his footing at the NHL level. In those four NHL seasons with Washington, he has recorded 13 goals and 47 points in 158 games.
The 6-foot, 195-pound center really put himself on the map with an impressive showing at the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he amassed three goals and 11 points in just five games. He has puck skills, scrappiness, and the creativity to open some eyes, but he hasn't quite been able to put it all together at the NHL level.
The Penguins can now extend a qualifying offer to Lapierre, which must be done by Jun. 30 - as is the case with their other restricted free agents in Egor Chinakhov, Ville Koivunen, Arturs Silovs, Alexander Alexeyev, and Joel Blomqvist.
