The Capitals prospect has put together two of his strongest games in the NHL yet, and it's earned him a major promotion going into the team's biggest game of the year.
For Washington Capitals center Hendrix Lapierre, the 2023-24 campaign has — quite literally — been filled with ups and downs.
The 22-year-old has been up and down the highway, back and forth between assignments from Washington and the team's AHL-affiliate Hershey Bears amid injuries and absences up front. There have been great games, like a hat trick against the AHL's Senators and a two-goal outing against the NHL's Senators, and there have been growing pains and games he'd rather forget.
But for Lapierre, this latest recall feels differently, because even though he's just a few games in, he's found a spark.
Two games into his latest assignment up with the big club, Lapierre has three goals and has been one of the team's standout forwards. He's keeping his feet moving and showcasing his speed, stickhandling and hockey IQ, leading to some good chances on offense and more ice time as a result.
"Lappy has strung together two of the best games he's played this year in the National Hockey League. Tons of speed, feels like he's got a little bit of confidence and swagger — a lot of confidence and swagger with the puck," head coach Spencer Carbery said. "Making real good decisions, going to the hard areas. He was at the net front three or four times, goes unnoticed, but he was going to difficult areas, won some puck battles on the forecheck."
For Lapierre, it's all part of the learning experience as he and his Hershey teammates step up to help fill several voids at the NHL level, with Nic Dowd, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom all missing in action.
"I feel like every time I go up and I go down, there's new stuff that I learn... those things add up, you feel more comfortable, feel more mature in your game," Lapierre said, noting that he's been able to take away from each game he's played at both levels this season.
Through 27 games at the NHL level this year, Lapierre has five goals and five assists, and he has five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 21 games down with the Bears, whom he hoisted the Calder Cup with just a season ago.
Now, it's just a matter of the Quebec native bringing that same effort on a nightly basis.
"For me, it's about consistency, it’s about finding my game again and just playing like that every single day and showing what I can do," Lapierre said. "It’s not easy. it’s a long season, there’s a lot of games, and it's a grind."
That hasn't slowed Lapierre down, though, and his impressive play has forced Carbery's hand as the Capitals sit six points out of playoff position and enter their biggest game of the year yet on Friday when they take on the third-place Philadelphia Flyers.
The spotlight will shine brightest on Lapierre in that game, as he is expected to skate on the top line with Alex Ovechkin, who he had a poster of on his wall growing up. Lapierre took rushes on that top trio with Ivan Miroshnichenko filling in for Tom Wilson, who missed practice for personal reasons, and that combination could stick.
"It could be a good option for us," Carbery said of the possibility.
As for Lapierre, it'd be the ultimate reward and a childhood dream turned reality, but he also feels confident that he could make a lot happen in that role.
"That’d be unreal, obviously. He's a great great player as you guys know. I'm excited to see what we can do if we play together," Lapierre said, adding, "I feel like if he gets open, I’ll try to find him… it’d be a pretty special opportunity to play with him and I feel like we can do really good things.”