The Washington Capitals traded Hendrix Lapierre to the Pittsburgh Penguins on the day Chris Patrick announced the move, sending the former first-round pick out for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Washington also picked up a selection that originally came from San Jose.
The deal gives the Capitals more draft room right away. They now own four picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, eight in the 2027 NHL Draft and eight in the 2028 NHL Draft, a stockpile that shows how aggressively they are working their future assets while parting with a player they once chose 22nd overall in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Lapierre’s numbers in Washington explain why this move lands with some force. He had 47 points in 158 career games with the team, including 13 goals and 34 assists, production that never quite matched the promise of a high first-round selection. That is the backdrop to the trade: a young forward with enough NHL experience to have value, but not enough momentum to make him untouchable.
The fifth-round pick coming back in 2028 came originally from San Jose, and there is no indication in the trade details that any conditions are attached to it. That matters because draft-pick language can sometimes hide protections or later adjustments, but here the return is straightforward: one third-rounder, one fifth-rounder, and a clean exit for a player Washington has already measured over 158 games.
What Pittsburgh plans to do with Lapierre is still the unanswered part of the deal. What is clear is that Washington chose draft capital over waiting longer on a former first-rounder, and the Capitals now carry 20 picks across the next three drafts after turning him into future assets.
