The Washington Capitals traded Hendrix Lapierre to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Chris Patrick announced the move today, and Washington added two future picks while sending out a 24-year-old forward who had played 158 career games for the club.
Washington Capitals add draft capital
The deal gives Washington a total of 20 picks across the next three NHL drafts. The Capitals now hold four picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, eight in the 2027 NHL Draft and eight in the 2028 NHL Draft, a spread that gives the front office more room to work with over the next three years.
Lapierre leaves after producing 47 points in 158 career games with Washington. He scored 13 goals and added 34 assists, and the Capitals moved on from a player they drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Hendrix Lapierre and the Washington Capitals
That background makes the trade more than a simple pick swap. Washington is adding future draft picks while moving a former first-round pick who had already logged NHL games and points for the team, so the transaction shifts value from the current roster into a wider stock of selections.
The 2028 fifth-round pick also carries a small twist: it originally came from San Jose. That detail does not change the price Washington paid, but it does show how the Capitals are collecting draft assets from multiple routes as they reshape their board for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Pittsburgh Penguins for Hendrix Lapierre
For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the move brings in Lapierre at 24. Washington, meanwhile, has turned one roster spot into two picks and deepened its hand for the next three drafts, which is the clearest sign of what the Capitals wanted from the deal.
