Hendrix Lapierre’s Scoring Drought Continues, But the Capitals Still See Growth in His Game
It’s been a grind for Hendrix Lapierre this season. The 23-year-old forward came into the year riding the momentum of a standout preseason, flashing the skill and energy that had Washington Capitals fans buzzing. But as the regular season has unfolded, that early spark hasn’t quite translated into consistent production - at least not on the scoresheet.
Lapierre is still searching for his first goal since March 18, 2024 - a stretch that’s now reached 68 games without lighting the lamp at the NHL level. That’s a tough number for any forward to carry, especially one trying to cement his place in the lineup during a contract year.
But if you talk to Lapierre, he’s not panicking. Frustrated?
Sure. But not panicking.
“I don’t think I’ve been better or worse,” Lapierre said recently, reflecting on his play. “Every game is hard. There’s no easy nights.”
He’s not wrong. The NHL doesn’t hand out freebies.
And when you’re bouncing around the bottom six, averaging just 9:41 of ice time per night, the margin for error is razor-thin. Lately, Lapierre’s been centering the fourth line alongside Sonny Milano and Ethen Frank, filling in while Nic Dowd recovers from an upper-body injury.
In Sunday’s win over the Islanders, he logged just over seven minutes. On Friday against Toronto?
Only 5:39.
Some of that is situational - line matchups, special teams, game flow. But Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is clear about what he wants to see from Lapierre when he’s on the ice.
“Just being reliable and doing things that are going to lead to positive shifts for his line and our team,” Carbery said.
And to be fair, Lapierre has been doing some of those things. While the goals haven’t come, the underlying numbers paint a more encouraging picture.
At 5-on-5, Lapierre leads the Capitals in scoring chances-for percentage (61.21%) and ranks second behind only Tom Wilson in expected goals-for percentage (57.79%). That tells us he’s helping drive play when he’s out there - even if it’s not showing up on the scoreboard yet.
“I missed a lot of chances, and our line’s missed a lot of chances in games before,” Lapierre admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we weren’t playing well.”
That’s the kind of maturity you want to hear from a young player still finding his footing. He’s not ignoring the drought - he knows it’s there. But he’s also not letting it define him.
“You trust the work that you put in and that you’re doing the right things,” he said. “You’ll get frustrated from time to time, it’s normal… but I think you just trust what you’ve been doing, trust your preparation, and eventually good things are going to happen.”
Carbery seems to agree. Despite the scoring slump, the coach isn’t dwelling on the lack of goals. He’s more focused on the habits - the positioning, the reads, the little things that build a strong NHL game.
“I don’t think there’s any focus on him scoring,” Carbery said. “We try to focus on little habits inside of his game… If you do those enough, good things will happen for you.”
That’s a message Lapierre is taking to heart. He’s learning how to manage the emotional rollercoaster that comes with being a young player in the world’s toughest league. And while the numbers might not jump off the page right now, the effort, the attitude, and the process are all trending in the right direction.
“Is it going to be perfect? No,” Lapierre said. “But you’ve got to learn to manage those emotions and not get too frustrated and not let it take you out of your game.”
The goals will come. For now, the Capitals are betting on the work - and the player - to break through.