2020 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Hendrix Lapierre Scouting Report
By Kyle Pereira
LaPierre’s Tendencies
Before I get into the scouting report, I just want to give a big thanks to ProspectShifts for providing the shift-by-shift film on a bunch of 2020 draft prospects, including LaPierre.
LaPierre is an interesting prospect. He has a mindset of being a pass-first player, but if given the time and space, he doesn’t think twice about getting a shot on net. He’s one of the few prospects I’ve seen swap sides on the power play, depending on whether it’s a 5-on-4 or 5-on-3.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Part of the reason why LaPierre switches sides is because he is a very good shooter, but struggles with getting shots through traffic. Countless times, I saw LaPierre wind up and fire one off the shin pads of a player in front of him. So, when a 5-on-3 presents itself, LaPierre finds room and is able to utilize his shot to the max.
To stay with power play tendencies, LaPierre plays on the half-wall and point area. On 5-on-4 power plays, he plays on his passing side and tries to find back-door options and set-up plays using his vision. On 5-on-3 power plays, he works the half-wall and point area on his shooting side, always sliding up and down the boards, looking for room to allow a teammate to send it his way for a one-timer.
A negative habit that LaPierre has which, sometimes, makes him an exciting player to watch is his ability to dangle. The bad habit is that he does it way too much. There are several times where he can skate wide and beat a defenseman with speed, but instead tries to make a pretty move to break the defenseman’s ankles, and oftentimes leads to a turnover.
Finally, and honestly one of the most frustrating bad habits LaPierre has, is that he doesn’t keep his stick blade on the ice, which leads to him mishandling or completely whiffing on passes sent his way. All he has to do is put his stick on the ice if a pass is expected. He needs to be better prepared. Luckily, this is a fairly coachable aspect of his game, though it will likely take a bit of time to completely remove from his game.