technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. is_chrome_page => null
  3. article_body => "<p>After a long wait with the unprecedented stoppage because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 NHL draft has arrived.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The first round will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 follow on Wednesday starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Flyers hold seven picks and their first-round selection comes at No. 23 overall.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Let's take a look at a target for the Flyers with the 23rd selection:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2><strong>Hendrix Lapierre&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Position:<\/strong>&nbsp;Center<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Height:<\/strong>&nbsp;6-0<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Weight:&nbsp;<\/strong>181&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Shoots:&nbsp;<\/strong>Left<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><strong>Team:&nbsp;<\/strong>Chicoutimi Saguen\u00e9ens<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3><strong>Scouting report&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n<p>Lapierre was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the QMJHL for the 2018-19 season, posting 13 goals and 32 assists for Chicoutimi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>He had a difficult year in 2019-20, both on and off the ice, and was limited to 19 games (two&nbsp;goals, 15 assists).&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/1766614\/2020\/04\/26\/after-draft-year-of-injury-and-mystery-hendrix-lapierre-has-something-to-prove\/\">The Athletic\u2019s Scott Wheeler<\/a>&nbsp;chronicled Lapierre\u2019s injuries, which included worrisome cervical issues initially thought to be concussions. The good news is that, before the QMJHL season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Lapierre&nbsp;was making progress in rehab and the tentative plan was for him to play in the Saguen\u00e9ens\u2019 final two or three regular-season games.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The 18-year-old is a highly skilled two-way player who controls the puck very well and has plenty of poise and patience. Lapierre, who manned the right half wall on the Saguen\u00e9ens\u2019 power play, is an excellent passer, the kind that can lead his teammates into open space and create scoring chances from nothing. As a 16-year-old playing in the QMJHL, Lapierre quickly<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CyV6ZT7hR7c\">&nbsp;learned the importance of playing hard on&nbsp;both ends.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Lapierre isn\u2019t renowned for his scoring, although he told<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y41PoVyMTMY\">&nbsp;TSN\u2019s Mark Masters&nbsp;<\/a>that his shot has \u201cgotten a lot better\u201d while he\u2019s been sidelined. The Gatineau, Quebec, native is also not especially physical or explosive.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The bottom line, though, is that Lapierre is widely considered one of the most talented players in the draft. He told Masters he sees himself as being similar to Evgeny Kuznetsov and is looking to model his game after Aleksander Barkov, too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>\u201cLapierre is the wild card of this draft. \u2026 I think he\u2019s a top-five player if he can return to full health,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/https\/\/www.tsn.ca\/craig-s-list-alexis-lafreniere-solidifies-status-as-hockey-s-top-prospect-1.1461675\">TSN\u2019s Craig Button&nbsp;<\/a>said in March. \u201cHe\u2019s the best two-way player in the draft.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3><strong>Fit with Flyers&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n<p>In an April 25 phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia\u2019s Jordan Hall, Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said, \"Obviously you\u2019d want the big, scoring, playmaking center, anybody does. We\u2019re in a position where we\u2019ll likely be taking the best player available.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>If Lapierre drops to the back of the first round and the Flyers have a chance to take him, there\u2019s a real chance he\u2019d be&nbsp;the best player available. The team would, of course, need to feel comfortable with his injury situation \u2014 his most recent medical reports have been submitted to NHL Central Scouting, according to Wheeler \u2014 but he could be a good value pick, perhaps even a steal.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/ab45b0c2-c737-4809-8124-ee578b8b84b9\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1601962544\" data-url-provider=\"ART19\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n"
  4. created => 1601961837
  5. changed => 1601992709
  6. status => true
  7. hero_image_credit => "Andre Emond\/Chicoutimi Sagueneens"
  8. tags => null
  9. field_bean_single_col => null
  10. section => null
  11. orig_image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1500","height":"844","uri":"public:\/\/article\/hero\/andre_emond_chicoutimi_sagueneens_hendrix_lapierre.jpg","timestamp":1601961837}
  12. image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1500","height":"844","uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2020\/10\/06\/andre_emond_chicoutimi_sagueneens_hendrix_lapierre.jpg","timestamp":1601961837}
  13. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/video\/assistant-gm-brent-flahr-believes-2020-nhl-draft-class-strong"
  14. is_mediaid => true
  15. mediaid => "SKS97MfGn0KP"
  16. video_autoplay => null
  17. video_automute => null
  18. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  19. player_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/vplayer\/p\/BxmELC\/philly_main\/select\/media\/SKS97MfGn0KP?form=html&autoPlay=true"
  20. chrome_data => null
  21. description => "With the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, the Flyers could get a steal in Hendrix Lapierre. By Noah Levick"
  22. league => "NHL"
  23. league_id => "105"
  24. sport => "Hockey"
  25. sport_id => "30"
  26. image_caption => "With the 23rd overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, the Flyers could get a steal in Hendrix Lapierre."
  27. image_credit => "Andre Emond\/Chicoutimi Sagueneens"
  28. no_promo => false
  29. no_trending_in_body => false
  30. no_recirc => false
  31. no_trend => false
  32. short_title => "Playmaking center could be a steal for Flyers if injuries cause him to drop"
  33. sponsorship_type => "presented_by"
  34. topic => "2020 NHL Draft"
  35. topic_id => "103021"
  36. type => "article"
  37. alias => "\/philadelphia\/flyers\/hendrix-lapierre-scouting-report-2020-nhl-draft-profile"
  38. title => "2020 NHL draft profile: Hendrix Lapierre could be a steal for Flyers if injuries cause him to drop"
  39. nid => "115251"
  40. author_0 => "Noah Levick"
  41. author_0_id => "17266"
  42. mps => {"author_0":"Noah Levick"}
  43. region => "philadelphia"
  44. region_id => "3"
  45. sponsor => null
  46. sponsor_id => null
  47. team_id => "42"
  48. team => "Flyers"
  49. published => 1601962500
  50. article_type => "short"
  51. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/philadelphia\/flyers\/hendrix-lapierre-scouting-report-2020-nhl-draft-profile.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2020\/10\/06\/andre_emond_chicoutimi_sagueneens_hendrix_lapierre.jpg"]}
Flyers

/ by Noah Levick
Flyers

After a long wait with the unprecedented stoppage because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 NHL draft has arrived.

The first round will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 follow on Wednesday starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.

The Flyers hold seven picks and their first-round selection comes at No. 23 overall.

Let's take a look at a target for the Flyers with the 23rd selection:

Hendrix Lapierre 

Position: Center

Height: 6-0

Weight: 181 

Shoots: Left

Team: Chicoutimi Saguenéens

Scouting report 

Lapierre was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the QMJHL for the 2018-19 season, posting 13 goals and 32 assists for Chicoutimi.

He had a difficult year in 2019-20, both on and off the ice, and was limited to 19 games (two goals, 15 assists). The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler chronicled Lapierre’s injuries, which included worrisome cervical issues initially thought to be concussions. The good news is that, before the QMJHL season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Lapierre was making progress in rehab and the tentative plan was for him to play in the Saguenéens’ final two or three regular-season games. 

The 18-year-old is a highly skilled two-way player who controls the puck very well and has plenty of poise and patience. Lapierre, who manned the right half wall on the Saguenéens’ power play, is an excellent passer, the kind that can lead his teammates into open space and create scoring chances from nothing. As a 16-year-old playing in the QMJHL, Lapierre quickly learned the importance of playing hard on both ends.

 

Lapierre isn’t renowned for his scoring, although he told TSN’s Mark Masters that his shot has “gotten a lot better” while he’s been sidelined. The Gatineau, Quebec, native is also not especially physical or explosive. 

The bottom line, though, is that Lapierre is widely considered one of the most talented players in the draft. He told Masters he sees himself as being similar to Evgeny Kuznetsov and is looking to model his game after Aleksander Barkov, too.

“Lapierre is the wild card of this draft. … I think he’s a top-five player if he can return to full health,” TSN’s Craig Button said in March. “He’s the best two-way player in the draft.”

Fit with Flyers 

In an April 25 phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said, "Obviously you’d want the big, scoring, playmaking center, anybody does. We’re in a position where we’ll likely be taking the best player available.”

If Lapierre drops to the back of the first round and the Flyers have a chance to take him, there’s a real chance he’d be the best player available. The team would, of course, need to feel comfortable with his injury situation — his most recent medical reports have been submitted to NHL Central Scouting, according to Wheeler — but he could be a good value pick, perhaps even a steal.