Two high profile rookies sent back to junior teams

As every NHL team has played roughly 10-15 games thus far, franchises are beginning to make decisions on young, upcoming rookies either staying in the NHL or being returned to other leagues. After William Eklund of the San Jose Sharks was loaned back to Sweden last week, two more high-profile rookies were sent back to junior leagues on Wednesday.

St. Louis Blues forward Jake Neighbours and Washington Capitals forward Hendrix Lapierre have been sent back to their respective junior teams. Neighbours will be reporting to the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League after posting one goal and one assist during his nine-game trial. Lapierre is being assigned to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Lapierre recorded just one goal in six games with the Capitals this season during their season opener versus the New York Islanders.

Blues head coach Craig Berube had nothing but good things to say about Neighbours:

"I think there's been games that I really liked him. He's done some real good things. You have to look at a lot of the games and the score and the time of the game and just a lot of things played into hockey much ice time he got. It's not easy. But overall, I think he did really well. He's a smart player like I've always said, he's killed penalties for us in these games, done a great job, he's scored a goal, he's around the puck all the time, has a nose for the puck. (This is all) going to be a learning process for him, a kid that young coming into the League."

Both prospects were selected in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, with Lapierre selected 22nd overall and Neighbours selected 26th overall. Even though both were reassigned, they will both be extremely important pieces in their teams' futures.

Jake Neighbours has been assigned to the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. https://t.co/nuwvvKoRsy #stlblues— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 10, 2021

NEWS | The Capitals have assigned forward Hendrix Lapierre to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.https://t.co/cvKYMD1NYn— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 10, 2021

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