There’s rumblings of a Maxim Lapierre return to the National Hockey League.
On Monday, Swedish Hockey League team Modo announced that Lapierre -- the club’s leading scorer this year -- has left the team on his own accord. Per Swedish news outlet Allehanda, there are reports that Lapierre has an offer from an NHL club.
(Of course, Lapierre was also a minus-17 this season and had been benched recently by head coach Andreas Johansson.)
The 30-year-old agitator was forced to find work overseas in September, after failing to catch on with a team in free agency. Per TVA, his a one-year deal with Modo had a second year option, but also contained an out clause should Lapierre have landed an NHL contract within 15 days of signing.
Lapierre split last season between Pittsburgh and St. Louis. A known agitator, he finished the year with 11 points in 80 games, and appeared in all five games of the Pens’ opening-round playoff loss to the Rangers.
Prior to his time in Pittsburgh and St. Louis, “Yappy Lappy” played in Montreal, Anaheim and Vancouver. His best season came in 2008-09, when he scored a career-high 15 goals and 28 points, earning a handful of Selke votes.