Penguins Head Coach Dan Muse feels Lapierre grew more comfortable as training camp went on.
“I think with players that are coming in, it's not getting it on day one. It's, how are you adjusting? How are you adapting? I think he's done a nice job with that,” Muse said.
When the trade first happened in June, one of the first people to reach out to Lapierre was Penguins Assistant Coach Todd Nelson. Lapierre and Nelson built a close relationship while winning back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024 with the Hershey Bears.
“It’s a comforting presence,” Lapierre said of having Nelson around. “In Hersey, he was kind of like a dad to all of us. It’s true, just with the way that he coached. It’s kind of like we still have that same relationship here, so it’s awesome. He's a tremendous coach, and I'm super happy to be with him.”
After playing in four Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Washington Capitals in 2024, Lapierre said that he didn’t know what to expect whenever he went back down to the AHL for Hershey’s playoff run. In the end, it was one of the best things that could have happened to him.
In that second Calder Cup run, Lapierre won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (AHL – Playoff MVP) with 22 points (7G-15A) in 20 games.
“I thought we did the right things, our team was really fun, really good, and I could talk about it for a long time,” Lapierre said. “It was just so special to us and such a growth experience. Having Nelly as our coach there, too, was awesome. I mean, he's obviously a big reason why we have success.”
After playing in 113 games for Hershey from 2022-2025, Lapierre established a role for himself at the NHL level last season.
“It was a big learning experience. It wasn't perfect for the 74 games, but I think I just worked hard, and I think I was relatively reliable,” Lapierre said. “I didn't create much offensively, or not as much as I would have liked, but I don't think I was a liability defensively either. I have a ton that I can work on, but it was a step in the right direction.”
Trevor van Riemsdyk was Lapierre's teammate in Washington for the last handful of seasons, but they really started to bond last year, as they kept one another accountable.
Whether it was staying on the ice after practice, pushing themselves in the weight room, or spending time away from the rink, they've gained a ton of respect for each other.
As for what Lapierre can bring to the Penguins, van Riemsdyk pointed out an intangible.
“I think there's a lot more to his game, and he knows that he was eager to show it,” van Riemsdyk said. “I think that’s his greatest quality is how much he cares and how much better he wants to be.”
Lapierre has been especially eager to learn from Penguins Assistant Coach Nick Bonino on ways to improve his faceoffs, an area where he knows there is room to grow.
“I want it to be a strength of mine, which is why I work on it every day, but I'll get there,” Lapierre said. “I know it's super important, and it's always fun to start up the shift with the puck, too. It's something that I've been working on extremely hard, whether it's video or on the ice, and I'm trying to get better.”
With his new opportunity in Pittsburgh, the 2020 first-round pick is eager for more responsibility.
“I'm going to try to show that I can bring a lot of speed, and make some good, smart plays, and with the confidence, there'll be better plays coming,” Lapierre said. “I just want to give a good first impression here and battle night in night out. I don't take this position for granted, and I'll do my best to have an impact every night.”
