Lapierre was the lone standout on the Red Wings in this tough matchup against the Jr. Canadians. Right from the get-go, I noticed the physical tools, he’s balanced on his feet, and moves around the ice quite well in his 6 '1 frame. He displayed solid defensive instincts, looking to apply pressure, using his feet and physicality to win pucks and jump passes. Colton was just always patrolling around in defensive situations, looking to engage and win back pucks. In the offensive zone, it was a similar theme, as he was active in pinch scenarios, cracking down and keeping plays alive. Lapierre scored once in this one when deployed net front on the powerplay, potting home a rebound. He’s caught my eye every time I’ve watched the Red Wings, and he’s certainly on my radar to keep a close eye on.

Lapierre played an impressive defensive game. I thought he was solid at taking away options, denying moves to the middle, and keeping threats to the outside. Colton was often composed in defensive situations, using smart positioning to take away space and shut plays down. He timed his defensive actions well, jumping in for checks and poke checks at the right moment to free up pucks, and just overall had a strong showing as a shutdown defender. He’s mobile and has the physical tools to project moving forward, so seeing the defensive value add up throughout the game was great to see.

I mainly noted Lapierre for his strong skating, especially when moving laterally. His mobility allowed him to play an aggressive, disruptive defensive game, frequently stepping into oncoming attackers' space to break up plays in the neutral zone. He was quick to close on puck carriers in the neutral zone, using his footwork to shadow their every move and engage with well-timed physicality. This theme of mobility was apparent on breakouts and retrievals, where he won possession, turned up ice with control, and made a play up ice to spark a transition.

Lapierre already looks quite physically mature for his age, boasting a tall and stout frame that allows him to gain physical advantages all over the ice. He was one of his teams more consistent and reliable players in their own zone because of this, using his frame to lean on opposing puck carriers along the perimeter, pin them to the boards and break up plenty of cycle plays as a consequence. I came away surprised with his lateral mobility for a bigger player, as he demonstrated the ability to stay with speedy forwards in transition and guide them to the exterior of the ice before cancelling them out with a smart stick play or a check along the boards. He even flashed a few skilled plays from the back end, putting together a couple of strong rush sequences with the puck that lead to some controlled entries.

In such a high-scoring and mishap fuelled game, I thought Lapierre’s defensive and aggressive approach was a breath of fresh air. He was killing tons of cycle plays along the perimeter by using his large frame to erase puck carriers along the boards before making a quick play up the boards to facilitate the breakout. He was one of the better rush defenders throughout the entire game as well, either angling attackers to the outside and forcing them to congested areas before cancelling them out along the boards or utilizing his stick to thwart any attempts to the middle of the ice and getting the puck out of danger.