C/W Gabe Perreault - Boston College, NCAA (2023, 23rd, NYR)

[Pete Taylor]

Not to nitpick, but Smith is sitting at 1.811 and Perreault is at 1.781, for this year.

Think this has been covered a couple times now but small correction. This year he has a slightly higher PPG 1.74 to 1.72. Basically the seasons mirror each other.

 

[coooldude]

All three of them need to play with other people as the next major step in their development. If they all stay at BC, then they better have a crazy dominant year next year and/or round out their games.

Perreault is a great prospect. I think it's also fair to say that in a redraft he might still not crack the top 13-14 because of the crazy depth of last year, and it's a bit unnecessary to fixate on where he is re: Smith's draft position. They're different prospects, they play different positions, and they are not equals as prospects even if they're close.

 

[Wieters]

All three of them need to play with other people as the next major step in their development. If they all stay at BC, then they better have a crazy dominant year next year and/or round out their games.

The thing I'm not sure many NHL fans consider is that 18/19 year olds aren't exclusively thinking about the theoretical best way to stress test themselves for the sake of development. And in hockey unlike baseball, the players have agency over their progression.

Consider what Smith said on Saturday after the game:

I’ve been dreaming of coming to BC my whole life. I remember being there as a little kid watching Johnny Gaudreau, you know now to be in his shoes just playing in TD is just really special

Does that sound like a guy who is itching to leave campus after a few months and ditch guys like Gabe Perrault who he is roommates/best friends with so that he can go to the AHL for the sake of playing with other people?

To be clear, I don't think remaining in the NCAA, at least at certain programs, is mutually exclusive with player development. Cutter Gauthier went back for another year and he's a markedly better prospect now than he was at this time last year. Smith is only just now becoming more physical in games, and I think he could make huge strides there with another year in the system.

The quality of play and pool of players in the NCAA have both dramatically improved within the past few years in tandem with US youth hockey development as a whole breaking out. I think remaining in college for another year is going to become increasingly more popular rather than sending guys to lifeless AHL teams.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

But that's not true.

Last year, he had more points that Smith yet a slightly worse PPG

This year, he has less points and a lower PPG.

Yes, I didn't realize he played fewer games last year. This year I posted that before Smith's 5 point game. I was going off where they were when Gabe got injured. Also, until recently Gabe was slightly ahead in PPG. Either way, their production is close enough that the 10+ difference in rank is comical. I'm not saying he should be ahead of Smith but there's no way you can tell me that there are 13 better players as of now than Gabe. I'm sorry. It's draft position bias.

The thing I'm not sure many NHL fans consider is that 18/19 year olds aren't exclusively thinking about the theoretical best way to stress test themselves for the sake of development. And in hockey unlike baseball, the players have agency over their progression.

Consider what Smith said on Saturday after the game:



Does that sound like a guy who is itching to leave campus after a few months and ditch guys like Gabe Perrault who he is roommates/best friends with so that he can go to the AHL for the sake of playing with other people?

To be clear, I don't think remaining in the NCAA, at least at certain programs, is mutually exclusive with player development. Cutter Gauthier went back for another year and he's a markedly better prospect now than he was at this time last year. Smith is only just now becoming more physical in games, and I think he could make huge strides there with another year in the system.

The quality of play and pool of players in the NCAA have both dramatically improved within the past few years in tandem with US youth hockey development as a whole breaking out. I think remaining in college for another year is going to become increasingly more popular rather than sending guys to lifeless AHL teams.

I don't know where the Sharks farm team but the Rangers' is in Hartford. I bet Boston is better than the location of both farm teams.

 

[GAGLine]

All three of them need to play with other people as the next major step in their development. If they all stay at BC, then they better have a crazy dominant year next year and/or round out their games.

Or Washington and San Jose could trade Leonard and Smith to the Rangers so they can all continue to play together.

 

[Rsswmu]

Not to nitpick, but Smith is sitting at 1.811 and Perreault is at 1.781, for this year.

My bad NCAA website was not up to date. Should have did the math myself.

Smith was and still is a better prospect. He would go 4-6 depending on positional need and your desire to draft a Russian. Perrault should have been and would be redrafted 10-12.

 

[slumpy43]

Post U20 numbers

Player	GP​	TP​	PPG​
Will Smith	20​	44​	2.20​
Gabe Perreault	15​	32​	2.13​
Ryan Leonard	20​	36​	1.80​

 

[sigx15]

I can't decide what I hate more in threads, the constant CHL/Canadian vs NCAA/USA debate or this new Perrault vs Smith vs Leonard debate. It's destroyed all 3 of their threads, insanely annoying

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I can't decide what I hate more in threads, the constant CHL/Canadian vs NCAA/USA debate or this new Perrault vs Smith vs Leonard debate. It's destroyed all 3 of their threads, insanely annoying

Yeah, they are all good. Smith and Perreault have also been rotating who holds which statistical lead. The fanbases don't need to argue over it. I think hockey fans realize stats are fluid and what might hold true one day isn't the next.

Let fans be excited about their player and pump them up. Don't tear down that player's line-mates. We can all get along and be excited instead of bickering.

 

[Levitate]

We don't have to act like his skating is good just because he is really good. I love Perreault, his skating is not a strength at all and it is an awkward and choppy stride. Everything else is so good I don't think it will matter.

I'm not a skating stride expert analyzer but from how he gets around the ice, so far his skating "issues" have been overblown. Would he be better if he was a smoother and fast skater? Sure, but I think his ability to change directions and get to where he needs to be is underrated as well. We will see how it goes at the next level but he also has room and time to keep improving.
You wanna see someone with an awkward stride, watch Panarin try to go hard after a puck. Yet he's somehow faster than you'd think and his balance and body control is fantastic and he does everything he needs or wants to do on the ice despite his ugly stride. Sometimes how someone looks skating isn't indicative of how they get around the ice. We'll see if that holds true for Perreault at the NHL level.

 

[UnSandvich]

I'm not a skating stride expert analyzer but from how he gets around the ice, so far his skating "issues" have been overblown. Would he be better if he was a smoother and fast skater? Sure, but I think his ability to change directions and get to where he needs to be is underrated as well. We will see how it goes at the next level but he also has room and time to keep improving.
You wanna see someone with an awkward stride, watch Panarin try to go hard after a puck. Yet he's somehow faster than you'd think and his balance and body control is fantastic and he does everything he needs or wants to do on the ice despite his ugly stride. Sometimes how someone looks skating isn't indicative of how they get around the ice. We'll see if that holds true for Perreault at the NHL level.

I think a better comp is actually Adam Fox. In both cases, their skating is the biggest weakness in their overall game, but that doesn’t mean it’s *bad*. Moreover, their respective hockey IQs are such that they read the play and react quicker. So what they lack in straight up speed they make up for by starting to move sooner.

Fox at F has really always been the comp I’ve seen for Perreault, and I was beyond ecstatic when he fell to the Rangers

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I think a better comp is actually Adam Fox. In both cases, their skating is the biggest weakness in their overall game, but that doesn’t mean it’s *bad*. Moreover, their respective hockey IQs are such that they read the play and react quicker. So what they lack in straight up speed they make up for by starting to move sooner.

Fox at F has really always been the comp I’ve seen for Perreault, and I was beyond ecstatic when he fell to the Rangers

My comparison at the time of the draft was Mikael Granlund, and I still think that holds up pretty well. Granlund had some pretty productive seasons despite battling injuries seemingly every year.

 

[TLEH]

Never even really said his skating was bad. His skating is ugly, yet adequate so far. I also said that it likely won't matter because the IQ is so good. All I was saying is lets not act like his skating is good now just because he is producing.

 

[Siludin]

Not to nitpick, but Smith is sitting at 1.811 and Perreault is at 1.781, for this year.

Ugh! that means they both suck then

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Yes, I didn't realize he played fewer games last year. This year I posted that before Smith's 5 point game. I was going off where they were when Gabe got injured. Also, until recently Gabe was slightly ahead in PPG. Either way, their production is close enough that the 10+ difference in rank is comical. I'm not saying he should be ahead of Smith but there's no way you can tell me that there are 13 better players as of now than Gabe. I'm sorry. It's draft position bias.

I had him 17th in my final rankings - it wouldn't be a big stretch for him to move up a few spots for me. I could see an argument for him being as high as 10 or as low at 18-20.

 

[Fantomas]

I had him 17th in my final rankings - it wouldn't be a big stretch for him to move up a few spots for me. I could see an argument for him being as high as 10 or as low at 18-20.

Didn't you have Matthew Wood at #4?

 

[Levitate]

Never even really said his skating was bad. His skating is ugly, yet adequate so far. I also said that it likely won't matter because the IQ is so good. All I was saying is lets not act like his skating is good now just because he is producing.

saying "let's not act like his skating is good now" would, to me, imply that his skating is not good, which many people would interpret as "bad".
just to clarify any confusion

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Didn't you have Matthew Wood at #4?

Yeah that's not looking too hot at the moment lol. He's a big kid and I expected him to take some time, but didn't expect to see such a regression. He looked pretty decent at the WJC in a more limited role. Time will tell how he ends up, I still think he can be an excellent player with a great IQ and release. There's still upside there if his skating can mature.

There's a handful of other guys that I had much higher than their draft positions that are looking pretty good though.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Yeah that's not looking too hot at the moment lol. He's a big kid and I expected him to take some time, but didn't expect to see such a regression. He looked pretty decent at the WJC in a more limited role. Time will tell how he ends up, I still think he can be an excellent player with a great IQ and release. There's still upside there if his skating can mature.

There's a handful of other guys that I had much higher than their draft positions that are looking pretty good though.

That draft in general is looking quite talent-packed.

 

[TLEH]

saying "let's not act like his skating is good now" would, to me, imply that his skating is not good, which many people would interpret as "bad".
just to clarify any confusion

There are a wide variety of answers to how a player can skate in the range between good and bad. Fine, okay, average, below average all fit between bad and good.

Not really sure why I care. Perreault is a great prospect and an extremely smart player. His production is elite. His skating isn't good. Its fine. Adequate enough.

 

[Levitate]

There are a wide variety of answers to how a player can skate in the range between good and bad. Fine, okay, average, below average all fit between bad and good.

Not really sure why I care. Perreault is a great prospect and an extremely smart player. His production is elite. His skating isn't good. Its fine. Adequate enough.

I agree, I'm just saying I think most peoples brains probably translate "isn't good" to equal "bad" if you don't have a further explanation.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Big game in the frozen four tonight! Goal and 2 assists in the 4-0 win.

He also hit 60 points in 35 games!

Onto the NCAA championship on Saturday!

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Pretty sure he was scoreless in the last two. Got thrown out of one for an illegal hit and the next he didn't score any again. Big bounce back effort in the most important game of the season so far.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

His two line-mates made the Mens World team and he didn't.

I suspect this will be very motivating for him. Fair or not, he continues to get disrespected.

 

[Kuz]

His two line-mates made the Mens World team and he didn't.

I suspect this will be very motivating for him. Fair or not, he continues to get disrespected.

He might become just as good an NHL'er or better than the other two, but right now Smith and Leonard looks more ready for playing against "men".

Leonard plays a better two way game (very good defensively) and uses his body and skates very well. Which is a safer pick for a spot on the team. Also has a very good shot.

Perreault is a better playmaker, but not as good defensively and skating.

Smith is a better skater and more close in term of playmaker ability. In general considered the best of the three.

Not saying he is a worse prospect and in terms of draft value Perreault at 23rd is the best value of the three as he looks like a top 10 talent. He might have the highest ceiling or as high as the other two, but he also have the most question marks if he can have the same impact on the next level.