Draft Round 1 #23: New York Rangers Select RW Gabriel Perreault (Boston College, NCAA)

[NickyFotiu]

Dan Muse coached this kid. I have a good feeling about Muse. He would know about him.

 

[NYR Viper]

Keller seems to be a more apt comparison. And that’s a really good player

 

[FultonReed]

Jason Robertson?

I'd love this.

I don't care when he gets to his spot, as long as he's putting the puck in the net.

his shoulders are already wide as hell, he has room to grow at 160 something. no reason he can't become, at worst, an average skater.

loved me some Derek Stepan, too, so if this kid's IQ is up there with Step, we made an amazing pick

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Lots of people had Perrault as a top 10 pick. This is great for a pick in the 20s. Broke the USNTDP scoring record this season. Kid is a legit high end talent.

Last time we took a kid from the USNTDP that was said to be a bad skater with great hockey IQ it was Derek Stepan and that worked out well.

Being a weak skater when he’s drafted isn’t necessarily a death sentence despite the memes. Plenty of time to work on it and he won’t be thrown into the NHL too soon, probably will not be in the NHL for at least 3 years.

 

[GENESISPuck94]

I'd love to know where they had him ranked, but I guess we'll probably never know. Was this a run up to the stage pick or a tight choice.

No one can complain about this pick although I was hoping they'd somehow land Oliver Moore. Doofy looking but flies.

Looked like they wasted no time. Didn't say anything else at the podium either. Walked up and selected.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Only on HF. Rangers are extremely fortunate he dropped to them. Kid has a sick release, has the best IQ in the draft, hustles his ass off on the forecheck, goes into the corners and is an amazing playmaker.

Oh and he plays RW where the Rangers have a glaring hole both short and long term.

 

[Synergy27]

I'd love to know where they had him ranked, but I guess we'll probably never know. Was this a run up to the stage pick or a tight choice.

No one can complain about this pick although I was hoping they'd somehow land Oliver Moore. Doofy looking but flies.

I was hoping Moore would keep falling as well, but this kid simply should not have been available to us.

Moore scored 1.23PPG for the NTDP this year. Perreault scored 2.10, right there with his linemate Will Smith. He literally scored the most points ever in an NTDP season, more than Matthews and Hughes. Yes, the line needs to be considered, but this kid was very much driving the line. He was not a passenger.

Gabe was also the youngest of the big four on that club by a couple of months (which legitimately matters at this age).

We got stupidly lucky tonight.

 

[Bob Richards]

Friendships over with Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko.

Now Gabriel Perreault and Brennan Othman are my best friends.

 

[BS45]

When/if this kid makes the team the over under on that list of players still being in the roster is maybe 2.5

yes, Kreider & Panarin will be gone and it will be the leagues slowest top 4 Kakko, Lafreniere, Othmann and Perreault.

 

[17futurecap]

I said it the other day, I think they should always pick a couple kids from the USNTDP if they can. He's an excellent player and this is a pick with really high upside.

At pick 23, everyone is going to have faults in their game, seems like a great pick from all of the scouting reports, and draft analysts.

Let him cook at BC, and see what he looks like in 2-3 years.

 

[NYR Viper]

Lots of people had Perrault as a top 10 pick. This is great for a pick in the 20s.

Last time we took a kid from the USNTDP that was said to be a bad skater with great hockey IQ it was Derek Stepan and that worked out well.

Being a weak skater when he’s drafted isn’t necessarily a death sentence despite the memes. Plenty of time to work on it and he won’t be thrown into the NHL too soon, probably will not be in the NHL for at least 3 years.

From what I’m seeing he isn’t Stephan bad at skating. He’s just average. Adam Fox was also considered ‘average’

 

[UnSandvich]

I'd love this.

I don't care when he gets to his spot, as long as he's putting the puck in the net.

his shoulders are already wide as hell, he has room to grow at 160 something. no reason he can't become, at worst, an average skater.

loved me some Derek Stepan, too, so if this kid's IQ is up there with Step, we made an amazing pick

His dad & brother are both a bit bigger iirc, so I definitely don't think he'll stay this small/thin.

 

[nevesis]

Excellent pick. Love it.

 

[huerter]

Gabe Perrault had more points than his linemates Will Smith and Ryan Leonard...and both were taken in the top-10.


Go figure.

Points schmoints. What’s another word for revolution?

 

[scott99]

Islander’s fan coming in peace again. Don’t worry about his skating. That can be worked on. You can’t teach hands, you can’t teach hockey IQ. Perreault has all of those in spades.

Listen, John Tavares came into the league as a poor skater, he worked on it, and is on his way to 1,000 points. Anders Lee was a poor skater, he’s had 6 seasons with 25+ goals. There’s been dozens of good players that don’t skate like McDavid (nobody does, but you get my drift).

 

[nyr2k2]

On a somewhat related note, we now have eleven--eleven!--prospects who will be playing in the NCAA next year, plus anyone we potentially take with our last few picks. Really a testament to how far NCAA hockey has come, and the USNTDP and USHL have played no small part in that.

 

[UnSandvich]

As far as I'm seeing, Perreault is the only player in the draft that HP gave a 9 to in Hockey Sense. Even Bedard and Carlsson were 8's

 

[NickyFotiu]

Look if we drafted Conor 20% of this board would say he looks too small. Lets give this kid a chance.

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

skating and strength can be taught and worked on.. he’s got at least 3 years for both. The upside is there

 

[UnSandvich]

“I think he’s done a really good job. in terms of his approach to the day-to-day. [That] would probably be the biggest thing. He was probably 130 or 140 pounds when he came in here. It was crazy. He took full advantage of the strength program, but he always stayed late and did extra. He stayed on top of nutrition. He’s making those extra efforts to make sure that part of his game and that part of his development continues to grow, and it has. He’s a guy whose offensive IQ is through the roof. The way he sees the ice, the way he can create space for himself, for others – it’s at a really high level. You combine that with the skill set that he has, and obviously it’s led to a lot of points. You see him, and even tonight when the score is that we’re up by a couple of goals, and he’s still tracking back, he’s still being detailed, he’s still doing those things. And he creates offence that way, too. It’s not just with time and space. It’s also coming back, off the track, in transition. I think that part of his game has come a long way.” – Team USA U18 head coach Dan Muse, April 2023

“He’s awesome. He’s a guy you look forward to seeing every day. He’s a super competitive kid. Really competitive in terms of anything we’re doing, small area games or anything – he’s going to try to win. That’s the way that Gabe is. He’s a guy who loves being in the rink. He loves being with his teammates. Those are the people you want to work with every day.” – Team USA U18 head coach Dan Muse, April 2023

 

[MrAlmost]

I was hoping Moore would keep falling as well, but this kid simply should not have been available to us.

Moore scored 1.23PPG for the NTDP this year. Perreault scored 2.10, right there with his linemate Will Smith. He literally scored the most points ever in an NTDP season, more than Matthews and Hughes. Yes, the line needs to be considered, but this kid was very much driving the line. He was not a passenger.

Gabe was also the youngest of the big four on that club by a couple of months (which legitimately matters at this age).

We got stupidly lucky tonight.

I said it before, I love this team going after younger players in the draft. This is a good pick with a touch of luck for sure.

 

[mrmovies779]

A potential Grand Slam of a steal...especially at 23

 

[Chytilmania]

“…my young son Gabriel walks in, my wife says ‘No, Gabriel leave.’ I said ‘No, let the boy watch.”

 

[ecemleafs]

maybe his dad will hang around the team and teach faceoffs. his dad was an amazing faceoff guy lol.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Edit: wrong thread, but great pick