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

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don’t really care about his skating. Ideally you would want more burst in his first few steps but he’s playing with a stacked deck upstairs which I would rather have than someone who can really burn but can’t really think (see: Oliver Moore.)

 

[CasusBelli]

His skating is actually better than average now. You should watch him in the tournament, his skating has greatly improved. Only thing i can say is he might have an ugly stride but he is not slow by any means.

This “he cant skate” garbage really needs to end.

Better than average for his level or at the NHL level? Do we have another Kakko situation — where speed greatly limits the player’s ceiling?

 

[The Undertaker]

Tank for Hagens. We must ruin these kids together.

Man, I can't wait to see them playing a glorious 13 min from the third line! And PP2 as well!

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Better than average for his level or at the NHL level? Do we have another Kakko situation — where speed greatly limits the player’s ceiling?

For his level. Hard to compare him against NHLers without seeing him out there. Though a lot of these top kids at the WJC can keep up with the average NHLer when it comes to pure skating speed.

Kakko was just so much more mature which is why he looked so dominate against kids and at the WC (which probably was a fluke looking back at that tournament)

Gabe just oozes with so much natural skill and hockey IQ.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Speed remains the most overrated tool here on HFNYR.

I know plenty of fast players who failed to make an impact at this level. I don't know many really smart players who couldn't hack it.

Stepan is maybe the most un athletic player I've seen in my life and he was a very good NHL player for a while and he did it really on the strength of his brain.

Perreault is more skilled AND a notch above IQ wise from Stepan. He doesn't ooze athleticism either but it isn't going to hold him back.

 

[romba]

If he's smart, he will stay in school and become a UFA, and stay away from this franchise

Yes, hopefully the Rangers can continue to suck for 69 years and we can complain about it for each glorious one of them

 

[Kravtsov420]

Speed remains the most overrated tool here on HFNYR.

I know plenty of fast players who failed to make an impact at this level. I don't know many really smart players who couldn't hack it.

Stepan is maybe the most un athletic player I've seen in my life and he was a very good NHL player for a while and he did it really on the strength of his brain.

Perreault is more skilled AND a notch above IQ wise from Stepan. He doesn't ooze athleticism either but it isn't going to hold him back.

It’s an issue when 80 percent of the team have the same issue

 

[eco's bones]

Perreault is a puck magnet who makes no look plays all the time. He's not really the fastest but he gets around okay and has excellent edges. He's also great at finding soft areas and is in constant motion to get open to shoot or make plays. To defend against someone like him you really have to put a shadow on him and be watching him all the time and he's still pretty sneaky and just a moment falling asleep against him and it's going to turn into a scoring chance so a shadow has to be rock solid reliable. I imagine most college teams are doing that against him all the time. He's not a physical player but he's not physically shy either. He will bump other players and he will take a hit. He's also been very reliable defensively at the levels he's played at. He doesn't cheat the game.

 

[RangerBoy]

John Buccigross said Gabriel Perreault has some Jake Guentzel elements in his game.



You can see the similarities in their games.

 

[Jauffre]

Gabe has 20x the hockey IQ Kakko does. Kakko always seemed like kind of a "dumb" player. Whether that's mostly just bad old habits or lack of confidence idk, but Gabe knows where to go without the puck. Kakko only knew what to do WITH the puck, somewhat. Which 90% of the time was puck handle with his 3 foot stick in the corner until he ran out of gas and/or real estate.

Kakko always had tunnel vision (not the good kind), while it's obvious Gabe is well aware of the ice in the offensive zone. The kind of player who gets "lost" and then finds the opening at the perfect time. Or makes a ridiculous no look pass through traffic. Kid has a super high mental stack. Can't wait for his NYR debut.

 

[McRanger92]

John Buccigross said Gabriel Perreault has some Jake Guentzel elements in his game.



You can see the similarities in their games.

For such a skilled passer I see him in the slot ready to take the shot quite a bit. That's a promising sign.

 

[bhamill]

Perreault is a puck magnet who makes no look plays all the time. He's not really the fastest but he gets around okay and has excellent edges. He's also great at finding soft areas and is in constant motion to get open to shoot or make plays. To defend against someone like him you really have to put a shadow on him and be watching him all the time and he's still pretty sneaky and just a moment falling asleep against him and it's going to turn into a scoring chance so a shadow has to be rock solid reliable. I imagine most college teams are doing that against him all the time. He's not a physical player but he's not physically shy either. He will bump other players and he will take a hit. He's also been very reliable defensively at the levels he's played at. He doesn't cheat the game.

I noticed him yesterday covering the net front/slot area in his own d zone a lot. Where you’d normally see the center. He really is defensively responsible.
And yes, physicality and skating may be HIS weakest areas, but they certainly aren’t weaknesses. He skates more than fine, he can get separation when he needs it, and plays more physically than most skill players, but those areas of his game are not near the elite level of his vision, IQ, passing, shot and motor. And I have a feeling as he catches up in size and strength to his opposition he will get a bit more physical. He seems like the “whatever it takes to win” type.
He’s the steal of that draft. He COULD end up being the best player taken outside of Bedard.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I never liked the Guentzel comp. Jake is a really, really sneaky and borderline elite goal scorer. Hell maybe not even borderline anymore.

I get it from the stand point of being smaller players who can play and produce in traffic, but they get it done in different ways.

It’s an issue when 80 percent of the team have the same issue

Yeah this is a massive exaggeration which isn’t even close to true the second you break the team down player by player. With the latest additions/subtractions I wouldnt be surprised if they track above average across the league now.

It doesn’t really matter though since they’re rarely in a position to use what speed they have because they can’t effectively move the puck out of their own end. That’s where their issues are, not with their lack of foot speed. That’s what really needs to change before anything else because I don’t care what kind of system or style you’re trying to play, if you can’t move the puck up ice you’re going to be in trouble. Has nothing to do with Perreault and how he moves his feet but he’s pretty good at carrying the puck up ice so there is that.

 

[Kravtsov420]

I never liked the Guentzel comp. Jake is a really, really sneaky and borderline elite goal scorer. Hell maybe not even borderline anymore.

I get it from the stand point of being smaller players who can play and produce in traffic, but they get it done in different ways.



Yeah this is a massive exaggeration which isn’t even close to true the second you break the team down player by player. With the latest additions/subtractions I wouldnt be surprised if they track above average across the league now.

It doesn’t really matter though since they’re rarely in a position to use what speed they have because they can’t effectively move the puck out of their own end. That’s where their issues are, not with their lack of foot speed. That’s what really needs to change before anything else because I don’t care what kind of system or style you’re trying to play, if you can’t move the puck up ice you’re going to be in trouble. Has nothing to do with Perreault and how he moves his feet but he’s pretty good at carrying the puck up ice so there is that.

The only one who can skate the puck through the neutral zone is chytil and that’s because he has legit speed. The Rangers are still using the stretch pass because they don’t have the horses to skate through the neutral zone and get zone entries. You need to have a few a guys that can build up speed and skate through the neutral zone. Unfortunately one guy on the team uses his speed and there’s not a lot of others that have it. It’s not coincidence imo

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

The only one who can skate the puck through the neutral zone is chytil and that’s because he has legit speed. The Rangers are still using the stretch pass because they don’t have the horses to skate through the neutral zone and get zone entries. You need to have a few a guys that can build up speed and skate through the neutral zone. Unfortunately one guy on the team uses his speed and there’s not a lot of others that have it. It’s not coincidence imo

This is a little goal post move-y. Having speed is a part of being able to carry the puck up ice through all 3 zones, not the entire package. If you’re complaining that the team doesn’t have enough guys who can do that then… you’d be complaining if you were a fan of every team except Colorado and Edmonton (the latter is the most blatant stretch pass offense in the league btw.) The last 2 cup winners at best had 2 players on their roster who could do this, Fla played their 2 on the same line and neither are 3 zone carriers.

They don’t rely on the stretch pass, their default is just throw the puck along the walls and pray that their guys gets to it first. That’s not a game plan and it’s something that doesn’t get better by spamming Ryan Lindgren.

Off topic now but Perreault
Would help here too since…. He’s great at
Making plays out of his own end and hitting teammates in stride!

 

[eco's bones]

I noticed him yesterday covering the net front/slot area in his own d zone a lot. Where you’d normally see the center. He really is defensively responsible.
And yes, physicality and skating may be HIS weakest areas, but they certainly aren’t weaknesses. He skates more than fine, he can get separation when he needs it, and plays more physically than most skill players, but those areas of his game are not near the elite level of his vision, IQ, passing, shot and motor. And I have a feeling as he catches up in size and strength to his opposition he will get a bit more physical. He seems like the “whatever it takes to win” type.
He’s the steal of that draft. He COULD end up being the best player taken outside of Bedard.

I'm thinking if that draft was redone today he'd go at least 10 spots higher. One of his greatest strengths is how he uses his linemates and whatever D are out on the ice with him. It looks to be Panarin level. A player no matter how skilled has to rely to some degree on his teammates for success. Well maybe not McDavid so much but even so. Perreault is a puck magnet and a catalyst and he has fabulous hands and a hockey IQ through the roof.

He is a bit heavier and stronger than he was last year. His skating is deceptive and he gets to spots when he needs to. He has a way of disappearing and then appearing at the right moment. His first goal yesterday was like that. He was on the wall towards the blue line--no danger at all and then all of a sudden he's in the slot taking a shot. He has a knack for losing his check.

 

[TGWL]

Speed remains the most overrated tool here on HFNYR.

I know plenty of fast players who failed to make an impact at this level. I don't know many really smart players who couldn't hack it.

Stepan is maybe the most un athletic player I've seen in my life and he was a very good NHL player for a while and he did it really on the strength of his brain.

Perreault is more skilled AND a notch above IQ wise from Stepan. He doesn't ooze athleticism either but it isn't going to hold him back.

I think you'll find it goes both ways, but there is probably a reason Stepan's career tanked in about 9 years. The league is much faster. Stepan could not keep up.

 

[GAGLine]

The only one who can skate the puck through the neutral zone is chytil and that’s because he has legit speed. The Rangers are still using the stretch pass because they don’t have the horses to skate through the neutral zone and get zone entries. You need to have a few a guys that can build up speed and skate through the neutral zone. Unfortunately one guy on the team uses his speed and there’s not a lot of others that have it. It’s not coincidence imo

I think our primary issue is that we don't do a good job of supporting the puck carrier. Instead of making 2 or 3 quick passes to get up the ice, we have to make one longer pass or throw the puck to an area and hope our guy gets it.

 

[Fitzy]

I think you'll find it goes both ways, but there is probably a reason Stepan's career tanked in about 9 years. The league is much faster. Stepan could not keep up.

Well and he worked particularly well in a Tortorella system that didn’t emphasize north south mobility. And was one of our only players who had some notion of how to use the man advantage during that period as well.

But he’d be the exact opposite of what we need more of now. We need Matt Cullen, Straka, Duchene types

 

[Levitate]

For his level. Hard to compare him against NHLers without seeing him out there. Though a lot of these top kids at the WJC can keep up with the average NHLer when it comes to pure skating speed.

Kakko was just so much more mature which is why he looked so dominate against kids and at the WC (which probably was a fluke looking back at that tournament)

Gabe just oozes with so much natural skill and hockey IQ.

Nah I think Kakko wasn't a fluke in terms of where he went in the draft but he just struggled to figure out how to adapt his game to the NHL ice. He does have a lot of talent but he's one situation where I do think skating holds him back at the NHL because he's trying to play how he did before and he needs something extra to do that and he's been unable to tweak his offensive game to compensate.

but, shit happens. Gabe will have to adapt his game as well and hopefully he'll be fine with it

I think our primary issue is that we don't do a good job of supporting the puck carrier. Instead of making 2 or 3 quick passes to get up the ice, we have to make one longer pass or throw the puck to an area and hope our guy gets it.

Yeah I don't think you have to have burners who can puck carry through the neutral zone, other teams do it with quick fast passes and pushing the pace while the Rangers just really don't do that