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

[The Crypto Guy]

Wooowwee, look at this amazing assist on Monday. Dekes through the guy, and the stick on the ice, while taking a high stick, then completely fools the goalie by passing it back with the eyes in the back of his head..

 

[jay from jersey]

Gabe should absolutely, 100%, be UNTOUCHABLE. Kid is going to be a superstar and really our only projected 1st line player in our system.

We already got a big piece with the Miller trade. Trade lower prospects for a top 4 dman. Get rid of Kreider/Smith/Lindrgren to obtain picks or younger players.

Gabe, Othmann, Fortescue, Laf, Berard, Sykora, Schneider, Fox, Cuylle should all be part of the next core going for a cup in 3-5 years. JT Miller will still be here to lead with Trocheck, and obviously Igor.

This…. In no way am I trading GP after the miracle of him falling to us and Drury picking him.
Agree with the above written. Add Edstrom and hopefully Chmelar.
Edstrom has already proven to be a NhL regular with promise. I believe Chmelar has the size/speed/talent combo to be another solid bottom 6 FWD.
Maybe guys like BMB or Laba can possibly break thru as well…

NYR has a solid make up of mid and low 20’s on the team and farm for the 1st time in a while…
While obviously everyone can’t pan out and play, if 50-60% of that group become nhl regulars the rangers are in good shape….
Cuylle and Laffy should be top 6 wings on the rangers for years to come as well imo….
Shoring up the D and adding solid vets with leadership/talent will be key as well….
There is def a shift coming

 

[noncents]

Wooowwee, look at this amazing assist on Monday. Dekes through the guy, and the stick on the ice, while taking a high stick, then completely fools the goalie by passing it back with the eyes in the back of his head..

can't teach what he's got

 

[2014nyr]

can't teach what he's got

You could…if they also had a second set of eyes

 

[JCProdigy]

It has improved. I wouldn't say it "greatly improved". He still has to work on his first step. Enough time to do that though. And yes, his hockey IQ is through the roof.

He's a forward version of Adam Fox. If he plays with the right linemates, you can limit the risk. And as long as he figures out a way to leverage his strengths on a daily basis, we're in for a treat.

But when I see people penciling him in for opening night 2025, I can't help but think that that is unlikely. That's all.

Yeah, this I can agree with. He could definitely use more explosiveness in his skating. He needs that separation because, even though he's game, he's never going to bully guys in the NHL.

I was thinking of somebody that was looked at the same way before he made the NHL. Here's a pre-draft scouting report from 1998:

An intelligent player with clever playmaking abilities…has good vision and is an accurate passer. Creates a lot of open-ice for his linemates…he has natural scoring instincts along with excellent hockey sense…a tough competitor who plays his best every shift…a string checker who always gets involved in the play…needs to improve his skating ability.

That's the scouting report for Brad Richards. He dropped to the 3rd round because, despite his success and abilities, he was a slow, awkward skater and small/light. Many scouts didn't think he could overcome those shortcomings, and they thought his success came because he played with Lecavalier in the Q. Sounds a lot like our boy. If the NYR could get a Richards' career out of Gabe, that would be the homerun.

....and yeah, he might need a long runway and take some time to acclimate to the higher levels. Honestly, with the way this team develops/treats young players at the NHL level, I'd prefer he didn't start the season with the Rangers because I think he's a classic example of a young player that needs to be put into the right situation to succeed. He has to be on a line with highly skilled players and be fed minutes and that shit isn't going to happen here. He'll be put on a line with guys like Brodzinski, playing 12 min a night, and it would be horrible for all involved.