Draft Prospect Profile: Gabe Perreault

Playing on a prolific US National Team Development Program scoring line with Will Smith and Ryan Leonard, winger Gabe Perreault set a new single-season scoring record for the program as he racked up 53 goals, 79 assists and 132 points. Playing against USHL competition, he had 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists) in 23 games. At the IIHF Under-18 World Championships, he produced 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in seven games.

A dual US/Canadian, Gabe is the son of longtime NHL forward Yanic Perreault. Older brother Jacob was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round (27th overall) of the 2020 Draft and has spent the last three seasons in the American Hockey League.

Gabe Perreault is widely considered to be one the top pure playmakers in the 2023 Draft class; a master of threading the needle with precise passes and a player blessed with outstanding ice vision. Come next season, Perreault will join linemates Smith and Leonard -- not to mention Flyers 2022 first-round pick Cutter Gauthier -- as a member of the Boston College Eagles.

While Smith is universally considered a near lock to be selected within the first half-dozen or so picks and Leonard has jumped up into the top 10 of many projections, predictions for Perreault are all over the map. It's believed that there's nearly as wide of a disparity within NHL clubs' internal rankings. Why is that the case?

"I think sometimes there's a tendency to focus on things you wish were different about a player: his compete level, skating, motor or whatever. But I don't know if that's really the case at this point with [Perreault]. I think he answered a lot of the doubts this year," said an NHL scout, who expects Perreault to be selected in the top half of the first round.

Added another scout, quoted in the Recrutes Draft Guide, "Some guys have compared him to Jake Guentzel, and that's a pretty good comparable for me. He's perhaps not a guy who will drive his line but he may be a player that your team's best player will want to play with. He's so smart, can make plays and can score."

At times, critics have said that Perreault tends to go with the flow a little too much and, at the pro level, could struggle when time and space to make plays are hard to come by. Although not a plodding skater, Perreault doesn't have dynamic feet.

"Leonard is the high-motor guy on that line, and he loves to battle in the trenches and he's always hungry for the puck," the first scout said. "Perreault is wired a bit different. He's more about finesse. But so is Smith. I think when Perreault adds some strength and power, which he needs to do, I think he'll be OK. He is a smart player and he'll pick his spots. But he'll have to be aware that he can't play so much on the perimeter."

Perreault makes savvy reads and can either buy time with his stickhandling or a make a nifty touch pass. As for his skating, Perreault could use more explosiveness, but it's something he can work on. There are plenty of examples of players who started out with lesser tools doing just fine playing at the NHL pace as they develop physically.

McKeen's Draft Preview says the following about Perreault from a quickness and skating agility standpoint, "He moves well linearly and can build speed North/South. This allows him to be a factor when driving wide in transition along with his pace pushing linemates. However, a lack of high-end agility and edgework can limit his ability to evade pressure and work between the hash marks."

Perreault's production throughout the 2022-23 season was remarkably consistent. However, it wasn't until the second half of the campaign, and especially the U18s, that his name moved up considerably in Draft projections. For example, The Hockey News ranked Perreault 23rd at midseason and ninth in its final rankings.

Perreault won't hurt his team with undisciplined penalties. He took four penalties for the entire 2022-23 season and U18s -- all minors. Some critics have said that the low penalty totals are due to being too much of a perimeter player and not initiating enough physically. Others have said that, in an era where even a 20 percent power play success rate ranks in the bottom-half to bottom one-third of the NHL, there is a much higher emphasis on staying out the penalty box.

BASIC INFORMATION

Position: RW/LW
Height:5-foot-10 3/4
Weight: 165 pounds
Shoots: Left
2022-23 Team:USNTDP
2022-23 Stats: 63 GP, 53 G, 79 A, 132 PTS, 8 PIM, +79, 50.2% CF, 17:27 TOI

RANKINGS:Central Scouting #10 North American skater, Bob McKenzie #9, Craig Button #15, The Hockey News #18, Recrutes #9, McKeen's #21, Chris Peters #11, Daily Faceoff #25.

PROS:
1) Excellent passer. Considered one of top playmakers in the Draft class.
2) High-level ice vision.
3) Produced consistently throughout the 2022-23 season.
4) Although known more for his playmaking, he can also finish.
5) Very good stickhandler.

CONCERNS:
1) Doesn't have dynamic skating, particularly on his edges.
2) Some have questioned his motor and "compete"; others downplay the concern.
3) Thrives with high-skill, high-energy linemates, but can he drive a line?
4) Is he too much of a perimeter player to translate his game to the NHL.
5) Despite monster point totals, some have questioned his play vs. tight checking.