By Russ Cohen
Gabe Perreault is an interesting player. The New York Rangers drafted him 23rd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. I didn’t think he was going to be a star player in the NHL. Even though his numbers were overwhelming at the NTDP and in college, I knew he had good hands and excellent hockey sense, and that can get you places.
In 2024-25, I saw him play, and an NHL scout was pointing out why he wasn’t ready, and I agreed. But that was then.
The wing had 17 points in 20 games in Hartford. Should he have been there longer? Yes, but the Rangers made that choice, and so far this season, he has 15 points in 31 games.
So, he’s getting enough defensive zone starts that makes me think head coach me think head coach, Mike Sullivan has faith in him. That’s getting him more minutes, and he’s averaging 15:39 a game. Not bad for a 20-year-old. He credits Mika Zibanejad for showing him the way.
When he’s on the power play, he knows where to go with and without the puck. He can make that great pass or fire off a quick wrist shot. The time that the puck is on his stick is minimal.
At 180 pounds, he is much stronger than two years ago. I think he’s at NHL average speed, and that’s fine because he can make it up by knowing where to go on the ice.
His shots are rising, and his giveaways are dropping. These are two good signs of improvement.
This is a nice year of development for him. The Rangers aren’t in a playoff race, but they can still develop players, and Perreault is on schedule. I think he can be a 50-60 point player someday.
