Why Rangers coach believes Gabe Perreault ‘an NHL player in the making’

The best news for the New York Rangers from their first two preseason games is the performance of their top prospect.

Gabe Perreault looks like a future star, which is what the Rangers hope he’ll become. The first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft scored scored goals in each of New York’s first two preseason contests, including a snipe from the left circle on Tuesday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden.

If the son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault continues to play this way during the rest of the preseason, he’s going to make it tough for the Rangers not to put him on the opening night roster. He and Brennan Othmann are likely in a battle for one spot among the 22 or 23 players who will break camp with the team. Veteran forward Conor Sheary, who’s in camp on a PTO and also scored Sunday, and Brett Berard are among the other forwards competing in camp. Jonny Brodzinski likely will be the 13th forward, if not in a bottom-six role.

Othmann outplayed Perreault in the two rookie games against the Philadelphia Flyers and was arguably the Rangers best player. However, Perreault has been more productive and much more noticeable on the ice against NHL players.

“Obviously, I think Gabe has NHL talent. I think that’s on display,” Sullivan said postgame Tuesday. “He’s a really talented kid and I think he’s a terrific hockey player. He’s young, and in my experience of coaching young players like that, a lot of it is just about the thankless jobs – knowing when to put a puck deep, defensive responsibilities, awareness in the defensive zone and then strength, just being strong on puck battles. He sees it extremely well.

“My impression of him, in just watching him, is that he’s an NHL player in the making.”

Related: Key takeaways after Rangers blow lead in 5-4 OT preseason loss to Bruins

Rangers weighing options with Gabe Perreault this season

Perreault’s hockey smarts are his greatest attribute. His on-ice vision helps compensate for his lack of size (5-11 and 180 pounds) and a perceived lack of foot speed. But adding strength is doable, and NHL history is full of players who’ve bettered their skating on the way to stardom – John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs is a current example.

Having a father who was a longtime NHL player doesn’t hurt.

“He was my coach growing up, and that’s one of the things he always said to me: ‘Make plays,’” Perreault told The Athletic, which rated him as the Rangers No. 1 prospect. “He was a super smart player, and I think a lot of my smarts come from him.”

Ideally, Perreault will find a spot in the top six. But with New York’s first two lines loaded with veterans, the question is whether the Rangers would be better off giving him more ice time at Hartford, their American Hockey League affiliate, or on the third line in New York (his size pretty much precludes a fourth-line role).

“I don’t think he needs to be a top-six player,” Sullivan said when asked where the 20-year-old should start the season. “I think it’s important that he gets minutes and that he plays, because it’s probably in the best interest of his overall development, which would, in turn, be in the best interest of the New York Rangers. Whether that takes place in New York or in Hartford (is) yet to be determined.

“I think he plays with courage; he’s willing to go into the battle areas. I think he can get a little bit stronger, and that’s going to help him. But we’ve been really encouraged with his game.”

Perreault still needs to work on his defensive game. Per Natural Stat Trick, for example, the Rangers had a 38.67 percent expected goals rate with Perreault on ice against the Bruins. They were outscored 3-1 with him out there Tuesday, including a short-handed goal that was more Adam Fox’s fault than his.

So, he is a work in progress, as most 20-year-olds are. But the kid is a fairly elite offensive talent, even if he failed to record a point in his first five NHL games late last season.

After setting the U.S. National Team Development Program record with 132 points (53 goals, 79 assists) in 63 games during his draft year, Perreault piled up 108 points (35 goals, 73 assists) in 73 games during his two seasons at Boston College. He also had three goals and 10 points for Team USA in each of the past two World Junior Championships, helping the Americans win gold each time.

Sullivan said he and his staff are still trying to decide what’s best for Perreault and the Rangers, for both the short and long term.

“As I said, we’re really encouraged with his game,” Sullivan said. “He seems to get better with each game he plays. We really liked his game in New Jersey the other day. We liked his follow-up game tonight. We’re trying to reserve judgement and let the camp unfold here, and with each experience we go through, we learn a little bit more about all the players.

“But that’s always going to be the question with young players – what’s going to be the best formula for that player to ultimately become the impact player that we all foresee him to be. Is it playing lots of minutes at the American League level, or is it playing at the NHL level? I don’t know that there’s an exact formula for that.”

John Kreiser covered his first Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and is still going … More about John Kreiser

Mentioned in this article: Brennan Othmann Gabe Perreault Rangers Prospects

More About: New York Rangers News