Rangers’ Gabe Perreault is quickly becoming one of the best prospects in the NHL
OTTAWA – If you’re not already familiar with the name Gabe Perreault, that’s about to change.
The New York Rangers prospect has quickly become one of the best young players outside the NHL. He’s currently third in American scoring at the 2025 World Junior Championship with four points in two games. Perreault had 10 points a year ago as an 18-year-old, which was an outstanding start. Now in his second go-around, many scouts consider him to be one of the best players in the tournament.
Perreault is part of the three-headed monster that is Boston College’s top line alongside Washington Capitals draft pick Ryan Leonard and top 2025 NHL Draft prospect James Hagens. They’ve played together all year, and they’re already the most dangerous line at the World Juniors, combining for 13 points in two games against Germany and Latvia.
“He’s a great guy, he makes everyone better,” Hagens said. “He’s a special player who does so much to help us win.”
Perreault has 23 points in 16 games this year and 83 in 52 career NCAA games. No U-20 college player has outscored him over the past two years. And it’s not entirely surprising, either. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native (he grew up in the United States after his father, former NHLer Yanic, played with the Chicago Blackhawks) set a USA Hockey National Team Development Program single-season points record when he had 79 assists and 132 points in 2022-23. Better than Patrick Kane, better than Jack Hughes, better than Auston Matthews – better than everyone.
But still, Perreault fell to 23rd in the 2023 NHL Draft. The biggest knock against Perreault that year was his skating. It was especially apparent on the bigger ice internationally when he was almost always the third man back in transition. Perreault is most menacing while standing still in open space – but in the NHL, that’s hard to come by.
“You’d watch his stride, and there was no power there,” one scout said. “You’d watch him on the ice with (Will) Smith or (Oliver) Moore and he’d get exposed out there. It didn’t hurt him against junior kids but college kids were always going to expose him if he didn’t figure it out.”
But surely enough, some time in the weight room paid off. Perreault immediately looked like a better skater at the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase and it only improved as his freshman season wore on. Perreault’s skating isn’t a standout quality of his right now or anything, but it’s not a detriment – and it shouldn’t be an issue when he gets to the NHL.
“He’s not big, but I think he’s thicker now and he’s harder to knock off pucks,” FloHockey’s Chris Peters said. “Some of that strength has helped make him a better skater in terms of just balance, and being steady on his skates. He’s harder to knock off the puck.”
So, he’s got the numbers to back himself up, and the perceived weaknesses aren’t as big of an issue anymore. Mix it all together and it’s looking like the Rangers have a solid prospect in the system.
The biggest question, though, is what type of player Perreault will become. He’s almost for sure going to need to be in a top-six role because his game is all about generating offense. The Rangers have had a tricky time with some of their top prospects in recent years, especially when there are no real opportunities for them higher in the lineup.
Right now, Perreault projects to be a skilled, top-six forward who excels as a playmaker and can do serious damage on the power play. He loves the puck on his stick, and he seems to hold it a lot more effectively than he did in his draft year, too. Perreault is so smart on the ice, and his ability to incorporate more patience in the way he distributes the puck against quicker, tougher competition in college has made him treacherous.
If Perreault is going to succeed in the NHL, he needs to be in an offensive role. He needs to be given every opportunity to create havoc with the puck – but it’s definitely not going to come as easy as it has in the development ranks.
That discussion is more for a few months down the line when he inevitably turns pro. For now, the decision to remain in school instead of chasing money in the Rangers’ organization was the right call. He’s getting crucial minutes at BU, developing at his own pace, and making a name for himself as one of the most productive college wingers in recent memory.
And he’s got a shot to be a leader on a championship-winning national team effort – again.
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