Expectations for Rangers’ Gabriel Perreault in 2nd NHL Season

With that said, there were some positives not just from the incredible season Perreault had with Boston College but also from his brief time as a Ranger. The first important thing to note from his five games as a Ranger was his work ethic. There were no egregious backchecking clips like the one from Ivan Demidov in his game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Perreault forechecked and backchecked hard, competed in puck battles, and got to the hard areas of the ice. For Perreault, being a hard worker is not an aberration; his effort was similarly impressive at Boston College. There are a lot of very skilled players that struggle to exert maximum effort in non-offensive situations, but Perreault is certainly not one of them. The consequence of this is that his floor should be relatively high compared to other top prospects. Even if he struggles to find his footing offensively, he should become a mainstay in the Rangers’ lineup because of his work ethic.

Room For Improvement

On the whole, Perreault struggled to create high-quality offensive chances in his games with the Rangers. Of course, it takes time to adjust to the increased pace and physicality of the NHL, so expectations should be tempered for the start of any young player’s NHL career. But the acclimation process may be particularly long for Perreault given his makeup as a player. He does not have blazing speed, an unstoppable shot release, or incredible hands. He creates his offense more so from having elite offensive instincts, timing, craftiness and vision rather than relying on overpowering skill, speed or strength. Players like this can take more time to consistently produce offense given the massive difference between the level of the NHL compared to the NCAA or any other lower leagues.

Perreault also struggled a bit defensively. There were several instances of him over-backchecking, resulting in him being late to close on a point shot when the puck eventually ended up top with the defenseman he was responsible for. There were several instances of him running around in defensive zone coverage which resulted in double-ups and shots getting through. He also struggled to quickly recognize switches and interchanges; there was a play against the Tampa Bay Lightning in which Nikita Kucherov ran a high drop with Victor Hedman in which Perreault was caught between staying with his man or switching. Finally, he was not particularly adept at blocking shots or preventing passes up to his point man or the forward in the high slot.

However, while the defense was certainly not perfect, there should be little room for concern in this respect. Perreault’s effort was never lacking, and the timing, stick positioning and communication aspects imperative to being a good defender at the NHL level should naturally improve with experience.

Projecting Perreault’s 2025-26 Season

I think there will be a fairly long adjustment period for Perreault given his smaller stature and lack of overpowering speed, strength, or skill. However, in due time, his offensive instincts, creativity, and timing should lead to more consistent offensive creation. While Perreault has the tools to eventually become a legit scorer in the NHL, it is a safe bet to say that it won’t happen immediately. He likely slots into the 30-45 point range next season, projecting as a player with a high floor and work ethic who should continue to improve as the season progresses.