One prospect expert wanted to increase his ranking of New York Rangers winger Gabe Perreault, but a scout convinced him otherwise. As a result, the Gabe Perreault predictions continue to run across a wide spectrum.
Earlier this summer, FloHockey's Chris Peters compared Perreault's style to Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov, suggesting that Perreault could be a future 100-point player under the right conditions. Conversely, Corey Pronman, senior prospect writer for The Athletic , made waves by ranking Perreault, widely considered the best young player in New York, as their sixth-best player under the age of 23. He also didn't include Perreault in his controversial rankings of the NHL's entire U23 landscape.
Now, Scott Wheeler, an NHL Draft writer for The Athletic , has released his own U23 list, ranking Perreault as the 35th-best player. Still, he's at the top of the fourth tier, below where Wheeler said he wanted to put him. An anonymous scout convinced Wheeler that Perreault should remain in the same tier as players like former USNDTP and Boston College linemate Ryan Leonard. That tier also includes rising Blues star Jimmy Snuggerud.
If these are the players Perreault is being lumped in with, Rangers fans may have a star in the making.
Wheeler ranked Perreault as the best player in his 'star' tier. He defines this tier as guys who have the potential to become a top-100 player in the league.
A top 100 player. Someone who would be a strong piece within a contending or championship core, but not a go-to option. An average top-line forward, below average No. 1 defenseman, or top 10 goalie.
Notably, Wheeler liked Perreault's play down the stretch for the New York Rangers. After the Olympic break concluded, Perreault scored 19 points (including nine goals) in his final 25 games. The overwhelming majority of his points came at even strength.
That's the type of performance the Rangers will need from Perreault to be competitive this season. The Rangers need the Gabe Perreault predictions of Scott Wheeler and Chris Peters to come true if the Rangers are to compete for a playoff spot. The team has spent a lot of time adding shooters this offseason with Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. Still, players like Perreault will ultimately drive the bus for the team at five-on-five.
The smallish winger is entering the final year of his entry-level contract amid a spectrum of Gabe Perreault predictions. He is not arbitration- or offer sheet-eligible next summer, which means Perreault's chief leverage will come from how he plays this season. The Rangers, typically, have not been an organization to hand out long-term contracts immediately following entry-level deals. The team has not granted a non-bridge deal to a player coming off their ELC since Adam Fox in 2022-23.
Perreault can force the Rangers to reckon with that decision-making process. The organization has handed out bridge deals to multiple former first-round picks. That includes Braden Schneider, Alexis Lafrenière, K'Andre Miller, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil.
Perreault is expected to start the season in the Rangers' top-six. Still, it's not clear where he'll land on the power play.
The Gabe Perreault predictions have been all over the map this summer. Finally, in a few short weeks, we'll know who is right in the great Perreault debate.
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