It is time to look closer at one of the top talents from this year’s crop of players in the U.S. National Team Development Program. Gabriel Perreault was born in Sherbrooke, but grew up south of the border, currently holding dual citizenship.
Birthplace: Sherbrooke, Quebec
Date of birth: May 7, 2005
Shoots: Left
Position: Right-Winger
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Team: United States National Team Development Program (USHL)
Hockey runs in the family for the soon-to-be 18-year-old, known by friends, family, and the entire hockey community as Gabe. His father, Yanic, was drafted in the third round by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 1991. After a decade on the road in the wrong colours, Yanic came home to join the Montreal Canadiens just after his 30th birthday. A mid-life crisis gone right, you might say. He represented Montreal for three seasons, playing 244 games, with 224 coming in the regular season and an additional 20 during two playoff runs. After a strong initial season, Perreault’s point totals decreased, and, after sitting out during the lockout season, he decided to go on the road again and sign with Nashville.
As it happens, Gabe is not alone in being a talented son of Yanic’s. Three years ago, the art project more commonly known as the Anaheim Ducks drafted Gabe’s older brother, Jacob, 27th overall.
The Ducks have yet to receive reasonable return on that investment, with Jacob currently having just a single NHL game under his belt after three years with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. Then again, he turns 21 years old in April this year, so there is still plenty of time for him to catch up with and grow past his daddy’s accomplishments.
The youngest of the Perreaults elected to go a different route in his developmental teenage years. In the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, he was drafted by the same Sarnia Sting his brother had represented a couple of years prior. When the opportunity to represent the USNTDP presented itself, Gabe took it and never looked back.
In 2021-22, he was a point-per-game player for the U17s, while also playing 40 games in the USHL. This season, he had a major breakthrough with 132 points over 63 games. During 23 games in the USHL, he averaged 0.83 goals and 1.96 points, playing top-line minutes with fellow top prospects Will Smith and Ryan Leonard.
Perreault is universally ranked below both of his linemates, but when it comes to the overall point tally, he is in front. In fact, no player has ever had a more productive season while playing for the USNTDP.
The best of all before this season was Auston Matthews, who shattered all previous records back in 2014-15. Then he went off to Europe to get any kind of challenge before being drafted in 2016. Perreault overtook Matthews after a five-point outing in Team USA’s 12-1 slaughter of Norway in the U18 World Junior Championship. Jack Hughes had a couple of stellar seasons with the Development Program, coming one short of Matthews’s record in 2018 before following it up with a 112-point season in 2018-19.
Perreault set the new benchmark on the all-time list, ahead of current NHL stars like Patrick Kane, Clayton Keller, Phil Kessel, Matthew Tkachuk, and Cole Caufield, as well as Smith who now sits at number two, five points back.
Preliminary Rankings
Dobber Prospects: #29
Elite Prospects: #31
FCHockey: #22
Hockey Prospect: #16
Hadi Kalakeche: #34
McKeen’s: #23
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #23
NHL Central Scouting: #15 (North American Skaters)
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #21
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #11
All of the mentioned players were top picks in their respective draft year, with Caufield being the outlier mainly due to size concerns. How come Perreault, with his massive production, isn’t met with an equal amount of respect?
Well, as great a playmaking threat as he can be, there is not that much else to get top-prospect excited about. There is little expectation that he will turn into enough of a two-way player to be deployable in a bottom-six role, which basically takes us into the conversation if his ceiling is high enough to get him into a top-six role at the NHL level.
He does not threaten the opposition with footspeed and is not overly dynamic as a scoring threat. His frame does not work to his advantage in the gritty areas of the ice and, while a smart forechecker, he struggles to make a physical impact while playing defensively.
But put him on your power play with a scoring winger like the aforementioned Caufield or Kane, and he will give you a surgical passing ability that will lead to a better offence.
This is what Scott Wheeler of The Athletic points out when ranking him as his 11th-best prospect overall. Few players in the class have better hands than Perreault. Combine that with the highly intelligent plays he has provided his team with this season and there is the possibility to be a future outlier.
For a 17-year-old kid, especially one coming from a family of hockey players, there is always the ability to iron out one or two flaws and become more well-rounded as you approach the big leagues.
However, at this point there is a real chance that teams see more risks than the potential reward they would be getting if he bulks up, improves his skating, and becomes more of a dual threat.
A Gabe Perreault reaching his ceiling could be a top-tier playmaker in the NHL. If he doesn’t, there is a risk that his all-star status will be limited to the American Hockey League instead.
