The hype around Gabe Perreault is real. Perreault finished his BC career over the weekend with a loss to Denver before signing his entry level contract with the Rangers yesterday. Perreault’s contract begins this season, so he will play in the final 8 games for the Rangers, and this is where things can get dangerous as a fan. The kid is hyped for a reason, but he’s a kids. We need some realistic Gabe Perreault expectations, specifically when it comes to this fan base and its penchant for labeling prospects a bust after one shift.
Let’s be honest. Ranger fans are pretty rough on prospects, as a general statement. The only skater prospect that I haven’t seen called a bust at some point or another was Adam Fox. Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, and yes even Will Cuylle have seen the b-word thrown around. Some are funny, specifically with Cuylle, but most are misguided and based on opinion, not fact.
We all get our own set of opinions. We do not get our own set of facts. Facts are facts.
Fact: Both Kakko and Lafreniere have failed to meet top-two overall pick point totals. Opinion: They are busts. Fact: Both are solid NHLers with holes in their games. Opinion: They are horrible and should be fired into the sun.
This is why we need to set some realistic Gabe Perreault expectations. He’s not a savior, and he’s not going to be a savior. In fact, there’s a strong argument that he will struggle out of the gate. There will be a little jump to his game to start, but going straight to the NHL from the NCAA is a tough move to make. A lot will depend on how he’s used and deployed, specifically with linemates and zone time.
Perreault likely won’t be the cause of a magical run
All due respect to Perreault, but what stinks about this team is something he cannot fix alone. It’s great to see him in the top-six with players that are a part of the future, but that’s not enough. The Rangers won’t go on a magical 8-game winning streak to close out the season because of Perreault. That’s like saying the Rangers started winning last year because of Matt Rempe. It’s a nice story to sell papers, but not something based in reality.
If you’re expecting him to be this kind of magical being that catapults the Rangers to a Stanley Cup, then you’re going to be disappointed. If the Rangers go on a run, Perreault may be a catalyst, but he won’t be the only reason. It will take a gut check from guys like Zibanejad and Kreider, plus a newly found commitment to team defense that this team simply hasn’t shown.
The immediate benefit is he goes in for Juuso Parssinen, which is an objective upgrade right off the bat.
Realistic Gabe Perreault expectations
The good news for Perreault is that he will play in the top-six, at least based on today’s practice. He was on a line with JT Miller and Alexis Lafreniere. There were valid concerns he’d either be in a fourth line role to start and “get acclimated to the NHL,” or worse, healthy scratched or saddled with lame ducks Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. He will be thrust into a scoring role right away.
But let’s be abundantly clear: Perreault likely won’t get PP1 time, and expecting him to be Artemi Panarin out of the gate is wildly unfair. In fact, I’d argue that without powerplay time, expecting him to be anything more than a 15-goal, 40-point player is unfair. He will be on PP2, but the TOI difference between the two units is still drastic.
For now, realistic Gabe Perreault expectations shouldn’t really focus on the scoreboard or stat line, but more on adjusting to the speed of the game. Perreault’s hockey IQ is off the charts, but we have yet to see his skating at this level. Can he hold his own? Will he get worked along the boards? Does he get beat to loose pucks and/or caught flat footed on rushes? These are all tangible areas of the game that can be addressed when it matters, which is next season.
Realistic Gabe Perreault expectations should be set in the micro, not the macro. Let’s see how he adjusts to the NHL game, without putting unfair expectations on a kid who likely can’t fix this team on his own.
