US National Development Team left winger Gabriel Perreault knows how to put the puck in the net, and if he is available when the Pittsburgh Penguins pick at No. 14, he could be a tantalizing selection. The US National Development Team winger had a star-turn season on a deep USNDT team, as his stats grabbed national attention.
Among draft eligibles, only Connor Bedard had more points than Perreault.
The number of Penguins’ draft potentials is deep. The list is long, not just because of the deep prospect pool but because of the uncertainty on availability. For newbies who haven’t had much reason to pay attention to the NHL Draft, it is far more unpredictable than the NFL Draft.
Across scouting guides, Perreault’s rankings range from seventh to 27h, meaning he could be closer to the top five or fall into the later first round.
Last season, he set USNDT records with 132 points and 79 assists and broke Auston Matthews’ team record of 117 points. His 53 goals put him in elite US-Team company with fellow 50-goal scorers Cole Caufield, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Kieffer Bellows, and current USNDT player Cole Eiserman,
The puck can be a yo-yo on his stick.
“I’m a competitive and creative offensive-minded winger. I like to create chances for myself and my teammates — I’m probably more of a playmaker,” Perreault said at the NHL Combine. “Certainly, my best asset is my hockey IQ.”
Among the words used by multiple scouting services are deceptive, playmaker, and skilled.
“He flashed an amazing ability to one-touch pass and spring his linemates open, as well as he possesses a high level of skill to create passing lanes through sudden puck manipulation moves that darted by the defender’s stick,” analyzed Smaht Scouting. “However, when the pace of play picked up, I found Perreault’s impact on the game began to diminish.”
Perreault played on a pretty good line this season with fellow first-round potential Will Smith, who will likely be a top-five pick.
The downsides are the typical drawbacks for an 18-year-old player. Perreault took strides forward, literally, in his skating but could still improve. He also needs to get stronger. His 5-foot-11, 163-pound frame is slight.,
Despite possibly being a top-10 pick or at least arriving at an NHL team with that pedigree, Perreault doesn’t figure to play in the NHL next season. The dynamic winger will join Smith at Boston College, which means a drafting team would retain his rights for four years (he could become a free agent if he doesn’t sign after his senior season).
Perreault also comes from hockey bloodlines. Not only was his older brother the first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2020, but his father, Yanic Perreault, had a 14-year NHL career.
“He was always pretty skilled and really smart player, so that’s something he always wanted me to have, and has helped me learn a lot,” Perreault said.
No, the kid doesn’t waste a lot of words. He did admit to a “good” dinner with the Penguins contingent.
His father helped him on faceoffs, even though he’s not a center. So, Team USA coach Dan Muse used him on power-play faceoffs occasionally.
“There are two things (I want to keep working on), related to my overall strength (to) keep getting stronger,” said Perreault. “And my separation speed is also something I’m trying to work on.”
From our friends at FloHockey, and Chris Peters, who also helped with the National Hockey Now mock draft (to be published in the coming days):
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