The New York Rangers selected Gabe Perreault 23rd overall in the 2023 NHL draft. He was expected to go much higher, but for some reason, he fell close to the end of the first round. The Blueshirts should be thankful he did, however, as his performance in the NCAA this season is proving why Perreault might just be the steal of the draft.
Perreault leads the NCAA in points as a Freshman
In his first season with Boston College, Perreault has tallied 15 goals and 35 assists in just 30 games played. He leads the NCAA in assists, points, and points per game (1.67), doing so as a Freshman. There isn’t any other player from the 2023 draft class performing at this level yet, leading many analysts to believe that the Rangers may have had the steal of the draft by selecting him all the way down at 23rd overall.
Aside from his offensive production, Perreault has begun to grow defensively as well. He has a player rating of +20 when on the ice, showing that not only is he scoring, but other teams are not too.
The Rangers intend on keeping Perreault around for a long time
Ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline, many teams around the league have been making calls to Chris Drury with offers for the Rangers. Some have unsurprisingly brought up Perreault and fellow prospect Brennan Othmann’s names, but Drury is reportedly shutting down any discussion involving either prospect.
“Other teams have told me anytime they’ve brought up the Rangers’ two top prospects in discussions, the Rangers have shut it down.”
Emily Kaplan during ESPPN’s Intermission Report, via SNY
It’s good to see that the Blueshirts don’t intend on moving on from either Othmann or Perreault. Both are incredible prospects that will undoubtedly have elite careers in the NHL once they are fully developed. Perreault has a bit of time before he’s ready to make his debut in the big leagues, however, as the 18-year-old NCAA Freshman still has a long way to go. One thing is for certain, though — Perreault might just be the steal of the 2023 draft.