In front of him, the talent is improving at every level of the roster. There were a lot of young players who received extended playing time down the stretch and showcased incredible development, such as Gabe Perreault<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 20-year-old performed so well that he began drawing player comparisons to some incredibly talented and established veterans in the NHL. One of them is Calgary Flames left winger, Jonathan Huberdeau.<\/p>\n Apr 13, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) looks on after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. \/ Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n \u201cThat assist-heavy production has him mirroring some top-six playmakers, with the most eye-popping being Jonathan Huberdeau. If Perreault can become anything close to prime Huberdeau, it would be a major development win for the Rangers. And boy do they need it,\u201d as written in an NHL power rankings piece done by Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic<\/a> (subscription required).<\/p>\n Huberdeau is a two-time All-Star who has been one of the most consistent playmakers in the league throughout his career. He led the NHL with 85 assists during the 2021-22 campaign with the Florida Panthers.<\/p>\n In 962 NHL games, Huberdeau has recorded 544 helpers, which comes out to an 82-game average of 46.<\/p>\n Perreault, a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has shown a similar playmaking ability in his first extended action at the highest level. In 49 total games this season, he recorded 15 assists and 12 goals.<\/p>\n Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. \/ Danny Wild-Imagn Images<\/p>\n However, 16 of those points were recorded over the final 20 games of the season, scoring seven goals and handing out nine assists. Nearly averaging a point per game at 20 years old is incredibly impressive, even if the minutes did come on a team that was out of the playoff race.<\/p>\n New York has to be thrilled about the development Perreault showed down the stretch, looking like a long-term building block for the franchise on the wing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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