Jacob Perreault – 2020 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Jacob Perreault

2019-20 Team: Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Date of Birth: April 15, 2002
Place of Birth: Montreal, Québec, CAN
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 198 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2020 first-year eligible

Rankings

He has NHL bloodlines, his father Yanic Perreault played 859 regular season games in the league, and now it’s time for Jacob Perreault to hear his name called at the NHL Draft. The younger Perreault is coming off his second season with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, tallying 39 goals and 70 points in 57 regular season games before the season was cancelled.

In two seasons with the Sting, Perreault has 69 goals in 120 games – averaging 0.58 goals per game to start his OHL career. He’s been described as one of the best pure goal scorers in the upcoming draft and as such could be a major asset to any team in desperate need of an immediate offensive boost.

Related: 2020 NHL Draft Guide

He has shown the ability to play the wing as well as down the middle which could prove beneficial in his efforts to make the jump to the big league. On top of that, he has top-notch vision and draws defenders away from teammates to create high-quality, open chances.

Jacob Perreault Sarnia Sting
Jacob Perreault of the Sarnia Sting. (Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images)

While he’s shown his ability to skate is unparalleled, at times his speed with the puck has been somewhat inconsistent and might be one of the few topics for improvement for the young winger. Still, his ability to force defenders to back off makes his speed less of an issue and more of a simple discussion point when talking about his overall game.

As for how he sees the game, Perreault is among the best in the OHL in visualizing how to approach each situation. He’s dangerous in one-on-one situations and like some of the best goal scorers in the NHL, has an incredibly deceptive shot which can fool goaltenders off the rush.

Even though there are very few issues on the offensive side of the puck, Perreault will need to lock down his game defensively if he hopes to develop into the player that he is capable of being. If his minus-34 rating last season with the Sting was any indication of how he plays in his own end, he will need to sure up his in-zone coverage to fit into a top-six role at the NHL level.

Jacob Perreault – NHL Draft Projection

For the most part, Perreault is projected as a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. He owns easily one of the best shots in the draft, but has room to develop in other aspects of his game which could slide him into the early part of the second round. Either way, with that NHL pedigree in his blood, don’t expect him to fall much further than the 35th overall pick.

Quotables

“There’s no mystery to Perreault’s most impressive attribute – he owns one of the best shots in the draft and is easily one of its most lethal bad-angle scorers. Perreault can snipe it from anywhere; mostly via the wrister, but he has silky-smooth hands and a soft touch to help him roof pucks from in close. Much like his puck control away from the cage, Perreault is not to be taken lightly near the goal. He looks off targets, slap passes with accuracy and can sauce the disc onto the tape of a cutting teammate.” – Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst

“While Perreault is predominantly a winger, he has at times shown the ability of playing down the middle. His father was a force in the face-off circle, the best ever since the NHL started keeping face-off statistics winning 61.1% of his draws. It’s something the younger Perreault has learned from his father. While he only took 104 draws, he won 60 of them, good for 57.7%.” – Dominic Tiano, OHL Writers

“At the heart of Perreault’s game is his speed and creativity with the puck. He loves to lead the attack and be the one with the puck on his stick as the Sting push across the blueline. He backs down defenders with his ability to create in transition and he has the puck skill to create additional space for himself. Perreault also has a great shot and release which he can use while in full stride or when cutting to the middle.” – Brock Otten, McKeen’s Hockey

Strengths

  • Shot
  • Passing
  • Puck Control

Improvements

  • Skating
  • Speed
  • Strength
  • Defensive zone coverage

NHL Potential

The potential to be a force in the NHL is there. For those who are old enough to remember his father’s NHL career know that at time he was underrated during his playing days. The same likely won’t be said about the younger Perreault, whose shot and ability to control the game will make him a legitimate top-six forward in the coming years. That said, he will need to continue to round out the rest of his game if he wants to make that jump sooner than later.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 8/10, Defense – 6.5/10

Awards/Achievements

As a 15-year-old Perreault was a part of the HPBHL championship team in 2016-17 with the Chicago Mission Bantam Major AAA team. He followed that up by tallying the most points (25) and most goals (14) during the HPHL U16 season and topped of that off by cracking the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team in his first season with the Sting in 2018-19. All that considered, there are more accomplishments ahead for Perreault.

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