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The Players: Roster & Profiles – Depth Chart – Stats
Position: C
Shoots: Left
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190
Birth Date: 4/4/1971
Birth Country: Canada (Sherbrooke, Quebec)
Year Drafted: 1991
Round Drafted: 3
Overall Choice: 47
Salary 2003/04: $2,800,000.00
HW 2004 Mid-Season Scouting Report
If Yanic the Great could play with intensity every game, could take his best game and make that his norm, he’d be a 40-goal man and would be an integral part of the Habs. The fact he gives you a shift on and a shift off has him ticketed elsewhere at the very latest at season’s end. Compounding his consistency and intensity problems are troubles sticking to the system – as he’s routinely in the wrong place. Now, he has adapted slowly and is much better now than he ever was earlier in the season, but a team player he is not, and never will be. Yannick wants to score goals, and get points, he hasn’t figured out that Cups come with team efforts.
Possessing a precise wrist shot and deft ability around the net, he could have been one of the better snipers in hockey. What he lacks in creativity and vision on the ice, he more than makes up in the slot and in being at the right place at the right time. Sadly, the game isn’t solely played in this area, and when it leaves he’s lost. Winning battles along the boards is basically out of the question and tracking a man back defensively is a hit or miss proposition with the arrow usually hitting miss.
The fact he wins more faceoffs than anyone else in hockey is really of little consequence in the long run. Most would rather have four useful centres at both ends of the rink rather than three plus one who wins faceoffs and is good in about a hundred square feet. That he still has a spot with the Habs is testament to the lack of scoring ability present on the squad.
Yanic Perreault was drafted 47th overall in the 1991 Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. On November 6, 1993, he made his NHL debut. One week later on November 13, he scored his first two goals against the Blackhawks. Yanic played 13 games that season at the NHL level and scored six points. On July 11, 1994, Yanic’s rights were traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round draft pick. After signing with the Kings, Yanic scored seven points in 26 games during the shortened 1994-95 season. In 1995-96, he played 78 games with the Kings and scored 25 goals and 49 points.
In 1996-97, Yanic was limited to just 41 games but still scored 25 points. In 1997-98, he scored 28 goals and 48 points as the Kings made the playoffs for the first time in five years. He scored three points in four playoff games. In 1998-99, Yanic was traded back to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 23 for Jason Podollan and a third-round draft pick. In 76 games between the two teams, he scored 17 goals and 42 points. In the playoffs, he helped the Maple Leafs reach the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Sabres.
In 1999-2000, Yanic was limited to just 58 games, but still scored 45 points. He posted a 61.8 face-off winning percentage and helped the Maple Leafs win the Northeast Division title. In the playoffs he was limited to just one game. In 2000-01, Yanic scored a new career-high 52 points and finished third on the team with 24 goals.
On July 4, 2001, Yanic signed as a free agent with the Montréal Canadiens.
