Things have not always worked out in spades when it comes to the New York Rangers and their development of younger players.
Kaapo Kakko is a great example of this. He was taken with the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and things never panned out for him on Broadway as he was shipped off to the Seattle Kraken on December 18.
The Blueshirts are certainly hoping that things do not turn out to be the same for their current best prospect, Gabe Perreault. On Monday, March 31, the Rangers signed Perreault, 19, to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Perreault, the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, is coming off two terrific seasons with the Boston College Eagles. In those two years, Perreault recorded 108 points (35 goals and 73 assists) in 73 games.
In the last two seasons, Perreault tied for second in assists and third in points among all NCAA skaters. He also had a lot of success on the international stage as he helped Team USA win the Gold Medal in both the 2024 and 2025 World Junior Championships.
Perreault is a player who has great speed, vision, soft hands, knows how to get to open ice, and is known for being able to set up his linemates for goals or quality scoring chances. He is especially good when he plays with highly-skilled players like he did at Boston College with the likes of Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals), Will Smith (San Jose Sharks), and James Hagens (he will be draft-eligible this year).
According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Perreault is expected to join the team in New York on Tuesday, March 18. It will be interesting to see where team head coach Peter Laviolette slots Perreault.
This is something that the Rangers cannot afford to mess up. They messed up on Kakko and other highly-touted prospects in the past.
Perreault cannot be someone that the Rangers hold up or stunt in any way. They need to give him significant ice time, whether it is with the Blueshirts or down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The team needs to figure out a way to let this kid shine because if they do things properly and he develops the right way, then they will have hit a big-time home run and gotten a heck of a steal with the 23rd pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
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