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Rangers' Missing Piece Languishing in AHL
Apr 2, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) takes the ice against the Minnesota Wild for his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are suffering and are last in their division. Could calling Gabe Perreault up help them actually score some goals?

Perreault was drafted No. 23 overall by the Rangers in the 2023 NHL draft. Highlighted as the golden pick for this team’s next generation, he is still waiting in Hartford for his chance to shine. The Rangers let him play five games in the 2024-25 season, but he didn’t score any goals or assists, so they booted him down to the AHL on Oct 3, 2025, to play for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Rangers. What are the Rangers waiting for? They should give him the chance to show why he was drafted.

This young 20-year-old is the son of Yanic Perreault, an NHL veteran, so hockey is in his blood. He will be a long-term asset for the Rangers once he gets his shot. And once he does and starts to make a name for himself as a “New York Ranger,” he could very well be a foundational piece for the Rangers.

Rangers’ Golden Pick Gabe Perreault Deserves His Shot

The Rangers’ offense desperately needs him. Their record is, at the very least, disappointing. The stats of 3-5-2 at the start of their season are a losing record for this team. They have yet to even win a game at home. They are supposed to be a contender, and they are barely making ends meet; that is not how an original six team plays, and they are one.

The Rangers have scored only 22 goals in ten games, about 2.2 per game, the bare minimum, making them bottom of the league. Twenty-six is the number of goals the Rangers have allowed to their opposing teams. The Rangers have been consistently outscored and lack puck control.

Perreault has fantastic stats: in the 2025-26 season with the Wolf Pack, in his first six games, he has two goals and two assists, totaling four points. He’s producing early, but at least he can generate offense, something the Rangers are currently struggling with. Based on stats, Perreault, if he continues to perform as he has in those six games, his PPG would be 0.67. And the Rangers could certainly use some points. The fact that he is performing early shows he can play at an NHL pro level. If only they would allow him.

Are the Rangers playing the long game with Perreault? The team can barely make offense, let alone defense, and with them being last in their division, it's time to revert to a different way. Fans have to be tired of seeing their team lose or go all the way to MSG, spending their own money to see their team not even perform at the level they are supposed to. It’s a joke at this point. The players can’t be proud of their performance when fans can barely watch them. An idea, maybe bring the 20-year-old who can play like a pro, and perhaps the Rangers can finally use the asset they drafted to climb back to the top with a miracle. 

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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