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

Rangers Scratch Top Prospect

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Three games after making his NHL debut, New York Rangers forward Gabe Perreault will watch the next game from the press box. The team's 2024 first-round draft pick signed his entry-level contract with the Rangers after his sophomore season at Boston College in the NCAA ended. Two straight seasons of averaging over a point per game led him to the NHL, and the Rangers were eager to get him some experience in the lineup.

The Rangers' head coach, Peter Laviolette, is clearly not sharing that sentiment. After dropping Perreault to the bottom-six in the team's most recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Laviolette announced that forward Brett Berard would come into the lineup in place of Perreault.

#NYR head coach Peter Laviolette confirms Brett Berard is coming in for Gabe Perreault
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 9, 2025

It's an absolutely puzzling decision by the head coach, who seems to be coaching his way out of a job in New York. If the Rangers didn't want Perreault to play in the NHL, why burn a year off his entry-level deal? Now, their top prospect will have one less year of team control while not gaining any valuable experience.

Even worse, it's happening while the Rangers' playoff hopes hit rock bottom. They aren't playing for their postseason lives anymore after the Ottawa Senators clinched their postseason berth, and the Montreal Canadiens are next in line. If there was ever a situation to play a rookie and give him ample ice time, it's the current one the Rangers are in. Instead, Laviolette is holding out his top prospect for no good reason.

It will be interesting to see Laviolette's plan for the final few games. If Perreault rejoins the lineup, will he receive top-six minutes or will be remain a third-line forward with 12 or 13 minutes of ice time? The latter is the wrong decision and only hurting his development, but the rookie winger will have to get through the first healthy scratch of his career.

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

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