There are two ways to look at why the New York Rangers decided to scratch highly touted prospect Gabe Perreault from an otherwise meaningless game on Wednesday.
Either they were trying to protect a young asset who is still getting his feet wet in the NHL after spending the year in college. Or this was yet another example of a dysfunctional organization that has continually shot itself in the foot this year.
Guess which explanation fans went with?
Yes, this move didn’t sit well with a Blueshirts faithful that has grown continually frustrated over the years as homegrown picks such as Pavel Buchnevich, Kappo Kakko and Vitali Kravtsov — just to name a few — have been buried in the depth charts and haven’t realized their first-round potential. It also didn’t put to rest rumours that there is friction between coach Peter Laviolette and GM Chris Drury, who both seem like they could be gone in the summer.
Before that (potentially) happens, it appears that both are intent on trashing the place before they leave.
Earlier this week, Laviolette admitted that he no longer speaks to the team after losses. Now, he’s reportedly refusing to play a 19-year-old, who by signing last week has already burned a year off his three-year entry-level contract.
What comes next? Actually quitting on the team?
With four games remaining, it appears that is already occurring.
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<b>1.</b> NEXT MANAGER: John Davidson won't come back, nor be welcomed back so I asked my personal "Insider," Jess Rubenstein, who he'd recommend as a replacement for Chris Drury. (Not that they'd get him, but I'd have loved to convince Kevin Cheveday of to leave Winnipeg for The Big Apple.)
The Rangers lost 8-5 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, in a game where the players seemed to be "mentally, physically, and emotionally checked out." In hindsight, maybe it was a good thing that Perreault didn’t have to experience that. Still, if you're not going to play him for these final games, then why sign him in the first place?
Perreault, who the Rangers selected with the 23rd-overall pick in 2023, scored 16 goals and 48 points in 37 games for Boston College this year. In three games with the Rangers, he has no points and four shots while averaging 13:31 in ice time, having spent time on a line with J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafreniere before getting dropped to a bottom-six role.
“He’s played in some games as well where he’s had a good impact in the game. He’s been good, just a young player," said Laviolette, who replaced Perreault with Brett Berard. “The players that come in from college, not always is it straight from college into the NHL. I think that there’s a learning process that goes with it."
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The New York Rangers are mentally, physically, and emotionally checked out.
According to Laviolette, there was no urgency to develop Perreault at a time when the Rangers are mathematically still alive in the standings. But with just four wins in their past 17 games, the math doesn’t add up.
The season is all but over. The fans know it. And based on the recent blowout losses to Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, the players do as well.
In other words, what’s the harm in playing Perreault? After all, you’ve already decided to burn a year off his ELC. You might as well get some games out of it.
That’s what other teams have been doing as the season winds down.
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Ryan Leonard, who was Perreault’s lineman at Boston College, has played in all four games with the Washington Capitals since signing his entry-level contract. The same goes for St. Louis’ Jimmy Snuggerud, who has two assists in five games since his season ended with the University of Minnesota. And those are teams that are heading to the playoffs.
Even Montreal, which is , has brought over Ivan Demidov from Russia in hopes of having him in the lineup.
Meanwhile, Perreault watched from the press box on Wednesday. Based on how poorly the Rangers played, it might have actually been the best place for him.