Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesOne of the only bright spots for the New York Rangers through a tumultuous 2025-26 season has been the emergence of Gabe Perreault.
In a Rangers prospect pool that lacks high-end offensive intangibles, Perreault is an outlier, as his skillsets specifically when it comes to his playmaking abilities, makes him a prominent piece of the Blueshirts future.
Since being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League late in December, Perreault has played in 21 consecutive games, beginning to flash the potential we saw from him during his days at Boston College, where he transformed into one of the most explosive NCAA hockey players in the country.
The 20-year-old forward once seemed to be overwhelmed by the pace of NHL play, and is now not only adapting, but he’s generating offense at a consistent rate, which he credits to the amount of games under his belt.
“The more games I've played, I think the more comfortable I've been getting and starting to grow a lot of confidence,” Perreault said. “The game is kind of starting to slow down for me. I'm able to use my brain more, and my skills and everything.”
Mike Sullivan is also gaining more confidence in Perreault. The rookie has carved out a top-six role on a line alongside J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad.
In that role, it’s about both creating offense for his two dynamic linemates and stepping up from a defensive standpoint, an aspect of Perreault’s game that he’s been forced to improve upon given the kind of responsibility put on his plate by Sullivan.
Playing with Miller and Zibanejad has allowed Perreault to grow as a two-way player, a critical part in helping him maintain a spot in the Rangers’ lineup.
“I mean, these guys are the superstars,” Perreault said of Miller and Zibanejad. “It's been an awesome experience. They’ve been great to me. I think for me, just kind of adjusting to them and doing whatever I can to make the line better, try to get them the puck. I think we’ve been clicking more and more as a line.”
Through the Olympic break, the Rangers opted not to send Perreault down to the AHL, and instead give him some much needed rest.
Perreault has certainly taken advantage of his opportunity upon being called up in December, and Sullivan insinuated that he’s with the Rangers to stay, with no plans of sending him to Hartford.
“I think he's been playing a lot of hockey for us, and he's been part of this group right now, and we want him to be part of this group,” Sullivan said of Perreault.
When Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury issued a letter on Jan. 16 outlining the organization's plan to retool the roster, it presented a spark of hope for all of New York’s younger players and prospects.
Perreault knows that due to the Rangers’ direction as a franchise, he’ll be presented with more responsibility, and it’s the perfect time for him to show what he is truly capable of.
“Whenever you get a chance, you try to make an impact,” Perreault said. “Now's the time we're going to get a lot of opportunity. I've been getting a lot of opportunity playing more and more, so just kind of trying to take it and run with it.”