The New York Rangers are getting set for a big game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at home on Tuesday night and will be entering the matchup with a perfect record at home and a 5-2 record overall. One of the reasons for their success has been the development of one of their young players.
While the Rangers have a bit of uncertainty surrounding them following the massive loss of Igor Shesterkin, this is a team that isn't going to be giving up despite the loss of their star.
In their first game without Shesterkin , New York was able to handle business against the Vancouver Canucks in a game that they were expected to win. The Rangers were able to score a season-high six goals in that performance, which is exactly what they would have wanted to see in this game.
Having an improved offense was certainly a goal of New York, and while they are still trying to get the most out of some of their five-on-five combinations, they have seen an improvement in the area overall. One of the main reasons for that has been the play of Gabe Perreault.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Perreault was a name that emerged for the Rangers in the second half of the year. After getting moved up to the first line, the talented winger started to showcase what he could do on the ice. In the final 23 games of the season, Perreault totaled 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists. With a hat trick at the end of the year, it was an exciting campaign for the young skater.
This offseason, there was a lot of discussion about whether or not the team should extend Perreault. While his sample size of success was small, he very much looks the part.
So far this year, not locking him up long-term could end up being something they regret. Perreault has totaled six points in seven games with three goals and three assists.
Recently, he was moved up to the top power play unit to replace Pavel Dorofeyev. It will be interesting to see if that ends up being a permanent move, or if it was just for that one game.
At just 21 years old, Perreault is already a solid top-six player for the Rangers, and what he was able to accomplish at the end of last season has him emerging as a budding star for the Rangers.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/rangers/onsi as Why NY Rangers Have a Budding Star in Gabe Perreault .
