2026 Rangers Season Previews: Gabe Perreault

 This article is part of an ongoing series of New York Rangers Season Previews, taking a close look at what we can, and should, expect from each member of the 2026-27 New York Rangers. To read other articles in this series, go here.

It’s hard to understand how anyone could look at Gabe Perreault’s past performance and find a reason to be negative about the New York Rangers’ potential wunderkind. But that’s what one prominent prospect analyst has consistently done, causing the Rangers fandom and more to explode in an uproar.

Perreault has been one of the few bright spots for the Blueshirts’ future, and for a professional to doubt that felt not just surprising but almost hurtful. To some, it may have allowed doubt to seep in. Have we seen Perreault at his best? Will he take a step back? Now, these all felt like fair concerns, and they lead to the ultimate question: What will Gabe Perreault’s 2026-27 season look like?

Previous Performance

You all know the story by now, but if you have somehow managed to live under a rock, you only need to know one thing about Gabe Perreault: Wherever he has gone, he has scored prolifically. Whether in the USNTDP or the NCAA, Perreault broke or threatened to break records, leading the charge for his linemates, yet for some unfathomable reason has never gotten the credit he deserves.

That seems to be continuing for the young winger as he prepares for his second full season of professional hockey. After signing his entry-level contract, Perreault didn’t move the needle much when playing for Peter Laviolette, but it’s easy to say that was a wash with the lame duck coach’s use of him. It wasn’t until his first full season that people began to see he could continue his offensive dominance at the professional level.

Starting with the Hartford Wolf Pack at the beginning of the 2025-26 season, he suited up for 20 games and scored 10 goals and 7 assists. Not bad numbers for a kid playing in the AHL for the first time. To make a long story short, the Rangers noticed and called him up to the NHL, and he never looked back. Playing mostly even-strength minutes, Perreault continued to impress, scoring another 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games. He earned a spot on the top line, and while averaging only 16 minutes a game, his ascension and success also helped propel another younger Rangers winger to improve his own numbers and perhaps even salvage his season, scoring at a torrid pace down the stretch. I’m talking, of course, about Alexis Lafrenière.

Perreault had a brief taste of power-play time but found a way to make it work even when on the second unit, and that power-play success was often centered on him making a crafty or high-level play. As the season progressed, it became clear Perreault was increasingly comfortable with the pace and physicality of the NHL. He scored above a 0.5 point-per-game clip, and it could have been even higher. There were countless times Perreault made a savvy pass or play only to have his linemate not finish or for Perreault himself to not capitalize.

Expectations

Even with the addition of more forward depth and higher-rated prospects, Perreault is now a lock to not only make the team but also feature in the top six. It’d be foolish for Mike Sullivan to fully split up Zibanejad, Lafrenière, and Perreault, but with Dorofeyev now a Ranger, there could be some slight tweaking.

Regardless, Perreault is expected to play on one of the top two lines with other skilled forwards and should get a bigger kick at playing on the top power-play unit. His playmaking ability is among the best on the team, and ultimately his success and the Rangers taking a major step forward are linked far more than most people recognize.

Predictions

76 GP | 22 G | 38 A | 60 PTS

Sixty points for a forward in his first full year in the NHL may seem like an insane take to some, but I think this is still on the conservative side. If Perreault can keep clicking or find chemistry with a new set of linemates, he’ll be off to the races. We saw rapid growth and production when he became comfortable, and with more ice time and more opportunities on the man advantage, Perreault has the chance to blossom into a game-breaker for the New York Rangers.

It’ll be interesting to see how the top six plays out with Dorofeyev joining the fold. A known goal-scoring winger like Dorofeyev could benefit significantly from someone of Perreault’s caliber setting him up all season. However, the Rangers have a surplus of young playmaking wingers, so it’s not a guarantee Perreault will be the one paired with Dorofeyev for most of the season.

There are scenarios where he could be stapled to the second line in some iteration with J.T. Miller, and while that could pose issues if Miller doesn’t have a bounce-back year, Perreault’s talent is too off the charts to remain suppressed. I predict that, regardless of the combination of players he skates with, if he is given just as much, if not more, ice time all season, sixty points will be an easy hurdle to clear for the offensive wiz.

The Bottom Line

Perreault has had doubters wherever he’s gone throughout his hockey career, but he’s consistently proven them wrong. I expect that trend to continue.

There are some question marks about his usage as the Rangers refined their roster with a few solid moves this past offseason, but Perreault is a point-producing forward who should play in the top six and is good enough to feature there for a competitive team. If given the opportunity this season, he’ll pop off throughout the year and likely be one of the team’s top contributors.

Maybe then, the negative voices that will not be named here will go take a walk.