NHL Analyst Urges The New York Rangers To Make A Drastic Move With Top Prospect Gabe Perreault
Photo credit: Essentially Sports
Tom Urtz Jr. of the website Blueline Station has a radical notion for the New York Rangers and top prospect Gabe Perreault. Instead of fast-tracking him to the NHL, Urtz Jr. believes that the Rangers and Mike Sullivan should let him get some time in the AHL, with the Hartford Wolfpack.
For the New York Rangers, forward Gabe Perreault is an important player. Perreault ideally should be part of the youth movement, which takes the reins from the older, aging core that we see on the ice nowadays.
With recent top-draft picks failing to develop correctly, like Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere, maybe they should shift priorities and find a new home for Perreault until he's ready.
That new home could be the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack. He realistically could end up in the New York Rangers lineup, but it's with the best intentions that we suggest he starts off in the AHL.
Perreault joined the Rangers for a brief spin after signing his entry-level contract and leaving Boston College for life in the Big Apple. He registered zero points in his NHL stint, and that isn't something people should care about. He had flashes of brilliance and brought some energy and creativity to a Rangers squad that was playing out the string before heading home for the longest offseason in recent memory.
With his lack of production, but meaningful play in the NHL, we saw stretches of great shot attempts. He needs to continue to develop, and the team should learn from their past mistakes with Kakko and Lafreniere.
Don't Rush Gabe Perreault Into the NHL
One NHL player who was a legend in the Blueshirt, namely Chris Kreider, was a Ranger for 13 seasons. He'd get a chance during the lockout to hone his game in the AHL during the 2012-13 season and grow as a player.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound forward came off an excellent year with the Connecticut Whale, posting 23 points (12-11) in 48 games in the AHL.
He'd only appear in six more minor-league games after that season when the Rangers competed for the Stanley Cup in 2014.
Maybe, just maybe, the solution has been in the AHL all along; instead, Chris Drury and the front office have rushed forward into premier roles, and they fail spectacularly.
It's time for a changeup.
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