How Rangers could best help Gabe Perreault be Calder Trophy candidate as NHL rookie of year

Though NHL training camps don’t open for another few weeks, it’s not too early to speculate about how the New York Rangers could deploy Gabe Perreault this coming season. And how they could help put him in a position to contend for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

The 20-year-old forward is New York’s top prospect, and has been since the Rangers selected him in the first round (No. 23 overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. Now, after two standout seasons at Boston College, where he totaled 108 points (35 goals, 73 assists) in 73 games, Perreault enters his first NHL training camp eyeing a spot on the opening-night roster.

It’s just as easy to see Perreault skating in New York’s top nine when the Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 7 as it is to picture him missing the final cut and opening the 2025-26 season with Hartford of the American Hockey League. That’s no knock on Perreault. Just the cold hard facts about how difficult it is to crack an NHL lineup, especially with a team that has so few openings on the wing, as is the case with the Rangers.

Ultimately, it’s up to Perreault if he makes the team right away or if it appears he needs a bit of seasoning in the minors first. His skill is obvious; and Perreault didn’t look out of place playing five games with the Rangers last season after he signed his entry-level contract. Perreault is also putting in the work this summer, skating with his idol Patrick Kane and other NHL players in the Chicago area.

Perreault must show coach Mike Sullivan that he’s committed and capable of performing in all three zones and physically strong enough to compete against men at the NHL level. You can bet that he’ll get a long look in training camp and plenty of opportunities in preseason games to prove himself.

NHL: New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

So, let’s assume for this exercise that Perreault earns a spot on the opening-night roster. It then falls on Sullivan and the Rangers to put their prized rookie in the best position to succeed. Of course, that would benefit both the team and the player.

Since it appears Sullivan plans to put Mika Zibanejad at right wing on a line centered by J.T. Miller, the Rangers will be loading up their top six. In this alignment, it’s fair to assume that Vincent Trocheck will center Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. That leaves one opening in the top six, to the left of Miller and Zibanejad.

The quick reaction here is to reward Will Cuylle, fresh off a 20-goal season, with a spot on that line. He’s an ascending player with top-six experience, and his physical play would mesh nicely with Miller’s skilled, yet hard-edged style.

But perhaps Perreault is the right fit here. The Rangers used him primarily in the top six after he finished at BC last season, to put him in the best position to succeed. Though Perreault didn’t register a point, he wasn’t overwhelmed by playing up in an NHL lineup, and averaged 14:26 TOI.

His high hockey IQ and vast skill set should mesh nicely with Miller and Zibanejad. The kid’s always been a point producer, so put him in a role where he can pile up points. That is, as long as Perreault proves capable of defending top NHL forwards. And if he racks up points, expect to see Perreault’s name in the Calder Trophy race.

NCAA coaches will talk about how 10 goals is the mark of a great freshman year. It’s not easy to do.

This is Gabe Perreault’s 10th of the season. He also has 28 assists. #NYR pic.twitter.com/OJtUMh2fIH

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 3, 2024

The Rangers have had eight rookie-of-the-year winners in their history. However, Brian Leetch was the last to win the Calder in 1988-89. Perreault isn’t a favorite for the award at this point, weeks before training camp begins. His former BC teammate Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals) is among a group of players like Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens), Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes), Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild) and even top overall pick Matthew Schaeffer (Islanders) who are the preseason Calder favorites.

But if Perreault plays on a line with Miller and Zibanejad? The kid’s going to produce. Again, that benefits him and the team.

An argument can be made that the Rangers are best served with Cuylle in that top-six role and Perreault playing on the third line — assuming he earns a roster spot in the preseason. However, Cuylle leading a physical, two-way identity line, perhaps with Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, or Taylor Raddysh on the other wing, is appealing. Cuylle would be a better fit in that role than Perreault.

The point here is that Perreault must earn his way on to the roster and any role and ice-time that comes with that. But it behooves the Rangers to put him in the best position to succeed. It says here that’s a top-six role.

And if he’s not ready for that, playing 20+ minutes a night in all game situations for Hartford makes great sense, too.