- The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano says the Rangers should get ahead on a Gabe Perreault extension
- Perreault put up 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games as a rookie, capped by a hat trick in April
- Read below for the Sept. 16 CBA change that shrinks what New York can offer
The Rangers have a call to make on Gabe Perreault, and the advice coming out of the beat is to make it early.
Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic went through New York’s cap picture heading into the 2027-28 league year and singled out the winger as the one restricted free agent worth handling now instead of next summer:
“It’s difficult to project what their next contracts will cost if Drury waits, which is why it makes sense to be proactive and discuss extensions now. If there’s a chance to get ahead with Perreault in particular, the Rangers should jump at it.”
He flagged the other side of it too. Perreault and agent Pat Brisson know that waiting could work in their favor if the 21-year-old scores the way he’s capable of this season.
Brisson is not an agent who gets rushed. His list runs through Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and both Hughes brothers, and every one of them cashed in after proving something first.
Perreault’s rookie year gave both camps something to work with. The 2023 first-rounder finished with 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games while averaging 15:59 a night.
Most of that came in a rush at the end. He piled up nine goals and 10 assists over his final 23 games, a stretch he spent riding shotgun with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière.
April 4 in Detroit was the night that stuck. Perreault scored twice in the third period and finished off his first career hat trick with an empty-netter, becoming the youngest Ranger to record one since 2010 in a 4-1 win.
Watch the hat trick:
Here’s what he had to say afterward:
There’s a clock on this beyond Perreault’s development curve. The new CBA kicks in Sept. 16 and drops the maximum extension a team can hand its own player from eight years to seven, which is why the next month matters around the league.
Pittsburgh already moved on that math, locking Ville Koivunen into eight years at $32 million off a much thinner résumé than the one Perreault is carrying.
Perreault has one season left on his entry-level deal before restricted free agency in 2027. Chris Drury can negotiate with a 27-point rookie right now, or with whatever Perreault turns into after a full year on a scoring line.
