The Rangers are heading into a season where the spotlight falls squarely on two young wingers: Alexis Lafrenière and Gabe Perreault.
For Lafrenière, the story has been building since the day the Rangers landed the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL lottery. He was the consensus choice, but he arrived to a roster already crowded on the wing, and that clearly slowed his development. He was just 18 when New York drafted him, and while the expectations for a No. 1 pick are enormous, he was never immediately able to step in as the franchise’s centerpiece.
Now he’s 24, and the timeline looks different. In a lot of cases, players his age are still working their way into the league. By that logic, Lafrenière is only now entering what amounts to his sophomore stage as an NHL player.
Perreault is in a different spot entirely. The 21-year-old, drafted in 2023 with the 23rd overall pick, is coming into the 2026-27 NHL season with momentum and plenty of attention on what comes next.
His path to the Rangers lineup opened at the right time. During his first full rookie season, Chris Drury’s veteran-winger purge took hold, and there were no entrenched veteran wingers left demanding top-line minutes.
That gave Perreault a clear runway. He was placed alongside Mika Zibanejad and Lafrenière on the top line, and he also earned time on the first power-play unit. His tenacity, youthful exuberance, and obvious skill set made that transition look smooth.
That’s why these two now sit at the center of the Rangers’ next chapter. The team’s move into a new competitive era depends heavily on what Lafrenière and Perreault produce offensively and how well they click together. If the chemistry they built late last season continues next to Zibanejad, the Rangers’ chances of snapping their short playoff drought improve.
The loss of Artemi Panarin makes the need even sharper. New York has to find more offense from within, and Lafrenière is expected to take on a more defined top-line and leadership role. His size gives him another dimension at even strength and on the power play, and the final stretch of last season showed what the trio could do when it was rolling: controlling the pace, creating high-danger chances, and handling heavy minutes.
Perreault, meanwhile, enters his sophomore year as a breakout candidate because of his playmaking. The Rangers are banking on that vision translating into steady production. With Zibanejad in the middle, he and Lafrenière have the chance to drive the offense as the team reshapes itself around younger pieces.
After missing the postseason in back-to-back years, Drury’s retooled roster needs those internal answers. For the Rangers to get back into the mix in the Eastern Conference, Lafrenière and Perreault have to prove they’re more than useful side pieces. They need to look like core players.
Lafrenière has no more internal competition and no more excuses. Perreault has to show he can keep thriving in top-line minutes. It’s their turn now.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Have One Big Reason To Doubt Chris Drury
The Rangers offseason has done little to quiet the unease around Chris Drury, and for a fan base still processing his previous roster choices, the skepticism feels earned. New York enters the season with a sense that several things have to fall into place for the plan to work, from the group on the ice finding its footing to the front office proving it can actually support that roster with the right kind of moves.
Drury is the constant in the conversation, because every encouraging stretch for the Rangers comes with the same lingering question: what happens if the team is hanging around the playoff race and the pressure starts building again? For a crowd that has already seen enough churn, the concern is not just how this season begins, but whether the next turn of the calendar could bring another expensive decision that leaves even less room for error. [Read more 🡒]
Gabe Perreault Now Carries A Huge Rangers Question
Artemi Panarins departure leaves the Rangers searching for a new top forward, and Gabe Perreault is suddenly right in the middle of that conversation. The young winger showed real progress last season, especially in the way his production climbed as he got more comfortable, and theres a growing sense that a larger role could bring even more out of his game if the opportunity follows.
What makes Perreault such an interesting case is that the upside is easy to see, but the path to it is still debated. Some analysts believe he is ready to become a bigger offensive piece if the Rangers give him more playing time and a better look on the power play, while others remain cautious about how his game will hold up over a full NHL season. For a team trying to replace elite scoring, the next step for Perreault may end up being one of the most important storylines on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Prospect Liam Greentree Suddenly Has A Real Camp Opportunity
Liam Greentree arrived in the Rangers organization as part of the Artemi Panarin trade with the Kings, and now he has a more interesting path than a typical prospect adjustment period. Greentree has mostly worked as a winger, but the Rangers are looking at him in a different light heading into training camp because of the way their center depth has shifted this offseason.
That positional rethink matters because it changes the stakes for a player who is already known for his scoring touch. If Greentree can handle the transition and show he can help down the middle, camp could become more than a learning experience, with a real chance to push his way into the conversation for a roster spot. [Read more 🡒]