Perreault played in three games with the Rangers before Will Borgen’s injury forced the recall of Scott Morrow, which in turn also forced Perreault to temporarily return to Harford to free up roster space. Perreault had an assist in those three games his ownership stats (three games is hardly an example) were a mixed bag. He didn’t set the world on fire, but he also put in his best game in Columbus before returning to Hartford.
The Rangers need Gabe Perreault back, but not necessarily because of his on-ice production. Perreault did well with a TOI of 12 minutes per game and improved with each game played. He didn’t hurt Mika Zibanejad, but he didn’t help get JT Miller back on track either. As he improved there was hope that he would make a significant contribution in that area, but after three games we just didn’t have enough of an example. The Rangers need Gabe Perreault for his impact on the rest of the lineup.
At the very least, the Rangers need Gabe Perreault to balance the lineup
The Rangers need Gabe Perreault because when he was at the top he forced Will Cuylle into a third-line role, creating a solid two-way, snappy line with Noah Laba and Conor Sheary or Taylor Raddysh. Perreault also pushed Jonny Brodzinski and/or Juuso Parssinen out of the lineup. This is more about depth and roster construction than specific players, as the Rangers had stronger third and fourth lines with Perreault than they did with him in Hartford.
It seems strange to say that the Rangers need Gabe Perreault back while at the same time acknowledging that he isn’t a savior in the same breath. But both can be true at the same time. The Rangers need Gabe Perreault to add depth to the roster and force the opposition to defend three lines, not two. But Perreault alone is no savior. He’s a solid top-six winger who, given time, could contribute this year instead of next.
It’s no surprise that the Rangers need help on the blue line, as the left defense is a major problem and Braden Schneider is a moot concern (more on that in Blue Seats After Dark, releases tomorrow for Patreon subscribers). But most teams are able to overcome shaky blue line performances with strong forward depth, the depth the Rangers briefly had last week.
The good news is that while the Rangers will need Gabe Perreault back sooner or later, Will Borgen was not placed on IR. This suggests he will return sometime during this week’s road trip. The Rangers don’t need to carry two extra defensemen, so Scott Morrow will likely be sent back to Hartford to make room for Perreault’s return, while Matthew Robertson will get the Libor Hajek treatment this season.
The bad news is that a rookie this early in the season shouldn’t be that important. There are some serious roster construction issues on this team that Perreault alone cannot solve. The Rangers need Gabe Perreault because his presence led to the best forwards Mike Sullivan had to date. There are still over 60 games left, so there’s no need to panic, but it’s clear the Rangers will need to address some of these roster issues soon.
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