What’s next for Rangers top prospect Gabe Perreault after stunning NCAA Tournament loss
Gabe Perreault always knew he’d have a massive decision to make this spring about his future with the New York Rangers. He just hoped it wouldn’t come this soon.
UPDATE: Rangers sign Gabe Perreault on Monday to entry-level contract
Perreault is eligible to sign his entry-level contract and turn pro right now, after top seed Boston College was eliminated by the University of Denver in the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The 2023 first-round pick (No. 23) by the Rangers returned to BC this season after an outstanding Freshman year because he wanted to win the national championship. Boston College just missed that goal in 2024, losing to Denver in the championship game of the Frozen Four.
This season, they were eliminated again by Denver, losing 3-1 in the Manchester, New Hampshire, regional.
So, does Perreault want to run it back with BC next Fall? Or is he ready to sign with the Rangers and possibly try to help them earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The consensus since Perreault announced last July that he’d return to BC has been that the 19-year-old forward would play one more season and then turn pro. No one Forever Blueshirts has spoken to since has changed that opinion.
But until the highly-skilled winger puts pen to paper, his immediate future remains in question. It’s likely that the Rangers will know soon what Perrault wants to do.
Perreault planned all along to be playing hockey with BC right up until April 12, the date of the NCAA Championship game. That would’ve left two regular-season games — and possibly the playoffs, should the Rangers qualify — for Perreault to play in New York had he signed right away.
Things are different now. The Rangers (35-32-7) have eight games remaining and are tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, though percentage points behind since Montreal’s played one fewer game. The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders are also in the tight playoff race.
If Perreault signs now, the Rangers could burn the first season of the three-year entry-level contract and make him a lineup option for coach Peter Laviolette. Less likely is that Perreault could sign his entry-level contract and then an amateur tryout (ATO) with Hartford of the American Hockey League, like fellow Rangers prospects Noah Laba and Jackson Dorrington did recently.
The third option is that Perreault decides to stay at Boston College for another year. That appears unlikely. Longtime linemate and friend Ryan Leonard signed with the Washington Capitals on Monday, and BC previously lost the third member of that super line, Will Smith, who signed with the San Jose Sharks after his Freshmen season ended last spring. Perreault is last man standing.
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What’s next for Gabe Perreault, Rangers after Boston College star’s college season ends
Gabe Perreault – Photo courtesy Alan Selavka
Perreault was Boston College’s second-leading scorer this season with 48 points in 37 games, one behind Leonard. He led BC with 32 assists and five power-play goals, and was second with 16 goals.
The son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault scored BC’s first goal in a 3-1 win against Bentley in the NCAA regional on Friday. He was held off the score-sheet in the loss to Denver on Sunday, but finished the season with 15 multi-point games,
As a Freshman, Perreault was second in the nation with 41 assists and and fourth with 60 points in 36 games.
Along with his productive play for a winning program at Boston College, Perreault helped the United States win consecutive World Junior Championships in 2024 and 2025. It’s the first time that the U.S. won the WJC in back-to-back years.
Perreault recorded identical numbers in each tournament, 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in seven games.
Like many hockey experts who’ve watched Perreault play, John Vanbiesbrouck — the general manager of the U.S. National Junior team and former Rangers goalie — points to the youngster’s elite hockey IQ as what sets him apart as a player. That and an impressive skill level have him pegged to be a top-six forward in the NHL by most.
However, there are those who are concerned about Perreault’s lack of size (5-foot-11, 178 pounds). Not Vanbiesbrouck.
“People may say they’re not so sure about him. I’m pretty sure about him,” Vanbiesbrouck told Forever Blueshirts this past summer.
If he was added immediately to the Rangers mix down the stretch, Perreault could be a fit on a line with J.T. Miller and Will Cuylle, two bigger, physical players who could open up the ice for the youngster. That would knock Jonny Brodzinski, who scored his 10th goal of the season in a 6-1 win against the Sharks on Saturday, to the fourth line most likely.
Then again, Laviolette might not rush Perreault into the lineup or could shelter him in a bottom-six role. Neither would be a great nor appealing spot for Perreault, of course.
Perreault’s Boston College teammates Drew Fortescue is also free now to sign his entry-level contract. He was New York’s third-round pick in 2023 and also just completed his Sophomore season. The steady stay-at-home defenseman who also helped the United States win the 2024 and 2025 World Juniors is not considered NHL ready and would likely join Laba and Dorrington on an ATO with Hartford if he signed.
It’s 50-50 whether Fortescue will turn pro now or remain in college, per the people Forever Blueshirts has spoken with.
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