3 dynamic prospects the Rangers cannot trade at the 2024 deadline

Gabe Perreault is a shoo-in to become an A-plus prospect if he isn’t already there

While Gabe Perreault still has a long way to go to build up his small frame that won’t be NHL-ready anytime soon, it shouldn’t entice the Rangers to use their first-round pick from 2023 as a trade piece. Perreault is just 18, so he deserves at least three seasons to put on muscle and continue to develop his game - which, as mentioned in the first section of this article, falls into that 2025 to 2027 window. 

And when you look at what Perreault has already done as a freshman at Boston College with 50 points in 30 contests, just imagine what kind of production he will be putting up three years down the road whether he stays in school or signs with New York and ends up in Hartford. 

Sure, Perreault has played for some good teams for a while, but great players still need to make jaw-dropping plays, and the 18-year-old has been doing that. His skating has drawn question marks, but again, he’s 18, and the Rangers don’t need to rush who will be a great player once he’s fully developed. 

The size and skating will come with repetition and offseason training, and they are both variables you will see get better with each passing year. Once he’s ready to take over for someone like Artemi Panarin or Chris Kreider, he will pick up where they left off.