It took just three games for the New York Rangers to do what they always seem to do with young talent—park it in the press box. On Wednesday at MSG against the Philadelphia Flyers, Gabe Perreault is a healthy scratch. Not because he was terrible. Not because the Rangers are fighting for anything real. Nope, just because they felt like it.
You burn a year of his entry-level contract, toss him into a lineup hanging by a thread, and then bench him? For what? Message-sending? Culture-setting? Whatever the reasoning is, it's not good enough.
The team is basically out of the playoff picture—eight points out with five games left—and there's no miracle run coming. So why not let your most exciting young player skate? Why not give fans something to be curious about? We've watched the same core group underachieve all season —and now we're scratching the kid who just got here?
I'd rather watch 60 minutes of Perreault, Brett Berard (replacing him in the lineup), and oft-scratched Zac Jones — guys who look like they care — than another night of listless, uninspired hockey from the same tired lineup. At least the kids give effort. At least they have a chip on their shoulder.
Instead, we get more of the same. Perreault wanted to burn the year of his ELC. The Blueshirts agreed, and rightly so — you want to show your top prospect he's valued. Yet then you sit him by game four? That doesn't scream, "We believe in you." It screams confusion.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette explained that it's a "learning process." "When we go back and look at the game, coaches sit down and go through things with him... I think it’s a learning process for young players. Whether it be practice, games, video, watching — could be a combination of all of it. Big step coming out of college and right into a lineup.” Practice, video, watching from the press box. Sure, there's truth to that in a general sense. However, it's a situation where he should be in the lineup — games that don't matter, low stakes, the perfect time to get your feet wet. Instead, they're treating it like a playoff push. Watching Laviolette behind the bench lately, it's fair to wonder if he's mentally checked out. The players look like they have. Whether or not Laviolette survives past April 18 is debatable, but this decision doesn't help his case.
The #NYR scratching Gabe Perreault when the team is 8pts out of a playoff spot and the games are meaningless now is certainly a head scratcher.
— Anthony LaRocco (@ALaRocco0801) April 9, 2025
This is the exact situation where you want a young player in the lineup. Real baffling decision by the coaching staff here.
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Perreault wasn't going to save the season. He wasn't the difference between a playoff berth and another early offseason. Still, he's crucial to this team's future, and it sure doesn't appear he's being prioritized. The latest head-scratcher is another reason why Rangers hockey is unwatchable right now. You're better off using those three hours to go bowling than watching the current version of Blueshirts on Broadway.