Recently, fans of the New York Rangers have found themselves teetering between frustration and newfound hope. While the Rangers’ performance has been disappointing over the past few months, there has been a recent surge of optimism. Given that the Rangers now need just 6 more wins to make the playoffs, the team is making some moves. The recent acquirement of 19-year-old forward Gabe Perreault on a three-year entry-level contract is an example of just that.

Perreault, a high-profile prospect selected 23rd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, arrives with high expectations. He has had a stellar NCAA career at Boston College with an impressive 108 points, including 35 goals and 73 assists. So, of course, many hope that he can be the spark the Rangers need as they push for the playoffs.

To put his numbers into context, Perreault has the best points-per-game percentage at Boston College since the 1993-94 season. Rangers fans are naturally excited by the move, though there are still some question marks over the decision.

Such as, even though he’s an exciting young talent, will he really be able to make a mark on the team so soon? And was it wise for the Rangers to use up year 1 of his entry-level contract on 8 remaining games? This last question will be particularly important if the Rangers don’t make the playoffs and their gamble falls flat.

So, while there is optimism about the impact he could have, the Rangers fanbase isn’t quite ready to trust again. And, as usual, people on Reddit shared their strong opinions on the matter.

Despite the Rangers acquiring Gabe Perreault to strengthen their offense, fans remain wary

One fan offered an optimistic take: “He is definitely one of the top 15 or 20 prospects in hockey at the moment. We really lucked out that he fell to us.” Yet, in a classic turn of Ranger-related fatalism, another followed this up with the resigned, “Aaaaaand we will most certainly ruin him.” It’s clearly not easy to be a Rangers fan at the moment!

Others feared that the Rangers’ recent struggles in developing young stars wouldn’t allow Gabe Perreault to shine on his debut, with one Redditor writing, “This kid looks poised to have a big career once he gets traded to his 2nd team.” It’s a scathing indictment of where the Rangers are at right now that the fan was already thinking ahead to Perreault’s future trade. Or perhaps he was just hinting at the rut the team seems to be stuck in right now.

Others still are taking specific jabs at the team’s functioning, and coach Peter Laviolette. With one commenter saying, “It’s exciting, but he is coming up to a team with ‘top tier’ players who (‘s) coach would prefer to shoot the puck.” This speaks to ongoing frustrations with Peter Laviolette, and how Rangers fans appear to be well and truly fed up with their coach.

Still, there are others who seem in disbelief over the fact that the team that made the 2024 playoffs is falling so badly this year, with one Reddit user stating, “I love how everyone is saying the same thing ‘great, now we can ruin him.’ It’s making me laugh and it’s true but man, what a pathetic reflection on the organization.” Ouch. It certainly isn’t a good look when fans are united not by optimism but by their pessimism.

Then there was the realist who expressed doubt about Perreault himself: “Madness? His scoring actually declined in his second year at BC. Put this in context, very few 19 year-olds come into the NHL and tear it up. Even more rare is to do it in a playoff run which is hardly guaranteed for this year’s Rangers. I hope Gabe goes on to have a very successful Ranger career but his contribution in the spring of 2025 is likely to be nil.”

It’s true. Perreault, straight out of college, isn’t likely to turn the fortunes of the New York Rangers around single-handedly. Especially not when the team is already so unstable. But can he provide the team with just enough momentum they need to make the playoffs? We’ll know soon enough.