Gabe Perreault Should Share Line With NY Rangers Free Agent Signing

Gabe Perreault is capable of getting the most out of a New York Rangers free agent signing.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is going to have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to his lineup.

Right now, there are very few things set in stone. He knows Igor Shesterkin is his starting goaltender, while Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov are his top defensive pairing. More than likely, Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi will be the second pairing.

Mika Zibanejad is the No. 1 center, and J.T. Miller returns to his preferred spot as the No. 2 center. Who their linemates will be is undetermined at this point, but Sullivan knows who his other four top-six forwards will be: Pavel Dorofeyev, Alexis Lafreniere, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Gabe Perreault.

If Rangers fans had their choice, they would love to see if Lafreniere and Perreault can continue building on the positive momentum created near the end of the 2025-26 campaign, playing alongside Zibanejad.

Gabe Perreault should be paired with Oliver Bjorkstrand

Apr 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (22) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, Perreault’s numbers are actually a little better when playing alongside Miller than they are with Zibanejad. And that could open up the opportunity to pair the 21-year-old with Bjorkstrand at right wing.

With six seasons of at least 20 goals scored, Bjorkstrand can make an impact offensively. It will improve even more so if he is on a line with players who can get him the puck in a position to score, which Perreault and Miller are both very capable of doing.

The same argument can be made as to why Perreault would be the ideal linemate for Dorofeyev. It will be interesting to see how their most promising top-six forward is deployed because of the playmaking ability that he possesses.

That skill is why some people would love to see him play alongside Dorofeyev, who is an elite goal scorer but had the benefit of playing alongside Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Gabe Perreault is best playmaking winger Rangers have

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) awaits a pass against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Madison Square Garden. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York doesn’t have that level of playmaker on their roster, but Perreault can certainly help bring the most out of his teammates. He handed out 15 assists in 49 games played last season, including 10 over the final 23 games of the campaign.

There are some obstacles in deploying the 21-year-old full-time with Miller because of the defensive responsibility that comes with it; Sullivan regularly leans on Miller to match up with the opponent’s top line.

But if the head coach prefers to keep Lafreniere as his No. 1 right winger and Perreault on the left side, he is a much better fit on the second line than Dorofeyev is because of his playmaking ability. Pairing two shooters such as Dorofeyev and Bjorkstrand together could put too much pressure on Miller and Durzi as the only consistent puck movers on the ice.