NY Rangers' Promising Young Forward Focused on Improving This Offseason

A young forward recently made it clear what his plans are for the offseason.

Apr 13, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) celebrates with left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers have had their offseason start-up following a disappointing campaign, and they will now be working on making improvements to get back into playoff contention next year. 

It was undoubtedly a disappointing campaign for the Rangers, who finished in last place in the Eastern Conference. This was a team that did have some playoff aspirations coming into the year, but those ended rather quickly. 

Now, the team has missed the postseason for two straight years, and they are in a bit of a transitional period. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear like the team will be doing any rebuilding and is instead retooling. That certainly makes sense with some of the good things that they have in place currently, heading into the summer. 

With two first-round draft picks and a lot of cap space, there will be no shortage of options for the team. Furthermore, some of the young talent for the team emerged down the stretch as one. One of those players was their former first-round pick, Gabe Perreault, who really found his groove down the stretch. Now, he appears very focused on improving and making the most of his offseason. 

Perreault Focused on Improving This Summer

#NYR Gabe Perreault said he had conversations about going to World Championships this summer, but decided not to go.

Why?

“I think this is a big summer for me, and I want to spend more time in the gym and be able to put some more strength on.”

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 17, 2026

While being in the conversation to join the World Championships this summer is a great honor, the rookie forward for the Rangers seems focused on his team and becoming a better player. The former first-round pick was impressive down the stretch and moved up to the first line along with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere. 

Even though that is a major adjustment and a lot of pressure for a rookie, Perreault handled it well. Overall, this season, he totaled 27 points with 12 goals and 15 assists in 47 games played. 

A good chunk of that success came in the final month of the season, totaling five goals in seven games during April. As a former first-round pick, New York is certainly hoping that he can be a factor for the team going forward, and they got to see a good amount of him this year. 

With a fairly decent sample size, it’s fair to say that Perreault can be a part of the future success going forward. While a trip to the World Championships is a great honor, he clearly believes that he needs this offseason to improve in other areas. That is a great sign of maturity, and the 20-year-old appears to be a building block for the team.