Rangers Weigh Perreault’s Future After Leonard Deal | New York Rangers News

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On September 15th, so, Ryan Leonard, who was playing with Gabe Perreault at Boston College, just signed an eight-year deal worth 84 million dollars with the capitals. This happened right before a deadline where players can sign these long-term extensions with their current teams. After this deadline, the maximum length for such a deal drops to seven years. This move by Washington puts the Rangers in a tough spot with Perreault. He's a young forward taken in the first round of the same draft as Leonard.

While Leonard had a solid rookie year with the caps, Perreault spent some time in the minors before joining the Rangers in putting up decent numbers in his limited games.

Now, the question is whether the Rangers should try to lock Perreault up long-term, similar to Leonard's deal or wait. Waiting means he could become a restricted free agent next summer. There are arguments for both sides, considering Perreault's potential, but also his limited NHL experience in some areas he needs to improve, like his size and speed. According to reports, there haven't been any contract talks between the Rangers and Perreault yet. But with other players getting big deals, like Drake Batherson in Ottawa, it signals that teams might be rushing to secure their young talent before. The cap goes up. The Rangers have to weigh the risk of paying more later against the benefit of securing a potential star now.

Ultimately, with Perreault not eligible for an offer she next summer, the pressure is off the Rangers to make a deal immediately.

It might be smarter for both sides to see how he performs over a full NHL season before committing to a long-term contract, even if it means, potentially paying more down the line. This has been New York Rangers News Today, powered by AI.