The New York Rangers have a dilemma. Strong preseason performances from Noah Laba and Gabe Perreault have resulted in questions about the opening-night roster. Their top six will almost certainly include Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafrenière.
The third-line center role is a natural fit for Laba. Perreault, however, is a different case. He projects as a top-six forward, and to develop into that role, he’ll need a real opportunity with power-play minutes. But, as we noted, the top six are already set, and most are on long-term deals.
Miller and Zibanejad are signed through 2029–30, Trocheck through 2028–29, and Lafrenière through 2031–32. Cuylle, on a short-term bridge deal, has earned his spot. Panarin is in the last year of his contract, but given his production, he’s nearly impossible to replace and will be a priority to re-sign.
That leaves no entry point for Perreault to crack the lineup, putting the Rangers in a familiar position – boxed in by their contracts and struggling to give a top prospect the minutes he needs to grow into the player they drafted him to be.
Rangers Have No Room at the Top
The Rangers’ top six isn’t just set for this season, it’s essentially set until the end of the decade. Zibanejad has a full no-movement clause until the last year of his deal, when seven days before the trade deadline, it converts into a modified no-trade deal with a 21-team list. Miller also has full protection until July 1, 2027, when he can submit a 15-team no-trade list. Trocheck’s deal comes with a sliding set of protections, a 12-team no-trade list in 2025–26, a 10-team list in 2026–27, and a six-team list in the final two years. Lafrenière has an eight-team no-trade clause for the duration of his contract.
Panarin is entering the last year of his deal and carries a full no-movement clause, although moving him is not something the Rangers should consider unless he makes it clear that he will not re-sign. Cuylle is on a two-year bridge contract with no protections at all, but that’s only because restricted free-agent contracts aren’t eligible for trade clauses. He’s already proven he belongs in the top six. He was one of the Rangers’ best forwards last season, and once his deal expires, he will likely be signed to a long-term extension.
With that level of contractual protection across the board, aside from Cuylle, who’s earned his spot, the Rangers’ top six has no room for Perreault.
Lessons to Be Learned From Lafrenière
Early in his career, Lafrenière was kept out of the top six because Chris Kreider and Panarin held the two left-wing spots. Former head coach Gerard Gallant compounded the issue by refusing to play him on his off wing, effectively pinning the first-overall pick to a third-line role.
Related: Rangers’ Laba, Perreault, and Berard Deserve Spots on Opening Night Roster
The result was predictable; Lafrenière’s development stalled. He showed flashes of his skill, but without consistent top-six minutes, he was not given the time to develop and be successful early. It wasn’t until he finally saw time in the top six two seasons ago that he broke out and started to look like the player the Rangers drafted.
That’s the danger for Perreault. Like Lafrenière, he projects as a top-six forward, not a depth scorer or a checking forward. But if the Rangers box him out of the lineup with no real opportunity to grow into his role, they risk stunting his development the same way. The blueprint for success is obvious: prospects need ice time in the roles they are expected to play long term. The Rangers can’t afford to make the same mistake with Perreault.
Rangers Cap Hits Shouldn’t Dictate Ice Time
Signed through 2029-30 at $8.5 million per year, Zibanejad is not going anywhere, but his production has dipped in the last two seasons. Since the team acquired Miller last season, the Rangers have been using him to try to rejuvenate Zibanejad by playing him on Miller’s wing. That’s not necessarily about fit or performance. It’s about the investment.
At some point, his deal will have to be considered a sunk cost. The money is going out no matter what, and forcing Zibanejad into a top role simply because of his cap hit is blocking younger players like Perreault from growing into the spots they were drafted to fill. A better approach would be to let Zibanejad settle into a third-line center role while Perreault, on his entry-level deal with a $941,667 cap hit, gets a real opportunity in the top six alongside Miller.
A first-line right wing at $941,667 and a third-line center at $8.5 million might seem upside down, but the roster balance works. From a development standpoint, the rookie gets the runway to grow into his intended role, while the veteran provides depth and stability lower in the lineup. From a competitive standpoint, almost every team in the league would love to ice a third-line center at under a million dollars, even if the reality is that number belongs to the winger on the top line.
There’s another benefit here. Moving Zibanejad to 3C would give the Rangers real depth down the middle. Brett Berard and Laba could slot in on his wings, gaining confidence by playing with a proven center who still brings defensive responsibility – one part of his game that hasn’t slipped. Instead of bending the lineup around a contract, the Rangers can use it to their advantage, creating space for Perreault at the top while strengthening the spine of the roster.
Perreault Needs Top-Six Time
The central point is that Perreault should be getting top-six minutes. It’s the only way he can grow into the player the Rangers need him to become. Playing him in a depth role risks slowing his development and repeating the same mistakes fans have already seen.
From a roster standpoint, this kind of move is what keeps contenders competitive. When a team can transition a younger, cheaper player into a prime role, it stretches the window by offsetting expensive contracts elsewhere on the roster. Perreault is exactly the type of cost-controlled talent who allows the Rangers to stay flexible while still chasing a Cup.
Rangers Must Balance Today and Tomorrow
The Rangers’ cap sheet has left them with a virtually unmovable top six. That stability can be an asset, but it also creates the same problem the organization has faced for years – young players are prevented from developing into the roles they were meant to play. Lafrenière only broke through once he was finally trusted with consistent top-six minutes. Perreault needs that chance now.
The reality is simple. Contracts can’t dictate the lineup forever. Veterans will always have their place, but the Rangers’ future depends on giving their top prospect the runway to develop. By carving out that space, they won’t just accelerate Perreault’s growth; they’ll also build the kind of roster balance that keeps teams competitive year after year.
