The New York Rangers have been on the outside of the playoff picture for some time now. Add in a potential concussion to captain JT Miller in the dying moments of a close game against Columbus, and there seems to be nothing left to do but look for silver linings on Broadway.
Two of them have arrived following the trade deadline, which saw limited action for the Rangers outside of dealing fourth line folk hero Sam Carrick to the scorching hot Sabres in Western New York. Alexis Lafrenière and top prospect Gabe Perreault have kicked off the month of March with a hot streak of their own on a new line with Mika Zibanejad, who historically dominates March in his own right.
Mike Sullivan seemingly can’t find enough ice for the trio, I’m certain he’d like leave them out for the entire game the way they’re playing right now. In the 5 games so far this month:
Lafrenière has 5 goals (including last night’s hat trick) and 4 assists for 9 points,
Perreault has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points,
Zibanejad has 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points, and continues to own the Philadelphia Flyers.
Zibanejad in particular has completely flipped the script in regard to his play. Mika wore the horns for a good chunk of last season, but his production this year has been consistent and undeniable. His 61 points in 63 games on a team that has struggled to find the back of the net the entire campaign is more than noteworthy, and Mika has really seemed to embrace his role as a leader of the group. The longest tenured Ranger has been a great mentor for Perreault, who had glowing remarks about Mika’s leadership.
Perreault might be having a coming out party of his own. He looks unafraid to make a play with the puck and unwilling to back down from the dirty areas. He’s been popping seam passes through the slot from the side of the net, creative on zone entries, and he’s been shooting with no hesitation when a shot is there.
Brian Boyle raved about Perreault’s talent on the broadcast, and said something along the lines of, “If he figures this league out, he’s going to be a problem. He can do things with the puck that not many guys can do, I saw it when he was with Boston University.”
Ducks star forward and World Junior teammate Cutter Gauthier had similar sentiments about Perreault’s game.
For what it’s worth, he also followed John Pork on twitter.
Him and Laf, both being born in Québec, have been speaking some French to each other, but they have been excluding Zibanejad from their conversation.
Something that has been a topic of discourse online is Lafrenière flourishing in the absence of Panarin, and while there may be a correlation, I wouldn’t say the causation is what some people have been making it out to be. I want everyone to understand that there is no way that not playing with Artemi Panarin, one of the premier wingers of this generation, is inherently beneficial to a Laf’s game. We all watched the Panarin Trocheck Lafrenière line in 2024, Lafrenière was able to play with Panarin.
Laf has been getting more touches in all situations as a result of Panarin’s absence, including top power play unit touches, and all that seems to have done is build his confidence, similarly to Perreault, and he’s finding ways to make plays that he doesn’t always make. Bigger sample size, more success. Simple math.
Another name that was almost removed from the equation at the trade deadline was Vincent Trocheck, who was healthy scratched for roster management purposes for the two games ahead of the deadline, but remained on the team when the dust settled. Opinions on Drury’s ask differ, he wanted a first round pick, a roster player, and a prospect. It might be a lot, but it didn’t keep teams from calling about Trocheck until the deadline had come and gone. I don’t think that’s totally unreasonable in a world where teams are desperate for help down the middle. I’d be interested to hear some of the actual offers that came through the wire, and this does feel like a missed opportunity to cash in on an asset that most likely only loses value as time passes.
I’m not angry that Trocheck will remain with the team for the rest of the season, and he’s looked great so far this month too. In a forward core that’s painfully top heavy, the big guns have been showing up in March, and Trocheck and Zibanejad are leading this young group to some much needed success. The vibes were getting very, very dark for a minute there. They may be playing themselves out of a chance at McKenna, but they’ll still have at least a top 10 pick. If someone can upset Carolina in the first round after they had an oddly quiet deadline, the Rangers would have another pick somewhere around 20th overall. Maybe we say goodbye to Trocheck or Schneider at the draft and bring in another pick. It’s not an awful start to a “retool.”
I was very sad to hear about the passing of Taylor Raddysh’s father, Dwayne, and my thoughts are with him, his brother Darren, and their entire family as they go through this difficult time. It’s something we should all take as a reminder to tell our loved ones we love them while we can, and to enjoy every moment we can, and it’s also a reminder of how the hockey community comes together to support each other and why we all love this game.
Enjoy the rest of the season. March is here, things are thawing out in the Northeast. It’s been a brutal winter, especially for Rangers fans, but things are rounding the corner. Warmer weather, sun shine, and playoff hockey will all be here before you know it. I’m excited to see what the Ducks can do in the playoffs with some former Rangers in the fold, and I’d love to see Mats Zuccarello get a shot at a ring with Minnesota. I wouldn’t even mind seeing the Sabres go on a run after all these years. Who do you want to see Lift the cup this summer? Leave me a comment or leave it in the replies to this post on X.