Per Kevin Weekes, it looks the Rangers are likely to trade Brett Berard. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as Berard simply hasn’t progressed the way Mike Sullivan and Chris Drury had hoped. Berard spent most of this season in the AHL, a clear step back from looking like he was NHL ready in 2024-2025. Berard played just 13 games with the Rangers this season, going scoreless in those 13 games. For comparison’s sake, Berard played 35 games last season with a line of 6-4-10.
Berard clearly took a step back, and now Jaro Chmelar and Adam Sykora have passed him on the depth chart for a bottom six role. Gabe Perreault and Noah Laba sticking also shifted players down from the top six and third line, respectively, creating two fewer spot for Berard in the bottom six.
The Rangers have a glut of bottom six forwards, so looking to trade Brett Berard shouldn’t be a surprise. The big question is what kind of value he has, and whether he’s more of a sweetener in a bigger trade or moved to recoup a draft pick or two.