Canadiens Sign RFA Forward Brett Berard

The Canadiens acquired Berard on June 26th in a minor-league trade that sent defenseman William Trudeau to the New York Rangers. He was originally a 5th-round pick taken 134th overall by the Rangers back in 2020 and has been primarily playing with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, over the past three years.

However, Berard has gotten his fair share of NHL time with the Rangers, having played 48 games total over the past two seasons. He played 35 games during the 2024-25 season, where he scored 6 goals and 10 points in a depth role. This past season, he got into 13 games with the Rangers but was held off the scoresheet.

Overall his 2025-26 campaign saw Berard’s play take a significant dip. In his first two full pro seasons, Berard showed that he was a very good point producer in the AHL, putting up 25 goals and 48 points in 71 games during his rookie season with the Wolf Pack. Followed by 9 goals and 23 points in 30 games in 2024-25, as he split time with the Wolf Pack and Rangers. Unfortunately this past season, much like with his sample with the Rangers, Berard left more to be desired with the Wolf Pack, scoring just 6 goals and 22 points in 41 games.

With that being said, the trade to the Canadiens organization gives Berard a change of scenery in hopes that he can regain the momentum at the AHL level that he had in his first two pro seasons. While Berard is on a two-way contract, it is highly unlikely that he makes the Canadiens out of training camp with the current logjam for the team at forward.

Not to mention, at 5’9″ and 174 lbs, Berard’s small stature isn’t ideal for being an everyday bottom-six forward in thr NHL. Although, there is the possibility that he could end up as the team’s 13th forward if he has a good camp and returns to his form from the 2024-25 season. 

In reality, Berard will fit better in a top-six role with the Laval Rocket, especially considering the Canadiens also traded RFA forward Joshua Roy to the Utah Mammoth on June 29th. Berard’s history with the Wolf Pack makes him a good replacement for the offence that Roy gave the Rocket over the last three years.