The New York Rangers initiated their draft day by trading restricted free agent forward Brett Berard to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman William Trudeau, according to a source. The transaction occurred Friday.
Trudeau, 23, is a left-handed defenseman who was selected by Montreal in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has spent the last four seasons playing in the American Hockey League and has yet to make his NHL debut. Prior to his AHL career, Trudeau was drafted 113th overall out of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, where he recorded 90 points across three seasons with the Charlottetown Islanders.
Berard, a fifth-round pick by the Rangers in 2020 (134th overall), appeared in 48 games for New York over the past two seasons. Despite a promising 2024-25 campaign where he registered six goals and 10 points in 35 games, Berard did not consistently capitalize on his opportunities last season. He was the final cut from training camp and went scoreless in 13 contests. Berard had fallen down the Rangers' forward prospect depth chart due to strong performances from other emerging players, including Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar, and Adam Sykora. The Rangers organization noted satisfaction with the forward prospects who have developed within the system.