Rangers Send Brett Berard to Montreal for D William Trudeau
Brett Berard is headed to Montreal, and the Rangers get a left-shot defensive defenseman in return. A quiet deal with sensible logic behind it—here's what to know about William Trudeau.
After a hectic week of trades all around the league, the New York Rangers have finally entered the chat in the form of a one-for-one hockey trade. The Blueshirt's have moved forward Brett Berard to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman William Trudeau.
We have acquired defenseman William Trudeau from Montreal in exchange for forward Brett Berard.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 26, 2026
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This is about as good a trade you could ask for given the circumstances. Both players are pending restricted free agents, 23-years-old, and former mid-round picks. As Rangers fans may know, Berard was a fifth round pick (134th overall) in 2020. With 48 career games in the NHL under his belt, Berard took a step back last season as his career total of six goals and four assists all came two seasons ago. With the surplus of wingers the Rangers find themselves with, it was clear a change of scenery was in the works.
As for the other side of this deal, Trudeau is a left-shot defenseman drafted 114th overall in the fourth round of the 2021 class. At 6-1 and 205 pounds, Trudeau spent three seasons with the Charlottesville Islanders in the QMJHL and, more recently, four seasons with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. Throughout that time, he has averaged roughly 22.5 points in four full AHL campaigns.
This is definitely a project player for the Rangers, as he has yet to make his NHL debut, but does have some intriguing qualities. He fits the description of what general manager Chris Drury set as a priority for the Rangers this off-season, as he is a defensive-minded player who can move the puck, make breakout passes, and lead the rush. While he comes with decent size, he doesn't have the tendency to play a physical game, but gives the Rangers some much needed depth on the blue line.
As mentioned, Trudeau is a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of $850,000. Last season was the first year off his entry-level contract, carrying a cap hit of $775,000. It's reasonable to expect the Rangers are likely to either extend him that qualifying offer or perhaps sign him to a two-year deal with an AAV between $800,000-$1 million.
Either way, welcome to New York, Trudeau!
