The Rangers got their draft day started with a prospect swap.
Pending restricted free agent Brett Berard was traded to Montreal in exchange for defenseman William Trudeau on Friday, according to a source.
Trudeau, 23, is a 2021 fourth-round pick who spent the last four seasons in the American Hockey League. The left-handed blueliner has yet to make his NHL debut.
A fifth-round pick in 2020 (134th overall) under the Jeff Gorton regime, Berard appeared in 48 games for the Rangers over the last two seasons. Despite an encouraging 2024-25 campaign, in which he posted six goals and 10 points in 35 games with the Rangers, Berard didn’t do much with his opportunities this past season.
The 23-year-old, the final cut of training camp, went scoreless through 13 contests.
Montreal drafted Trudeau 113th overall out of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, where the young Canadian collected 90 points (20 goals, 70 assists) over three seasons with the Charlottetown Islanders.
The Rangers are pleased with the forward prospects who emerged as options despite the lost 2025-26 season.
Berard had fallen down the depth chart amid strong showings from Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora.