Expect a fierce fight for the third line wing spot at New York Rangers training camp

Ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season, it appears Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann are going to compete for a third-line left wing spot.

With plenty of roster adjustments already underway, it makes complete sense that the New York Rangers would be paying extra attention to that third-line winger slot on the roster because it is crucial for contributing an extra spark to the offense. Perhaps, it is for this reason that Berard has been already training heavily this offseason in order to secure the position over teammate Brennan Othmann.

Here's some predictions for how the roster battle could play out between these two 22-year-olds.

The case for Brett Berard

Berard is certainly one of the more underrated players on the Blueshirt roster from the most recent season. During his rookie season, the Rhode Island native recorded 10 points (six goals, four assists) across 35 games played.

The former fifth-rounder (who went into the year ranked as the Rangers' No. 4 prospect by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler) was very impressive after taking his rookie lap and provided a nice spark to the Rangers with his energy in a year where the Blueshirts were severely lacking across multiple aspects of the ice.

Berard's production rate for 5-on-5 play was certainly more than decent. Standing at 5'9" and weighing 175 pounds, his agility and speed are also not to be overlooked according to the coaching staff. Former head coach Peter Laviolette previously said that he "helps make a line very effective" through his forechecking and puck battles.

It's also clear he's looking to keep his momentum going from his rookie season; Berard has already been seen training with Matt Rempe, Trevor Zegras, Jonathan Quick, Chris Kreider and others.

The case against Brennan Othmann

Unlike Berard, Othmann showed some positive flashes across 22 games but never quite reached his full potential he previously showed while with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.

He finished the year with two points, the first of his career, while averaging under 10:00 per game.

Though, it's worth mentioning that thing Othmann still managed to get across even in his limited time on the ice was his work ethic. He forechecked hard and never stopped chasing down the puck. He also has a little more pure skill than Berard, so him starting in a top line role for the Wolf Pack could be better for his overall development than skating in the bottom six at the NHL level.

At the end of the day Berard just delivered more than Othmann in 2024-25 and was scratched with less frequency. Unless Othmann has made some major adjustments in the offseason and comes into camp looking more polished, the battle for the third-line left wing is likely secure with Berard for next year.