Brett Berard should be in the mix for the Rangers' bottom six
He may not have the pedigree of Othmann or Perreault, but Brett Berard may be the prospect that can help the Rangers the most this season.
With preseason hockey starting up in the next couple weeks, the question of what the Rangers’ opening-night roster will look like is becoming more salient. Since the acquisition of Reilly Smith seems to have (temporarily) settled the question of who will start the season on Mika Zibanejad’s right wing, the make-up of Peter Laviolette's bottom six will be the key roster decision to monitor.
Will Cuylle and Jimmy Vesey are the only locks to be in the lineup, with Filip Chytil (healthy?) and Kaapo Kakko (trade?) likely to join them. That leaves Matt Rempe, Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom, Brennan Othmann, Jonny Brodzinski, and Brett Berard to vie for the remaining roster spots. While they all have convincing arguments to make the roster, I am firmly behind Berard being near the top of the list.
I admit that Berard is the underdog in this scenario and maybe the last guy fans will consider. He is the only player who has not skated in an NHL game, is listed as just 5’9” and 165 pounds, and was a fifth-round draft pick four years ago out of Providence. However, he offers a combination of grit, speed, and skill that was sorely lacking in the bottom six last season.
The soon-to-be 21-year-old posted a team-high 25G and finished third with 48P in 71 games in his first full season with Hartford in the American Hockey League. He also notched one goal and six points in 10 playoff games. The numbers may not be jaw-dropping, but they're only part of the story when it comes to Berard’s case to make Laviolette’s squad.
Despite his unheralded status, Berard was fifth among all AHL rookies in scoring (Othmann was fourth) and was the only player in the top five who was not a top-50 draft pick. He can play on both special teams units, potting nine powerplay goals and two shorthanded goals. He is also not afraid to get his hands dirty and go to the tough areas. He drives to the net hard and is more than willing to mix it up in along the corner boards. After last season where the bottom six struggled to produce, Berard would make the group far more dynamic.
Let’s review just how shallow the Rangers’ bottom six was last year. Vesey, Cuylle, and Kakko each scored 13 goals, but none of them topped 26 points. After them, Barclay Goodrow, Nick Bonino, Alex Wennberg, Tyler Pitlick, Edstrom, Rempe, and Brodzinski combined for 16 goals in 263 total games played between them. That is hilariously inept. Berard is a more dangerous offensive weapon than anyone on that list and is willing to play their gritty style.
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As for his competition, Rempe averaged 5:39 TOI last season, Edstrom is still extremely raw, Brodzinski has a low offensive ceiling as this point of his career, Carrick’s career high in points is 19, and Othmann scored over half his points last season on the powerplay. While it is hard to argue for Othmann to not get a legit NHL shot this year, Berard may be better suited to what this Rangers team needs: someone who can consistently put pressure on opposing teams at even strength.
In spite of his positive traits, I doubt that Berard will make the opening night roster. My prediction as of now is that Carrick, Rempe, and Othmann will be the final three forwards. However, that does not mean Berard should be written off. He is a proven player at every level and is knocking on the door of the Show after just one year in the minors. Even if he is not in the NHL to start the season, he should be the first guy called up if there is an injury or someone struggles to perform. Brett Berard could be the next fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. All he needs is a chance.