Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens have made a trade to improve their AHL depth on Friday, sending defenceman William Trudeau to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Brett Berard.
However, shaking things up in the AHL is far from the only thing on the menu for the Habs. More on that later.
Berard, 23, is a restricted free agent who may only stand at 5’9″, but plays a very physical brand of hockey. He possesses excellent skating, and has a high-end motor that seemingly never runs out of gas. Originally picked 134th overall by the Rangers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Berard has played 48 games in the NHL< scoring six goals and 10 assists.
He’s spent the majority of his professional career in the AHL, where he’s scored 40 goals and 53 assists in 145 games.
If the Canadiens do extend Berard, a potential call-up down the road is not out of the question, but the left wing will have to prove his worth to the organization with the Laval Rocket before giving him a legitimate chance to earn a roster spot in the NHL.
Big Game Hunting
Fans expecting a significant upgrade may be disappointed in smaller deals, but the fact remains the organization still has to ice a talented AHL lineup, while also focusing on top-end talent in the NHL.
And that’s precisely what the Canadiens are attempting to do, calling most clubs whenever a big name is added to the NHL’s trade market. Unfortunately, it’s clearly a seller’s market, which is complicating matters further.
General manager Kent Hughes needs to find a player who can immediately move the needle in the NHL, which is already a challenge, since most of his counterparts are shopping for the same type of impact skater.
Nevertheless, the Habs have been quite active when performing due diligence, the first step to making a trade in the NHL.
Whether it’s Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets), Bo Horvat (New York Islanders), or Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers), you can be certain that Hughes and Company have already established what it would take to bring them to Montreal.
It’s also been reported that the Canadiens approached the Islanders regarding a potential deal involving Matthew Barzal.
This may not come as much solace to fans who want to see the Canadiens acquire yet another star player heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, as the team did when they traded for Noah Dobson last season, but a little patience is in order.
Hunting may seem easy, especially to those who have never had an opportunity to try.
But it takes a lot of planning, a heavy dose of patience, the perfect environment, and a dash of luck.
They haven’t put their hands on a twelve-point buck, yet, but at the very least, the Montreal Canadiens are out in the field, which is the only way to ensure a successful hunt. Meanwhile, they will have to fill the fridge with smaller targets.
Pierre LeBrun: Re Canadiens: They’re monitoring Vincent Trocheck; they’ve called the Islanders on Bo Horvat, and the answer was no; they’ve called Columbus on Kirill Marchenko and also got a fat no – Insider Trading (6/25)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 26, 2026
