Latest news with #BrettBerard
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What should Rangers do with Chris Kreider? Who might Mike Sullivan name to his staff? Mailbag, part 1
NEW YORK — The Eastern Conference final begins Tuesday. A year ago, the Rangers were in it. This year, their season has been over for more than a month. With the offseason in full swing, let's dig into some mailbag questions. This is only part one of the mailbag, so don't worry if your question didn't get answered. We'll get to more in the coming days. (Editor's note: These questions have been edited for clarity and length.) Is there any concern about Adam Fox's knee moving forward? He seemed to be a step slower this past season. — Kevin S. Your question is probably rooted in Fox's two knee-on-knee collisions from the 2023-24 season: one against Carolina's Sebastian Aho in the regular season that kept him out nearly a month, then another in the playoffs from Washington's Nick Jensen. Fox played through injury after the latter, missing no games. Advertisement Those plays both happened over a year ago. On breakup day last month, Fox spoke to reporters before going through his exit medical tests, but he said he didn't expect needing any procedures over the summer. While medical updates for other players have come out since the end of the season — Brett Berard pulled out of the World Championships due to a minor injury and K'Andre Miller underwent surgery for an upper-body injury — nothing has emerged in regards to Fox. My sense is he's healthy. Fox's lack of speed is nothing new. He's never been overly reliant on his skating. Despite some of his disappointing counting stat totals this year, he still had elite underlying numbers and actually increased his even-strength point total from 2023-24. New York's floundering power play is a main reason his season numbers went down. As the quarterback of the top unit, he of course shares in the blame here. But I don't think a change in his skating was one of the group's main issues. Overall, my opinion of Fox hasn't changed much. Perhaps this season was a slight disappointment — I gave him a B- in my report card story — but I still view him as a No. 1 defenseman. New coach Mike Sullivan called him elite during his opening news conference. Of all the players on the Rangers, he's not among the ones I'm most concerned about going forward. I had another question in this mailbag (from Jf F.) asking if the Rangers would consider trading Fox. That would make no sense. He's still only 27, and his $9.5 million cap hit will age well as the cap goes up. To put some perspective on Fox's season: He averaged .82 points per game in 2024-25. That's down from his career average (.856), but the only defensemen to have averaged higher than his 2024-25 rate over the past five years (minimum 100 games played) are Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Roman Josi, Fox himself and Victor Hedman. So if this season if Fox's floor, he still keeps pretty good company. Advertisement As tough as last season was, I'd hate to see Chris Kreider go. With the cap going up substantially and a new coach, I can see him regaining at least around 25 goal form. Not to mention his penalty killing abilities. Do you see a situation where they keep Kreider and he's able to finish his career as a lifelong Ranger? If not, how do they replace what he brings to the lineup? — Erik B. There's a world in which Kreider is back for 2025-26, but it doesn't feel like the most likely outcome unless something changes. Your point about the cap going up is true, but the Rangers have already used a lot of that would-be flexibility with the addition of J.T. Miller and Carson Soucy and extensions for the likes of Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafrenière, Will Borgen, Jonathan Quick and Urho Vaakanainen, all of which will kick in next season. In short, the team is facing a cap crunch. President Chris Drury will likely have to shed salary just to fit in new contracts for the team's restricted free agents, including K'Andre Miller and Will Cuylle. Trading Kreider, who has a $6.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons, is one route to creating space. Kreider still has some agency in his situation. He has a 15-team no-trade list. If he doesn't want to leave New York, he can be strategic with his list and eliminate teams that would have the salary cap flexibility to add him. That could force Drury to either keep Kreider, put him on waivers, retain money on a trade or buy him out. If he does the latter, the Rangers would still have a $3 million cap hit for Kreider in 2025-26, then $4 million in 2026-27 and $1.5 million the two years after. It might not come to that, though. If Kreider is open to a change, his camp and the Rangers could work together to find his next team. I wouldn't expect any big-name replacements for Kreider. The Rangers won't have a ton of flexibility because of their restricted free agents even if they are able to trade him without retaining. They would perhaps have enough room to bring in a depth player or two, but it would be impossible cap-wise for them to sign one of the main free agents unless they traded another roster player with a sizable cap hit. Younger players — Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann — could also potentially get more opportunities if Kreider goes. If traded, I'd like to see Kreider fetch a second-round pick and a better-than-decent prospect. Do you think Drury would retain significant salary to make this happen? — Frank B. I've been wrong about how teams value players before — I thought New York would have to retain some of Jacob Trouba's contract to trade him, for example — but I'd temper your expectations on what a Kreider return would look like. He's coming off a career-worst season and a plethora of health issues. That's concerning for a 34-year-old player. Getting a second-round pick and a good prospect feels outlandish, even if the Rangers retain money in a deal. Advertisement Assuming no real seismic changes to the roster, does the 2025-26 team perform more like the Presidents' Trophy winner of two years ago or the team that missed the playoffs this year? — Matthew L. Probably somewhere in the middle. Sullivan should provide a boost. He's a well-regarded coach who the Rangers hope could bring long-term stability to the organiation, and the new-coach bump is often real. It certainly has been with these Rangers, who made the Eastern Conference final in the first season under both Gerard Gallant and Peter Laviolette. Based on underlying numbers, the 2023-24 team probably overperformed. There's a reason Drury sent out his trade memo in November, even though the team was 12-6-1 at the time: He didn't believe his group, largely the same as the year before, was good enough as constructed to win a championship. The 2024-25 club might never have been a great team, but with the players it had on the roster, it certainly left wins on the table. A 4-15-0 stretch is inexcusable. It's hard to see that happening again in 2025-26. The path to the playoffs might be more difficult next season, given the up-and-coming Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets both just enjoyed better seasons than the one the Rangers had. But assuming some New York players have bounce-back seasons — even slight ones — the Rangers should be capable of at least being in contention for a postseason spot. Any chance K'Andre Miller gets back to 40-45 points? — Unnamed There's certainly a chance, especially under a new coaching staff. Miller also scored at a higher rate the latter part of this past season. In his final 35 games, he had five goals and 20 points. The Rangers certainly need more from him than he showed at the start of 2023-24, but he's still only 25 and has already shown he can score more than 40 points. What are the reasons for looking to trade Artemi Panarin? If it is to clear salary, you can't replace that production at his current cost, and how many 1a wingers are available? If anything, after this past season, we need more goal scorers, not less. — Mike K. There's no indication the team is looking to move Panarin, but if they were to do so it would be to create salary cap flexibility. Panarin is also set to hit free agency after 2025-26, so if Drury does not want to pay him big money long-term, it would be a chance to recoup picks and potentially younger players that could help the team down the line. Obviously, there's more to Panarin's situation than strictly his on-ice production. The Athletic's Katie Strang reported in April that Panarin and Madison Square Garden paid settlements to a Rangers employee last year after she alleged that Panarin sexually assaulted her. Is the plan to have Mika Zibanejad back on the wing or at center? If wing, who would slot into the 3C role? — Rachel F. This is an interesting dilemma for Sullivan as he evaluates his new roster. Zibanejad mentioned liking his chemistry with J.T. Miller, so that could be a natural fit as he ages. But as you said, that opens up a question mark at third-line center. New York extended Juuso Pärssinen, but it'd be a risk to assume he can seize that role. He had five points in 11 games with New York and spent plenty of time as a healthy scratch. Advertisement In my recent free agent board, I mentioned Adam Gaudette, Christian Dvorak and Lars Eller as potential depth center options. None are perfect candidates, but the Rangers don't have much cap flexibility to work with. Who do you expect Sullivan to bring in as his assistant coaches and will either Michael Peca or Dan Muse be considered? — Torsten S. Peca and Muse, who were on Peter Laviolette's staff, both will have the opportunity to interview for jobs under Sullivan. I'd also keep an eye on Mike Vellucci. He was one of Sullivan's assistants in Pittsburgh the past five seasons. How plausible would it be for them to move on from Vincent Trocheck before it becomes a problem contract? — Michael P. Chris Drury has had a spotty track record signing free agents, but Trocheck has been one of his better ones. It's hard to see the Rangers moving on, even if Trocheck is almost 32. Trocheck's contract has a no-movement clause, but that goes to a 12-team no-trade list on July 1. He has a 10-team no-trade list in 2026-27, then a six-team list the final two years of his deal. So if he really starts slipping Drury could try to move him toward the end of his contract. Any chance that the Rangers sign Vladislav Gavrikov or Sam Bennett this summer? — Nicholas R. I wrote a bit about Gavrikov in my recent free agent board. He'd fit well on paper as a potential long-term option to pair with Fox, but it would mean clearing significant cap space. Drury would probably have to trade K'Andre Miller to make that happen, and even that still might not create enough cap room. Plus, if the Rangers did trade him it would come with major risk, given Miller is only 25 and has already shown top-four ability. It's harder to see Bennett happening. If he leaves Florida — a big if — he's in line for a major payday. The free agent market is weak and plenty of teams have cap space. I could see some startlingly large contracts this summer, and Bennett is the type of player who could receive one. What one or two players need to have the biggest bounce-back or big leap forward this season in order to have team success? — Ogie O. Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière were the first two who popped into my head. Zibanejad was better in the second half, but the Rangers need him to be that level of player — or perhaps better — for the full season. He's also part of the top power-play unit, which needed to be much better this season for the Rangers to have a chance. Lafrenière's 2024-25 season was disappointing because of what he showed in 2023-24. Him getting back to that level would be huge. New York needs the Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière line to be dominant like it was in 2023-24. (Photo of Chris Kreider: James Guillory / Imagn Images)
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Rangers' Brett Berard pulls out of IIHF World Championship
Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting member-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers. tRY IT NOW Brett Berard will not be a part of Team USA at the 2025 World Championship over the next couple weeks, after the 22-year-old Ranger had to pull out at the last minute due to some 'physical limitations.' According to a league source, Berard's agent has been in touch with the International Ice Hockey Federation and Team USA regarding his client sitting out of the international tournament for what appears to be a minor issue. Berard is expected to still be able to train this offseason, per a source. There is also no concern about his participation in training camp. The tournament, which began on Friday, is set to run through May 25 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark. Rangers forward Brett Berard has pulled out of the IIHF World Championship. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect After making his NHL debut on Nov. 25, 2024, Berard finished the 2024-25 season with six goals and four assists in his first 35 career games. He missed three games in December for an undisclosed upper-body injury. 'I feel like it was just last month I was moving into my apartment there in Hartford,' Berard said during the Rangers' break-up day on April 21. 'If you told me at the beginning of the year that I would have played 35 games in the NHL, I'd take that as if it was a dream come true. It was special to be here. It was special to be around this group of guys. Came in, right away everyone made me feel right in place.' Berard said he plans to return to the area at the beginning of June to work out with his fellow teammates, Chris Kreider, Matt Rempe and Jonathan Quick, at Prentiss Hockey Performance in Stamford.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
It's Disappointing That Alexis Lafrenière and K'Andre Miller Won't Be Playing At The World Championship
It's Disappointing That Alexis Lafrenière and K'Andre Miller Won't Be Playing At The World Championship Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images The New York Rangers have quite a few players set to play at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, but there are two notable players who will be absent. It was widely speculated that we could see both Alexis Lafrenière and K'Andre Miller representing their respective countries at the World Championship. Will Cuylle and Brett Berard Set To Play At 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship Will Cuylle and Brett Berard Set To Play At 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship On top of Mika Zibanejad, now Will Cuylle and Brett Berard are set to participate in the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They were asked about the possibility of participating in this tournament and while not specifically committing, Lafrenière and Miller seemed to be intrigued by the opportunity. However, with the tournament just two days away, there are no signs of Lafrenière and Miller playing as it appears as if they won't be joining Mika Zibanejad, Brett Berard, Will Cuylle, Juuso Parssinen, and Dylan Garand. It's unclear if either Lafrenière and Miller are dealing with any injuries, but given that they are both young and still developing, this could have been a good opportunity for them to grow and showcase their skills on an international level. They also had what many considered to be down years for their standards and with a longer offseason, playing at the World Championship was an opportunity that likely would have been worthwhile for Lafrenière and Miller.
New York Post
30-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
For Brett Berard and Will Cuylle, World Championship chance a reward
Access the Rangers beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting member-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers. tRY IT NOW Regarding the Rangers, who will be hoping for a Three Percent Solution to their draft quandary when the lottery is conducted this coming Monday, May 5: 1. Brett Berard took a substantial step last year, graduating to the NHL for 35 games in just his second pro season after taking the leap from Providence College to AHL Hartford the previous year. Advertisement Now, the 23-year-old winger has the opportunity to take another step forward after being named to Team USA for the IIHF World Championship that will be contested in Sweden starting May 9. This is a reward earned. This is ideal for both the Rhode Island native and the Rangers. After recording six goals and four assists in a limited role in which he was a constant source of energy and competitiveness, Berard will surely benefit from the company he keeps and the elevated competition.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers visit the Hurricanes after Berard's 2-goal game
New York Rangers (37-35-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (46-27-5, in the Metropolitan Division) Raleigh, North Carolina; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The New York Rangers visit the Carolina Hurricanes after Brett Berard scored two goals in the Rangers' 9-2 win against the New York Islanders. Advertisement Carolina has a 46-27-5 record overall and a 17-4-4 record in Metropolitan Division play. The Hurricanes are 22-8-1 when they commit fewer penalties than their opponent. New York is 12-12-1 against the Metropolitan Division and 37-35-7 overall. The Rangers have a -2 scoring differential, with 243 total goals scored and 245 allowed. The teams meet Saturday for the fourth time this season. The Hurricanes won the previous meeting 4-0. Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals in the win. TOP PERFORMERS: Sebastian Aho has 28 goals and 43 assists for the Hurricanes. Taylor Hall has five goals and two assists over the last 10 games. Advertisement Artemi Panarin has 37 goals and 49 assists for the Rangers. Jonny Brodzinski has scored four goals and added one assist over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 4-5-1, averaging 3.1 goals, five assists, 4.3 penalties and 13.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game. Rangers: 4-5-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.9 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed. Rangers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
