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Canadiens lock up newly acquired forward to 1-year contract
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- Canadiens lock up newly acquired forward to 1-year contract
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The Montreal Canadiens continued taking care of offseason business on Thursday, signing Brett Berard to a one-year, two-way contract after acquiring him from the New York Rangers for prospect William Trudeau earlier this summer, the team announced.
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Entering the offseason as a restricted free agent, he was tendered a qualifying offer by the Habs, and has now agreed to spend at least a full year with the team.
The 24-year-old will make $975,000 in 2026-27 at the NHL level and $175,000 in the AHL, ensuring he'll remain under contract as he looks to carve out a full-time NHL role in Quebec.
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Berard has yet to establish himself as an everyday NHL player; he has already appeared in parts of two NHL seasons with the Rangers, chipping in 10 points in 35 games in 2024-25 and playing another 13 games with New York in 2025-26, failing to record a point.
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Originally selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the East Greenwich, Rhode Island native has steadily developed through the American Hockey League.
Last season, Berard recorded 22 points in 41 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, and he had 23 in 30 the year before. Despite standing just 5-foot-9, he plays with plenty of pace and physicality, traits that have helped him exceed expectations throughout his professional career.
The Canadiens have placed a significant emphasis on building organizational depth over the last couple of years, and Berard fits that philosophy well. He brings versatility, penalty-killing ability and relentless energy to an already hard-working forward group.
With training camp still months away, there will be plenty of competition for bottom-six roster spots. Berard will battle several young forwards for NHL ice time, but signing this contract gives him an opportunity to prove he belongs on Montreal's opening-night roster.
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The Canadiens took a major step forward in 2025-26, winning 48 games, finishing third in the Atlantic Division and advancing to the Eastern Conference Final after back-to-back Game 7 victories over Tampa Bay and Buffalo.
Although it ended in disappointment — a five-game loss to the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes — the Habs have established themselves as legitimate contenders.
Berard will hope to be part of that quest on opening night, and although he isn't Montreal's biggest move of the offseason, general manager Kent Hughes continues looking for ways to strengthen the roster heading into 2026-27.
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