Rangers return Brett Berard to AHL Hartford, recall Bo Groulx
In a bit of a surprising move, rookie Brett Berard was not on the New York Rangers flight to Las Vegas on Friday – the popular rookie was reassigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League and replaced on the roster by center Bo Groulx, who was recalled from Hartford.
Berard had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 19 games after he was recalled by the Rangers right before Thanksgiving. The versatile forward played up and down the lineup, bringing speed, energy and some offensive production to a Rangers team lacking in each of those areas during its worst slump in years.
Most recently, Berard’s been locked in on the third line, first with Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle, and last game with Jonny Brodzinski and newcomer Arthur Kaliyev. Though scoreless in only 7:39 TOI in a 3-2 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Berard had four points (one goal, three assists) in his past six games with the Rangers.
“He plays 100 miles an hour out there.” Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider said after a recent win against the Boston Bruins. “He’s skating hard, he’s physical, he’s taking things to the net. Guys love the way he plays.”
There could be several reasons for the Rangers to send Berard back to the minors. He has struggled on the defensive side of the puck, a minus-9 in the NHL. Or perhaps the Rangers wish to give Matt Rempe a run on the fourth line and will bump Jimmy Vesey up to the third line after the veteran was scratched in favor of Rempe against the Devils.
With Chytil out with an upper-body injury, though reportedly on the trip out west, the Rangers simply may want an extra center on the roster, now that Brodzinski has moved from an extra forward into the lineup. It’s expected that Groulx will be that extra forward, unless there’s another injury we don’t know about.
This could also mean that Chris Kreider is close to coming off IR. He’s missed three games with an upper-body injury. His return on the trip means a forward must be bumped from the lineup, and the Rangers recently just added Arthur Kaliyev (claimed off waivers Monday, played against Devils), another wing, making Berard a bit more expendable at the moment.
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Brett Berard impressed during first NHL stint with Rangers
Though Berard is back in Hartford, he made a solid first impression with the Rangers. The 22-year-old picked up an assist on a Cuylle goal in his NHL debut against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 25. Two nights later, he scored his first NHL goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. He also had a two-point game (two assists) in a 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks last Sunday.
Coach Peter Laviolette praised Berard each chance he could, and the Garden Faithful embraced the energetic 5-foot-9 forward for his nonstop effort. In short, Berard will be back on Broadway at some point.
Back in Hartford, Berard will assume a top-six role and be reunited on the top power play with key prospect Brennan Othmann. Berard led Hartford as a rookie pro with 25 goals last season and has seven goals and 13 points in 16 AHL games this season.
Groulx, who signed as free agent with the Rangers this past offseason, has 65 games of NHL experience with the Anaheim Ducks, who selected him in the second round (No. 54 overall) of the 2018 draft. Last season, Groulx had two assists in 45 games with the Ducks, and has one NHL goal to his credit.
The 24-year-old center brings size (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) and strong two-way play. In a top-six role with Hartford, Groulx is tied with Alex Belzile for the Hartford lead with 11 goals and his 29 points in 32 games is second on the team.
In New York, he’s likely the extra forward and, should he enter the lineup, it would be in a bottom-six role.
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