What Brett Berard recall from AHL Hartford means for Rangers
The New York Rangers were busy Sunday even though they weren’t on the ice. The Rangers recalled forward Brett Berard from Hartford of the American Hockey League and assigned defensemen Victor Mancini and Chad Ruhwedel to Hartford.
The moves come after the Rangers lost the finale of a four-game road trip, 6-2 to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Sunday was an off day and the Rangers return to action when they host the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
There’s a chance that Berard could make his NHL debut in that game. The 22-year-old forward leads the Wolf Pack with seven goals, two power-play goals and 13 points in 16 games. He also has one short-handed goal this season and had a three-game point streak (four points; one goal, three assists) at the time of his recall.
Berard was among the final cuts in Rangers training camp and had a three-game goal streak to begin the AHL season. He scored five goals in his first five games before cooling off. He has two goals in 11 games since, including one in a 4-2 loss to Springfield on Saturday.
The 5-foot-9 wing led the Wolf Pack with 25 goals as a rookie pro last season. But he’s more than a goal scorer. Berard can play in any situation — including both specialty teams — and brings plenty of speed and a high compete level.
Mancini has four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 games with the Rangers this season. The 22-year-old defensemen was minus-3 against the Oilers after he was recalled from Hartford on Friday. Ruhwedel, who’s played just one game with the Rangers this season, was bypassed by coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday, when the rookie Mancini was inserted into the lineup instead to replace the injured Zac Jones.
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What Brett Berard recall means for Rangers
With these three moves, the Rangers reduced their active roster to 22 players, consisting of 14 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies. That likely means Jones, who sat out Saturday with an upper-body injury, is good to go against the Blues on Monday since the Rangers don’t have an extra defenseman to replace him.
Filip Chytil is counted among the 14 forwards. The 25-year-old center missed his fourth straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. He rejoined the Rangers halfway through their road trip after a specialist in New York determined Chytil didn’t sustain a concussion against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 14. Chytil flew out to Calgary and skated twice after morning skates on the trip.
It’s not known when Chytil will return to the Rangers lineup. Jonny Brodzinski’s played four straight games centering the third line with Chytil sidelined. However, Laviolette has used Kaapo Kakko some in the middle of that line with wing Will Cuylle the past two games, moving him over from right wing.
Perhaps, the plan is to scratch Brodzinski on Monday, move Kakko to center and then slot Berard on right wing of that third line. Or Berard could play on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom, with Jimmy Vesey moving up to third line right wing.
There also could be another injury or illness we’re not aware of, necessitating Berard’s recall, similar to why Mancini was called up Friday. But it’d appear Berard has been added to the roster in order to play against the Blues, not to serve as a healthy scratch.
That’s especially so with Laviolette possibly looking to shake things up some after some dreadful play the past two games and an extended stretch of mediocre play the past several weeks.
Answers should come Monday at the morning skate.
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