The New York Rangers are calling up two prospects from the minors, including a former first-round pick that may be on the verge of his debut for the team.
As announced Tuesday by the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers have recalled forwards Brendan Brisson and Brett Berard. The intriguing one is Brisson, who was originally drafted 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. Brisson eventually came over to the Rangers as part of the 2025 trade that sent Reilly Smith to Vegas.
Brisson, 24, made his NHL debut for the Golden Knights in the 2023-24 season. He struggled in his brief time with them in 2024-25, when he went scoreless with a minus-3 rating in nine games. The Rangers represent a fresh opportunity for Brisson to crack an NHL lineup and make the kind of impact promised by his status as a first-round pick, after he faced an uphill battle to get ice time for a deep Vegas squad.
The Rangers have also recalled forward Brett Berard, a former fifth-round pick of the team, also in 2020. Berard has played 48 games in a bottom-six fill-in role for New York over the past two seasons.
As the Rangers get set to return from the Olympic break with mere days to go until the March 5 trade deadline, it’ll be interesting to see who else could be headed out the door. That could open up a fresh opportunity for Brisson, currently signed to a one-year, two-way contract, to prove himself as a potential long-term piece in New York. He’s on track to become a restricted free agent after this season.