Pleasant Surprises
Brett Berard, LW, United States (New York Rangers)
Berard was excellent when I saw him in the first half of 2019-20, showing a lot of skill and energy. He then faded in the second half, leading to him being a mid-round pick. When he was first added to the USA roster I thought there could have been better options, but he quickly showed he was the right choice. Berard brought a lot of speed and hustle to his shifts to go along with some offense. He looks like a nice fifth-round pick with a solid chance to play at the bottom of an NHL lineup.