Canadiens' Chiarot to be sat out of lineup ahead of trade deadline
The Montreal Canadiens have taken another step ahead of a potential Ben Chiarot trade.
The Canadiens are keeping Chiarot out of their lineup in order to avoid a potential injury ahead of the trade deadline, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Sounds like #Habs will be sitting out D Ben Chiarot tonight for asset protection ahead of a likely trade over next six days.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 15, 2022
The NHL trade deadline is set for next Monday, March 21, with the veteran Canadien defender being among the top names available this season.
“I’m guessing teams are trying to understand what the cost of Chiarot is versus another potential option, and they’re going to make their decisions,” Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said in an interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Engels last week. “Conversely, we would look and compare different options of what fits best for us.”
Chiarot has spent the last three seasons as a member of the Canadiens, after spending six seasons as part of the Winnipeg Jets. He carries a cap hit of $3.5 million, with his three-year contract expiring after this season.
Chiarot has seven goals and 11 assists for a total of 18 points in 54 games this season. He averaged 23:33 of ice time in 2021-22, the most among any Canadiens defenceman this season.
Montreal has three games ahead of the trade deadline, beginning with a match against the Arizona Coyotes tonight at 7 pm ET.
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