Flames have trade interest in Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot: report
The Calgary Flames are apparently looking to bolster the blue line.Ā
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest 32 Thoughts column, the Flames, Florida Panthers, and St. Louis Blues have all be linked to Montreal Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot.Ā
32 Thoughts, the written version: https://t.co/GIl1CFX76Q
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 26, 2022
Chiarot, 30, has eight points (five goals, three assists) and a team-worst minus-19 rating in 38 games with the Canadiens this season. He leads the team in ice time, averaging 23:20 per game.Ā The 6-foot-3 defenceman is 45th in the league with 88 hits, and 37th with 66 blocked shots.
The left-shot blueliner averaged 25:15 of ice time per game with 88 hits and 48 blocked shots in 22 games to help Montreal to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Chiarot has 100 points (27 goals, 73 assists) in 453 career NHL games with the Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets. He is a pending unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and carries a cap hit of $3.5 million — making him expendable for a Canadiens team at the bottom of the NHL standings that needs to rebuild.
The Flames are currently carrying seven defencemen on the roster, including three left-shot rearguards — Noah Hanifin, Oliver Kylington, and Nikita Zadorov. Calgary also has left-shot defence prospects Juuso Valimaki and Connor Mackey currently playing with the Stockton Heat of the American Hockey League.
Chiarot isn’t the only player linked to the Flames in recent days.
Calgary has also been linked to Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller, with the asking price involving a first-round pick and a top prospect.
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