Canadiens scratch top trade chip; could a trade be imminent?
With the deadline now less than a week away, the Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Ben Chiarot is sitting as a healthy scratch tonight against the Arizona Coyotes.
Head coach Martin St. Louis confirmed the news saying it was a management decision.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/canadiens-ben-chiarot-to-be-scratched-vs-coyotes-ahead-of-trade-deadline/
If you have seen any trade lists the last month or so I can guarantee you Ben Chiarot's name has been on it. A capable top-4 defenseman who can handle 20 + minutes a night.
Chiarot is a pending UFA this summer and carries a cap hit of $3.5 million. There is no shortage of teams rumored to be interested in Chiarot's services. According to various reports, St. Louis, Calgary, Toronto, Los Angeles, Florida, NY Rangers and Boston Bruins all have varying levels of interest.
The 30-year-old blueliner is your prototypical nasty playoff defenseman, so it is not a matter of if Chiarot is moved, it's when.
| POLL | ||
Is Ben Chiarot getting traded to a Eastern or Western Conference Team? | ||
| East | 31 | 37.3 % |
| West | 52 | 62.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
