Is Ben Chiarot the missing piece of Florida’s Stanley Cup puzzle?

The Trade

Wednesday saw a flurry of activity on the NHL trade market. The day started with Florida flipping left winger Frank Vatrano to the New York Rangers for a fourth-round pick in the 2022 Draft (it will be the lower of the Rangers’ own pick, and the second-rounder they acquired from the Winnipeg Jets). Later in the day, Florida moved that same pick, along with a first-rounder in the 2023 Draft and prospect forward Ty Smilanic, to Montreal for defenseman Ben Chiarot, with Montreal retaining 50% of Chiarot’s contract.

How did each team make out in the Chiarot deal?

Florida Panthers analysis

The Panthers’ biggest weakness was depth on their blueline, so getting Chiarot off the board was important for their Stanley Cup aspirations. They beat out a lot of interested parties in the Chiarot sweepstakes. Chiarot is big, physical and can play both sides. He has been a bright spot in a bleak Montreal season, continuing his strong play from last year when he was mostly paired with Shea Weber during the Canadiens’ run to the Final. He instantly makes Florida’s D better, and opposing players won’t have much fun trying to contend with the size and strength of a group that includes Aaron Ekblad, MacKenzie Weegar, Radko Gudas and now Chiarot. Since the fourth-round round pick came in for Vatrano and then got moved out, you might sum up the day as the Cats giving up a first, Smilanic and Vatrano for Chiarot, so that’s a very steep price. That being said, it’s a smart reallocation of cap space and assets to fill the biggest void on a team with a very good chance to win. The fact that Montreal retained half Chiarot’s money and the Rangers took all Vatrano’s money means the Panthers may still have the ability to add another piece up front, so all in all a very good set of moves by Florida despite the price tag.

Gear’s Grade:  B+

Montreal Canadiens analysis

Montreal: Getting a first-round pick for Chiarot would have been a good get for the Habs in and of itself. Getting a first-rounder, Smilanic and a fourth-rounder is a windfall. Smilanic is a speedy forward who can play center or wing and who experts (like Daily Faceoff’s Chris Peters) suggest still has a lot of upside after a bit of a down year at Quinnipiac University. Chiarot is not the type of player that would generally fetch that sort of return, but the stiff competition for his rental services combined with the Habs’ ability to retain salary to facilitate the transaction led to a really strong haul. After moving Tyler Toffoli and now Chiarot, the Canadiens have 13 picks in the 2022 NHL Draft and nine picks in the 2023 NHL Draft (including two first-rounders in each year). That’s a lot of draft capital to accelerate a rebuild in La Belle Province.

Gear’s Grade: A