NHL Rumors: Canadiens Defenseman Finished in Montreal

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St Louis called it 'management's decision' with the news of defenseman Ben Chariot being a healthy scratch for Tuesday night's contest against the Arizona Coyotes.

Smart decision. You don't want to risk injury at this stage. Trade talks have escalated on Chiarot the last few days... https://t.co/tgNOkaiuni

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 15, 2022

A trade could happen any minute as Chiarot's played his last game this season for the Canadiens. The team continues to discuss deals with the Calgary Flames, St Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers among others. Word is the Habs want a first-round pick and an elite prospect as their return.

A steep asking price for a stay-at-home defenseman who only has 18 points in 54 games so far this season. The 30-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent who makes $3.5 million against the cap. Chiarot holds no-trade protection as he submitted a list of 10 teams to Canadiens management who he would like to avoid.

Maybe there's another couple teams out there...
I've said since Day 1 the team that should be most interested is the Toronto Maple Leafs. But it's hard for me to say whether or not they see it the same way. I don't think he's the top name on their board, but I think he should be.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) March 15, 2022

Look for a deal to be announced in the next 48 hours and the sweepstakes aren't expected to go right down to the wire on Monday. Expect teams to submit their final offers tonight as the Canadiens are doing their part to ensure whoever acquires Chiarot is getting a healthy defenseman ready for his next chapter.

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports