Hockey Insider says the Leafs could have interest in bringing in big Habs defender
Ben Chiarot is a player who has been involved in trade rumors for quite a while now. The 30-year-old defenseman from the Montreal Canadiens was recently linked to the Maple Leafs as a possible deadline target by TSN's Darren Dreger.
Although the trade deadline is still 2 months away, the Habs could decide to part ways with him due to the fact that they are pretty much out of playoff contention already. We normally don't see rivals like these two teams make a trade like this one, but the Canadiens are in such a bad place right now that they may make a deal still, if the Leafs' offer is the best one.
Chiarot is a really good player and could be a great addition for a team like the Leafs who are so close to contending. He is a very physical player that can play a key part in any defense in the league. Like every other Habs player, he has had a tough season and could certainly use a fresh start.
This rumor is not just smoke and mirrors. There have been multiple reports that the Leafs could truly be in the hunt to obtain the services of Chiarot. The sooner this deal is done, the sooner he could start to build good chemistry with his new team. There is no doubt that he would bring tremendous value to any team trying to make a deep playoff run in 2022.
When it comes to the logistics of it, Chiarot is in the last year of his contract, worth is $3,500,000. We know that the Leafs are in a very tight situation with the salary cap but it is actually feasible to make a trade, especially if there is some salary retention.
The 6"3 230 pounds defenseman has a pretty high trade value. Most GM's seem to think that teams will offer a first-round pick to make a deal for him. This shouldn't be too much of a problem for the Leafs due to the fact that they are in a win-now situation and hopefully they will have the 32nd pick in next year's draft.
