Revisiting the Canadiens’ Ben Chiarot Trade – The Hockey Writers –

When Kent Hughes took over as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in 2022, one of his first major tasks was maximizing the value of the veterans left on a team headed toward a rebuild. Few moves represented that strategy better than the Ben Chiarot trade.

At the time, Chiarot was one of the most sought-after defensemen available ahead of the trade deadline. Montreal took advantage of the market, sending him to the Florida Panthers for a package highlighted by a first-round pick.

More than four years later, we can properly evaluate what became of that return. While not every asset worked out, the Canadiens eventually turned the biggest piece of the deal into Alex Newhook, who has become an important part of Montreal’s forward group.

The Trade

On March 16, 2022, the Canadiens traded Chiarot to the Panthers in exchange for prospect Ty Smilanic, a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2022.

For Montreal, the decision was fairly straightforward. Chiarot was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, while the Canadiens were sitting near the bottom of the standings. There was little reason to keep him when contenders were willing to pay a premium for his services.

Florida was in a completely different situation. The Panthers were among the NHL’s best teams and were loading up for what they hoped would be a long Stanley Cup run. Chiarot brought size, physicality and playoff experience to their blue line, making him an attractive rental despite the significant acquisition cost.

Montreal took advantage. Getting a first-round pick for a pending unrestricted free agent was already excellent value. Adding Smilanic and another draft selection made the return even more interesting for a Canadiens organization just beginning its rebuild.

What the Return Ended Up Being

Not every piece Montreal acquired ultimately became valuable. Smilanic never developed into the prospect the Canadiens hoped he could become. His time in the organization eventually brought him to the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), where he played 31 games with the Trois-Rivières Lions. He never reached the NHL and did not become a meaningful piece of Montreal’s future.

The fourth-round selection was used to draft forward Cedrick Guindon. While Guindon gave the organization another prospect to develop, the real value of the Chiarot trade always rested with the first-round selection.

And that is where things became much more interesting. Instead of using Florida’s 2023 first-round pick themselves, the Canadiens packaged it with the 37th overall selection and Gianni Fairbrother to acquire Alex Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

Suddenly, a pick acquired for a rental defenseman had helped Montreal add a young NHL forward who fit perfectly with the organization’s timeline. Newhook has since developed into an important piece for the Canadiens. His speed and versatility allow him to play in different situations, and he has shown that he can provide offense while remaining responsible defensively. His value was especially evident during Montreal’s most recent playoff run.

How the Trade Has Aged

Looking back, it is difficult to dislike this deal from Montreal’s perspective. The Panthers acquired Chiarot for the final 20 games of the 2021-22 regular season. He then appeared in 10 playoff games as Florida was eliminated in the second round. That was it. Chiarot entered free agency that summer and signed with the Detroit Red Wings, meaning Florida surrendered a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder and a prospect for a player who spent only a few months with the organization.

Montreal, meanwhile, continued extracting value from the deal years later. The biggest result is obviously Newhook. While injuries have slowed him down, Newhook has become an important part of Montreal’s offense and produced some massive moments during the Canadiens’ latest playoff run. Most notably, he scored two Game 7 goals, delivering when the pressure was at its highest.

That alone illustrates the difference in long-term value between the two sides. Florida made the trade because it believed Chiarot could help immediately, and that is always the risk contenders take at the deadline. The Panthers were chasing a Stanley Cup and were willing to sacrifice future assets to improve their chances.

For Montreal, however, this was exactly the type of move a rebuilding team needed to make. Hughes inherited a pending unrestricted free agent and turned him into multiple future assets. Most of those pieces did not become major contributors, but the most valuable one eventually helped bring Newhook to Montreal.

If Newhook can stay healthy and continue playing an important role for the Canadiens for years to come, the Chiarot trade will only continue to look better. A couple of years later, Montreal is still benefiting from a player who spent just a few months in Florida.