The countdown is on for the March 21st NHL trade deadline and so far, there hasn’t been much action for fans to sink their teeth in. When you’re cheering for a team that has long been eliminated from post-season action, it makes for an eager crowd, impatiently awaiting what will happen.
In his most recent Top-40 players most likely to get traded, Frank Seravalli has listed 10 defensemen. I took the liberty to add one, P.K. Subban, who was told yesterday that the New Jersey Devils wouldn’t tender an extension offer. I have decided to sort them by Time on the Ice per Game, as I feel it reflects who much those players are relied upon by their respective coaches.
| PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | GP | G | A | PTS | PTS/GP | +/- | TOI/GP | CAP HIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Severson | NJD | 27 | 55 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 0.58 | -12 | 23:32 | $4.17M (2022-23) |
| B. Chiarot | MTL | 30 | 51 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 0.31 | -19 | 23:25 | $3.5M (UFA) |
| J. Chychrun | ARI | 23 | 45 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 0.42 | -23 | 23:24 | $4.6M (2024-25) |
| H. Lindholm | ANA | 28 | 57 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 0.37 | 0 | 22:38 | $5.2M (UFA) |
| J. Petry | MTL | 34 | 49 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 0.27 | -9 | 22:29 | $6.25M (2024-25) |
| J. Klingberg | DAL | 29 | 49 | 2 | 27 | 29 | 0.59 | -15 | 22:02 | $4.25M (UFA) |
| M. Giordano | SEA | 38 | 53 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 0.43 | -22 | 21:24 | $6.75M (UFA) |
| N. Leddy | DET | 30 | 52 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 0.23 | -32 | 21:24 | $5.5M (UFA) |
| J. Braun | PHI | 35 | 56 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 0.27 | +2 | 20:03 | $1.8M (UFA) |
| C. de Haan | CHI | 30 | 52 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0.10 | -16 | 19:15 | $4.55M (UFA) |
| PK Subban | NJD | 32 | 54 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 0.33 | -7 | 19:07 | $9M (UFA) |
As you can see, Ben Chiarot is the second cheapest player on the list with a cap hit of $3.5 million cap hit, while being one of the defensemen logging the most minutes per game. His points production is decent and he brings that physicality. Further, he has proven being a beast in the playoffs in a shutdown situation against the opponents’ top lines. So while there are other options available out there, he is one of the most interesting options for a team looking at making noise in the playoffs.
As we know, Jeff Petry is a long shot as most times, players with term on their contract are easier to trade in the off-season, when more team reorganize their priorities and when it’s easier to make cap room. It is important to note that since the coaching change in Montreal, Petry has returned to his old form. Under Martin St-Louis, the American defenseman has three goals, seven points and has a differential of plus -2 in 11 games.
The Canadiens have two other pending UFAs who could draw interest in Brett Kulak and Chris Wideman. Kulak has been playing some of the best hockey of his career since the arrival of St-Louis, while Wideman would be a good depth player who can help on the power play.
More reading…
Worst Trades In Habs’ Modern History
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