On the morning of July 4th, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they have signed defenseman Ben Chiarot to a three-year contract with an AAV of $3.5 million per year. Ben Chiarot tallied 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points during the 2018-19 regular season.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year contract ($3.5 million AAV) with defenseman Ben Chiarot.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 4, 2019
DETAILS ➡️ https://t.co/Tr9QBDNFl6#GoHabsGo
Under the Radar Signing
At $3.5 million per year, it is hard seeing anything wrong with signing the 28-year old left-handed defenseman. Barring any future moves for a more high-end player, Chiarot can serve as a good second pairing or third pairing LD.
Ben Chiarot also serves as an upgrade over Jordie Benn who signed with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1st. Chiarot is an upgrade both in terms of skating and age.
Internal Competition?
This signing may spark some debate about internal competition on the left side of the defense as Victor Mete and Ben Chiarot, along with Brett Kulak will compete for the top pairing spot aside Shea Weber.
When looking at point totals, the most obvious candidate is Ben Chiarot as he has the most points out of the three defensemen with 20. Brett Kulak was not trailing far behind with 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) and Victor Mete had 13 points, all of them being assists.
However, Ben Chiarot would be best suited on the second pairing alongside Jeff Petry or on the third pairing next to whoever takes the RD spot.
Several others share the same opinion that Ben Chiarot is best suited on the second pairing and as TSN’s John Lu analyzes Chiarot’s game, one can see that he best suits the mold of a second pairing guy.
#Habs Chiarot played primarily with Byfuglien on Winnipeg’s second pairing last season. Primarily stay-at-home, shot-blocker, big guy, big shot (LHS), not known for his offence — although he is coming off a career high 5 G, 15 A in 78 games. Could be a good fit with Petry.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) July 4, 2019
Is This Signing Enough?
If you want the short answer, no. While the Montreal Canadiens are getting good value in signing Ben Chiarot to a reasonable deal, the team still need a top-pairing LD that can play alongside Shea Weber for if not the entirety of the season, at least the majority.
If the Canadiens were to continue going the route of free agency, their best bet is defenseman Jake Gardiner but things have been quiet on his front. His back injury that he suffered earlier this season should also be of concern so dishing out a long-term deal may be very risky.
Marc Bergevin’s best bet for finding an LD should be going the trade route. Even after the Andrew Shaw trade, the Montreal Canadiens still have wingers they can move for help on the blue line.