2/15/22 | Pierre LeBrun mentioned the Rangers as one of the teams that has inquired about Chiarot. (TSN)
2/13/22 | Zac Jones was called up from Hartford.
2/12/22 | On Hockey Night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Rangers as one of the interested teams in Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot.
Chiarot, 30, is a left shot defenseman that is a pending UFA.
He has 56 games of playoff experience between Winnipeg and Montreal and that includes 22 games with the Habs last year in their run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Friedman also mentioned St. Louis, Carolina, Florida, LA and Calgary as teams with interest in Chiarot.
Chiarot is averaging 21:38 per game this season and has 73 blocks and 93 hits.
Adam Rotter: Chiarot is a better version of Patrik Nemeth. They are about the same size, same age, shoot the same way and are more defensive than offensive players. Like pretty much every rental defenseman, the cost is going to start with a first round pick, but how much more needs to be added? And would more be needed for Jeff Gorton to deal with his former team?
I’m not sure Chiarot moves the needle enough for the Rangers, especially if a similar price can be paid for Mark Giordano from Seattle or maybe John Klingberg from Dallas. I’m also not sure if the Rangers will make a move for a defenseman if they think Nemeth and Braden Schneider can be a serviceable enough third pair, especially with Zac Jones as an option on the left side as well. I’d still prefer to see the Rangers go with at least one of their young defensemen on the third pair and if they are going to make a move that includes their first round pick then it should probably be to add a forward.