Canadiens send Chiarot to Panthers for prospect, 2 draft picks

The Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick, and forward prospect Tyler Smilanic, the team announced Wednesday.

Chiarot is a pending unrestricted free agent, and Montreal is retaining 50% of his $3.5-million cap hit, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

The 30-year-old has recorded 18 points in 54 games this season while averaging 23:33 per contest. The underlying numbers have not been kind to him over the last three campaigns, though:

However, Chiarot's physicality tends to play well in postseason hockey. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound blue-liner, who has recorded 110 hits this season, was an integral part of Montreal's miracle run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, logging over 25 minutes per game.

Smilanic, meanwhile, was a third-round pick by the Panthers in 2020. He's recorded 22 points in 38 games at Quinnipiac University this season.