Canadiens scratch top trade chip; could a trade be imminent?

With the deadline now less than a week away, the Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Ben Chiarot is sitting as a healthy scratch tonight against the Arizona Coyotes.

If you have seen any trade lists the last month or so I can guarantee you Ben Chiarot's name has been on it. A capable top-4 defenseman who can handle 20 + minutes a night.

Chiarot is a pending UFA this summer and carries a cap hit of $3.5 million. There is no shortage of teams rumored to be interested in Chiarot's services. According to various reports, St. Louis, Calgary, Toronto, Los Angeles, Florida, NY Rangers and Boston Bruins all have varying levels of interest.

The 30-year-old blueliner is your prototypical nasty playoff defenseman, so it is not a matter of if Chiarot is moved, it's when.

Previously on Bladeofsteel

Khudobin out for the year; what does this mean for the Stars' deadline plans?

Thomas Chabot could face supplemental discipline for dangerous knee-on-knee hit

OHL suspends top prospect Brandt Clarke indefinitely for what looks like a clean hit

POLL
15 MARS \| 83 ANSWERS Canadiens scratch top trade chip; could a trade be imminent? Is Ben Chiarot getting traded to a Eastern or Western Conference Team?
East	31	37.3 %
West	52	62.7 %
LIST OF POLLS