Weal, who has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) 47 games this season, had been traded to the Coyotes by the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 11.
RELATED: [2018-19 NHL Trade Tracker]
"I think we've got a lot of players now so he comes in and gives us another body and gives us some depth," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. "He's a right-hand shot who can play center, can play wing, so we're wait and see (mode) when he gets here and give him a chance to get used to his new teammates and then we'll see from there. It's not like we're giving up top picks or anything so depth is not a bad thing to have right now."
Selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round (No. 70) of the 2010 NHL Draft, the 26-year-old forward has 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) in 153 regular-season games with the Coyotes, Flyers and Kings, and no points in one Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Chaput, a 26-year-old forward, has five assists in 32 games this season but last played in the NHL on Feb. 9. He was sent to Laval of the American Hockey League on Feb. 13, and has 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 24 AHL games.
Selected by Philadelphia in the third round (No. 89) in the 2010 draft, Chaput has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 167 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Canadiens (33-22-7) hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Arizona (29-28-5) is three points behind the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card from the Western Conference.
