Chiarot traded to Panthers by Canadiens

Ben Chiarot was traded to the Florida Panthers by the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old defenseman said it could be a few days to get his visa and that he is likely to meet the Panthers for the game at the Canadiens on March 24.

"It's a chance to win and that's what every player wants," Chiarot said. "It's a team that's been at the top of standings really since the start of the season, right from the get-go. They've been sort of a powerhouse team. So I'm excited to join them and look forward to joining up with the team."

Florida (41-13-6) is first in the Atlantic Division.

"They have a great chance of making a nice run and definitely hungry to get back there," Chiarot said. "Once you've been on the ice when another team is hoisting the Stanley Cup it only makes you hungrier to get back there and want to feel that for yourself. So definitely will be hungry come the springtime."

Montreal received a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and unsigned forward prospect Ty Smilanic for Chiarot. Florida acquired a 2022 fourth-round pick from the New York Rangers earlier Wednesday in a trade for forward Frank Vatrano.

"It's no secret that our top defensemen right now are logging big minutes," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said Thursday. "And certainly I think the addition of Ben can help lessen those minutes, spread them out, and hopefully add some collective energy to our entire 'D' corps."

Chiarot is in the final season of a three-year, $10.5 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Canadiens on July 4, 2019, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Montreal agreed to retain 50 percent of Chiarot's remaining salary.

"Anybody we bring in we always would like to look to the future and think that if they're a good fit, and they're the right player, and we can make it work, we'd love to keep them," Zito said. "Certainly we envision a way that that may be a possibility and we would hope to do that if it's possible. He is a team-first guy. He plays hard. He's a warrior. I think he's the type of guy that if you watch him play and certainly if you saw the (Stanley Cup Playoffs) last year, he tends to bring out that energy."

RELATED: 2021-22 NHL Trade Tracker

Chiarot has scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 54 games this season. He was scratched Tuesday for a 6-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, missed two games with a lower-body injury from Feb. 13-17, and missed three games from Dec. 17-Jan. 11 while in NHL COVID-19 protocol.

"From the beginning, I kind of was hearing my name out there and obviously when the team wasn't having success, it's more likely to happen," Chiarot said. "I wouldn't say it wore on me too much. Maybe for a small stretch there it kind of gets in your head and you get a little bit miserable and you're kind of just waiting around for things to happen. But since the coaching change, and since things have gotten a little bit better here, it's a little bit better mood around the rink. It's been more enjoyable, I guess you could say, and sort of just waiting for this week to come."

Montreal, which reached the Stanley Cup Final last season, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, is 16-36-8 this season and last in the Atlantic Division. Martin St. Louis was named coach Feb. 10 after the Canadiens fired Dominique Ducharme.

The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Monday.

"We're happy with the trade and I think it makes Florida much better off at the same time," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. "You know if at the end of the day if every trade we do works out for both teams I think that's the perfect situation.

Hughes confirmed the 2023 first-round pick is not protected.

"They didn't have their first-round choice this year but even with other teams we asked for a first-round pick in 2023 and not in 2022 since we have three choices in probably the first 35 this year and we have 13 picks this year too," Hughes said. "So that was a part of the discussions."

Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the fourth round (No. 119) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Chiarot has scored 110 points (29 goals, 81 assists) in 469 regular-season games for Montreal and Winnipeg Jets, and seven points (one goal, six assists) in 56 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Prior to the trade, Chiarot told Sportsnet he would be willing to return to the Canadiens as a free agent.

"Absolutely," he said. "I've loved my time in Montreal. Nothing but good things to say about the team and the city. It's been everything I thought it would be. With all the highs and lows that come with being in a market like this, it fits my personality and I love it. I'd come back here in a heartbeat."

Smilanic, a third-round pick (No. 74) by Florida in the 2020 NHL Draft, has scored 22 points (13 goals, nine assists) in 38 games for Quinnipiac in the NCAA this season.

"He's a player with a lot of speed who can score," Hughes said. "We said when we began that we believe we can improve our speed so he's another player that can help us in that context."

Vatrano is in the final season of a three-year contract he signed with the Panthers on Feb. 23, 2019, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The 28-year-old scored 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 49 games this season.

NHL.com staff writer Amalie Benjamin and independent correspondent Sean Farrell contributed to this report