Panthers get 'exactly the type of player we were looking for' in Chiarot

Ben Chiarot has unfinished business on his mind.
After coming up just short with the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final roughly eight months ago, the hard-nosed defenseman is ready to push for hockey's Holy Grail once again after joining the Panthers.
"They have a great chance of making a nice run," said Chiarot, acquired in a trade with Montreal on Wednesday. "I'm definitely hungry to get back there. 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 that for yourself."

Pried away from the Canadiens in exchange for a first-round pick, fourth-round pick and a prospect, the Panthers believe that Chiarot will bring both experience and a physical presence to their solid blue line.
An imposing figure on the ice at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, the 30-year-old veteran excels at keeping the area around the blue paint clear and isn't afraid to put his large frame to good use. In 54 games this season, he paced Montreal's defensemen in both goals (7) and points (18), and also notched 110 hits.
A major minutes-eater, his 23:33 of average ice time per game led all Canadiens skaters.
"Ben brings a number of different characteristics to our D corps that support the group," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "He can crunch big minutes. He has the ability in the defensive zone to get to pucks. He has the size-strength element that lend to defensive pressure. He can move the puck."

Beyond his on-ice value, Zito said Chiarot's strong character made him one of the team's top targets.
For as much as you can look at production, personality also matters when it comes to building a team.
"We went through pretty significant investigation on the character of a number of people that we were potentially adding to this group," Zito said. "It's paramount. I don't want to disrupt it. Anybody we add has to be able to fit into it, has to be a team-first person, a team-first player. We believe that Ben is."
In their initial conversation, Zito said he could feel the excitement coming through the phone.
"He seemed very excited," Zito said of Chiarot, who should join the team next week in Canada. "He'd done some homework on our group. He was itching to get down here. 'Can I come!? Can I come!?' We have to deal with immigration and visa issues first, but he was very comfortable speaking to me."
With the Panthers holding onto first place in the Atlantic Division and on track for a return trip to the postseason, Chiarot's sizeable experience playing in those high-pressure games also came into play. A veteran of 56 postseason games, 22 of those contests came during Montreal's magical run last summer.
Among all playoff performers in 2021, he finished second in total time on ice (555:29).
"I'm really excited to get him," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "I saw him play so much when I was in Minnesota and he was in Winnipeg. Lots of battles. He's competitive and kind of exactly the type of player we were looking for. He's really good defensively, does lots of good things."
Already scoring a league-leading 4.10 goals per game, it's safe to say that the Panthers have become a more complete team by bringing in Chiarot to shore up their back end. And with a few days remaining until Monday's NHL trade deadline passes, Zito noted that there could still be other moves in the works.
No longer counting down the days until the draft lottery, the Panthers know their time is now.
"It's our year this year," Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. "We want to go to the end and win the Stanley Cup. We like our group, but when you add some pieces it's never a bad idea. We leave it at Bill. We're here to play. We love our team. It's been a great season, but it's going to be even more fun."