Huge trade failed to materialize between Bruins and Canadiens!

The Boston Bruins were too late to the party. That’s what Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reported when he revealed that the Bruins attempted to acquire Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot before the Habs agreed to a deal with the Florida Panthers.

Chiarot was moved to the Panthers in return for forward Tyler Smilanic and two draft picks. The Canadiens get a first-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in ’22, previously acquired from the New York Rangers.

Lavoie revealed that the Bruins put an offer on the table for Chiarot but the deal couldn’t materialize because Boston was allegedly trying to get the blue liner to agree to a contract extension before paying the price for his services in a transaction. Chiarot reportedly refused to negotiate, and chose instead to test his worth in the unrestricted free agent market this summer.

This is why the Bruins pulled out of the derby, shifting their focus on acquiring defenseman Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks. He was moved to Boston and accepted an eight-year contract extension shortly after the trade.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic confirmed that the Bruins were the front-runner in the Chiarot sweepstakes before he was traded to the Panthers.

We don’t know what the Bruins’ return offer for Chiarot included but the roster and playoff picture could look different if the trade had taken place.