Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot out one week with with lower-body injury

After being moved to injured reserve earlier Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Ben Chiarot will miss one week with a lower-body injury.

Chiarot is expected to be one of the top targets available at this year’s trade deadline. The 30-year-old left-shot defenseman has nine points through 44 games this season in a top-pairing role, averaging a healthy 23:17 per game. Multiple reports suggest that many teams are interested in the veteran of 459 NHL games, noting that it’s likely he’ll fetch a first-round pick.

He joins David Savard, Joel Edmundson and captain Shea Weber on the list of injured Canadiens defensemen. Corey Schueneman was recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Sunday morning and played for the team in a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in Chiarot’s place.

Chiarot is in the final season of a three-year, $10.5M contract he signed with Montreal during free agency in 2019 after spending a decade in the Winnipeg Jets organization. He was originally one of the last draft picks of the Atlanta Thrashers, selected 120th overall in 2009.