Ben Chiarot

Ben Chiarot inks a three-year deal to stay put in Detroit, calling it a no-brainer because he loves the rink, the staff, and mentoring the kids every day. Todd McLellan raves about the vet's size, physicality, and behind-the-scenes stability that keeps the young D steady amid injuries and slumps. With the Red Wings scraping for consistency late in the season, Chiarot's commitment signals Steve Yzerman doubles down on his blueprint before the deadline buzz intensifies.

The Hockey News drops its 2026 Future Watch, and Vancouver's prospect pool sneaks into the top 10 despite the big club's frustrating slide this season. Braeden Cootes dominates as CanucksArmy's midseason No. 1 with 48 points and a faceoff clinic for Prince Albert, while names like Riley Patterson, Gabriel Chiarot, and Anthony Romani light it up in juniors and beyond.

The Red Wings pull off a deadline stunner by prying Justin Faulk away from the Blues, sending Dmitri Buchelnikov, Justin Holl, a 2026 first-rounder and a third-round pick back to St. Louis. Faulk brings that veteran right-shot stability Detroit craves to pair with Ben Chiarot and ease the load on Moritz Seider, all while owning one more year on his $6.5 million cap hit. Front offices knew St.

The Red Wings pivot hard after Tyler Myers shuts down a Motown move, zeroing in on St. Louis veteran Justin Faulk to pair with Ben Chiarot and steady their second pair. Faulk brings 32 points in 60 games, power-play chops, and two years of playoff grit on that $45.5M deal, while the Blues shop their top scorer from the blue line amid a seller's fire sale.

The Red Wings zero in on Calgary's Zach Whitecloud, a towering right-shot defender who just landed with the Flames after their Rasmus Andersson blockbuster with Vegas. Steve Yzerman craves size and stability on the right side, and this 6-foot-2 blueliner fits like a glove next to Ben Chiarot while bolstering the penalty kill. With the Flames in full sell mode at 23-27-6, trade pitches like a second and fourth-rounder could tempt them as Detroit pushes for playoff relevance.

The Canucks keep churning out the pipeline chatter with Filip Hronek drawing eyes from every scout in the building and prospects like Chiarot and Cootes turning heads in their latest outings. Vancouver's front office loves whispering about these names because they signal depth that could plug holes come playoff push or trade deadline madness. GMs around the league already circle this trio, knowing one hot streak changes everything in a cap-crunch year.