Kent Hughes' Ben Chiarot Trade Was So Lopsided, Experts Don't Even 'Believe' it.

The Florida Panthers received some bad news yesterday, as their number one defenseman, Aaron Ekblad, was placed on long-term injured reserve, meaning his injury is very serious.

He is expected to be out for four to six weeks with a significant groin injury, but it could be more, depending on how difficult it is to rehabilitate.

Without his presence in the defensive lineup, the Panthers must rely on one of the worst defensive top-sixes in the league.

This unfortunate news for Florida has a direct impact on the Habs, who hold the Florida team's first round pick in the upcoming draft. With the prolonged loss of such an important player as Ekblad, this pick becomes very valuable.

Remember that the first round pick was obtained along with a fourth round pick in 2022 and prospect Ty Smilanic, in the deal that sent Ben Chiarot to Florida at the last trade deadline.

This trade was so lopsided, that Matt Drake, from Habs Eyes on the Prize, says even the smartest people in hockey don't understand it.

"Kent Hughes made such a good trade (with the Panthers) that the head of the Professional Hockey Writers Association doesn't believe it was as good as it was."

While many fans and pundits are getting excited about the fact that the Panthers' first round pick could have a higher draft rank than expected, reputable NHL whistleblower Frank Seravalli has been cheated by Kent Hughes himself.

"Habs fans shouldn't really (get excited). The pick is protected if it's top-10 (the one acquired in the Ben Chiarot trade)."

However, Seravalli had to come around when he realized that Hughes got the first round pick without any protection.

"My apologies and thanks to the people who responded for the correction. I just checked in with a few people - the Habs own this free and clear choice, no strings attached."

This means that he could become a top-10 pick in the next draft and there is nothing the Panthers can do about it. The Panthers placed strict conditions on the first round picks they traded to the Flames and Sabres, but not on the pick they traded to the Canadiens.

My apologies, and thanks to people responding for correcting. Just checked in with a couple people - the #Habs hold that pick free and clear. I did not read the stipulations correctly.� Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 19, 2022

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20 OCTOBRE \| 40 ANSWERS Kent Hughes' Ben Chiarot Trade Was So Lopsided, Experts Don't Even 'Believe' it. Did the Canadiens do well in the Ben Chiarot trade?
Yes	34	85 %
No	6	15 %
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