Craig Button says Habs could have received Jakob Pelletier in exchange for Ben Chiarot

Ben Chiarot was traded to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night in exchange for prospect Tyler Smilanic, a first round pick in 2023 and a fourth round pick in the upcoming draft.

Of course, Chiarot's departure was expected due to his status as an uncompensated free agent, but the destination was a bit of a surprise to field hockey fans.

There was a lot of talk in the last few weeks about the New York Rangers and the Calgary Flames as potential destinations for the left-handed defenseman and speaking of the Flames, we learned, in the last few hours, a major piece of information concerning a Quebec prospect in the Flames organization.

For the past few days, some trade rumours have been linking Jakob Pelletier's name to the Canadiens. Even whistleblower Pierre LeBrun confirmed Kent Hughes' interest in the Flames' Quebec prospect and until Wednesday night, before the Ben Chiarot deal was confirmed, the Flames were one of the teams interested in acquiring the CH defenseman.

But here's where it gets interesting: Max Truman of Danslescoulisses reports that according to TSN tipster Craig Button, the Flames could have swung and traded Jakob Pelletier to the Habs in exchange for Ben Chiarot had the defenseman been available on Monday, the day of the trade deadline.

On the Sick Podcast, hosted by Tony Marinaro, Button discussed the possibility that the Flames could acquire Ben Chiarot and that Pelletier's name could have been involved in a trade between the two teams. But of course, the podcast was recorded before the Chiarot trade was confirmed.

Now, we're speculating a bit here, but it's interesting to note that the Flames' director of amateur recruiting, Todd Button, is none other than Craig's brother. Did he have any inside information on Jakob Pelletier?

Maybe, but it proves that Chiarot was very valuable to other general managers in the NHL. Only time will tell if the deal with the Panthers was the best option for Kent Hughes.

To watch the Sick Podcast, click below..