The Detroit Red Wings are gunning for a playoff spot as the Olympic break draws near. Fans are still waiting to see how general manager Steve Yzerman plans to operate ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Before any of that, the former Detroit captain elected to reward one of his pending free agents, defenseman Ben Chiarot.
Chiarot's current four-year contract was set to expire on July 1. However, it was announced Wednesday morning that he had agreed to a new three-year contract extension. This new deal carried a cap hit of $3.85 million. Furthermore, he received no-trade protection in all three years of the contract.
This deal created a ton of discourse online. Red Wings fans seemed to be okay with the deal, while others thought the deal was absolutely abysmal. Now that the dust is starting to settle, let's take a look at this contract and give grades to Ben Chiarot and the Detroit Red Wings.
Ben Chiarot gains late-career security
Chiarot's deal is interesting for a few reasons. Chief among them is where Detroit currently is in its rebuild. At this time, it would take a massive miracle for the Red Wings to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026.
Detroit signing Chiarot was panned by pundits when it first happened. But the logic wasn't unreasonable. Chiarot was a physical, mobile defender who could immediately raise the floor of a team's defense. Once the Red Wings returned to contention, they could let him walk and make way for the team's younger talent, who ideally would raise the ceiling.
The Red Wings have young talent on their blueline. In fact, five of the eight defensemen on Detroit's active roster are 25 years or younger. It seemed as if this was as good a time for Detroit to allow Chiarot to walk in NHL Free Agency.
Instead, they elected to keep the veteran around. And once again, the logic isn't unreasonable. Though he has lost a bit of mobility, he's still mobile enough. Furthermore, he does a lot of things the Red Wings want from their defensemen. He blocks shots, he throws the body, and he's solid in his own zone.
Chiarot getting three years on his next contract is a major win for him. He is taking a rather significant pay reduction — nearly $1 million less than his previous contract — but he gains a lot of security. He has a full no-trade clause in 2026-27. This full no-trade extends into 2027-28, but changes to a modified 10-team no-trade clause 28 days before the trade deadline that season. The 10-team no trade then covers the final season of this deal.
Overall, this is a very good deal for Chiarot. It hasn't been pretty, but he's had a solid season in 2025-26. And he has proven to be valuable on and off the ice. As Detroit continues pushing for the playoffs, he will look to continue providing value.
Red Wings take some risk in re-signing Chiarot
The Red Wings had to make a decision when examining their options. Detroit likely would have let Chiarot walk had they had immediate options to replace him. Unfortunately, some of their defensive prospects need a bit more seasoning. Furthermore, the options available in NHL Free Agency this summer aren't all that inspiring.
As a result, Detroit elects to stick with a player they know. This contract certainly comes with its fair share of risk. Ideally, the veteran rearguard is playing third-pairing minutes by the end of this contract. If he isn't, something has gone wrong in terms of how Detroit is building its roster.
Chiarot has had his ups and downs in Detroit, and that likely won't be changing. Signing him to a three-year term is a bit rich, but at a cap percentage of around 3%, it's a deal the Red Wings can stomach. At the same time, they made it hard on themselves to get out of this deal with the complicated trade protections in the contract.
The Red Wings clearly believe that Chiarot can continue playing well. And they seem to think he won't fall off a cliff, either. Only time will tell whether their gamble here pays off or backfires.
Grades and final thoughts
It's sort of crazy to think that of all the signings made this year, it's Ben Chiarot who extracted the strongest reactions. Red Wings fans rushed to defend the signing, pointing to the eye test, which shows his solid play. Meanwhile, more analytically inclined people considered this contract “unconscionable.”
This discourse was sort of strange because analytics and the eye test have disagreed before. Though certainly not the same player, it wasn't long ago that Moritz Seider was an analytical black hole but an eye test darling. Now, the analytics have swung around, and he's respected across the league.
The likelihood of this happening with Chiarot is low, to be clear. He certainly won't become an elite defenseman by any means. But the truth of Chiarot's quality lands somewhere in the middle. Overall, he plays a rather inoffensive game. He's physical, but not dirty. He is mobile, but not extremely athletic. Chiarot is simply a solid player and a strong locker room presence.
Chiarot gets a perfect grade for his part in this contract. He gets a strong level security at the back end of his career. The Red Wings, meanwhile, get a fine grade. It's not hard to see why Detroit did this deal, even with his abysmal analytics. However, the risks are legitimate, and they shouldn't be dismissed outright.
Ben Chiarot grade: A+
Detroit Red Wings grade: B+
