The Detroit Red Wings have shown a measurable improvement with their defense almost across the board.
The only exception is Ben Chiarot.
While it's easy to point out Chiarot's defensive lapses and poor puck control, a lot of this is due to factors out of his control. At this point in his career, Chiarot should be a bottom-pairing defenseman. Due to a certain still-unsigned defenseman, Chiarot has been deployed on the top pairing alongside Moritz Seider. While Seider has thrived, Chiarot is often caught bungling plays or coughing up the puck.
On November 2, Moritz Seider led all defensemen in wins above replacement (WAR) with a .51 WAR. Chiarot was last among all defensemen in the NHL with a -.27 rating.
HockeyStats Box WAR Performances of the Night • 11/2 https://t.co/UcWsxnzC1S
November 3, 2026The unfortunate structure of Detroit's defense puts Chiarot in an unenviable position. William Wallinder is getting great results on the second pair with Justin Faulk. Below him sits Andreas Englund, who, remarkably, might be a worse fit than Chiarot on the top pair.
This, in turn, has forced Chiarot to play more minutes than he should.
The longer he's on the ice, the more mistakes begin to pile up. While Moritz Seider has played spectacularly thus far, the best thing the Red Wings can do is find a long-term solution to their Ben Chiarot problem.
How the Red Wings can fix the Chiarot situation
The first and most obvious way to fix this problem is, of course, to sign Simon Edvinsson. While contract negotiations have stalled over the last few weeks, the hope is that he'll sign a contract soon. While the team has had negotiations with teams for a potential trade, the main priority right now is to sign Edvinsson. That said, interim GM Shawn Horcoff has under a month to get a deal done.
If Horcoff wants to get creative, he can try parlaying a Larkin trade into an Edvinsson replacement and an Edvinsson trade into a Larkin replacement. That way, the team can lock down a top center for the future and find a way to move Chiarot down. This, of course, would mean that Andreas Englund would hit the waivers or serve as an extra defenseman, but that seems almost inevitable given the circumstances.
Another riskier option
The last and most curious option would be to break up the Wallinder line and put him on a pairing with Edvinsson. Rarely, if ever, is it a good idea to mess with line chemistry -- especially when it comes to defense. But, if Chiarot's play continues to decline as the season ebbs on (and if the team doesn't sign Edvinsson), it might leave head coach Todd McLellan with no choice.
This would be a huge audition for Wallinder, who has just made the NHL at 24 years of age. To trust a young player with this type of responsibility takes a lot of guts. This move would likely occur later in the season if Chiarot keeps struggling and Edvinsson ends up abandoning ship. McLellan may test it out on a shift or two to see if it fits, then, when he's comfortable, he'd deploy the two as a combined unit.
We'll see who winds up being the Chiarot replacement -- or if he's replaced at all.
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