When the Detroit Red Wings extended Ben Chiarot last season, fans were speechless.
Chiarot - 34 at the time - would be 35 in the 2026-27 season. His newest extension, adding three years onto his deal, would take him through 37. Last season, Chiarot was already showing signs of decline. While he finished with a 15 point campaign, he was frequently found out of position and possessed some of the worst advanced metrics among Red Wings skaters.
This season, things have only gotten worse for the defenseman.
Due to mounting injuries and yet-unsigned contracts, Chiarot has been forced into a role that isn't conducive to his play style. But, even outside that role, he's managed to underperform. Take Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Blues, for example. Two of the three goals the Blues scored were direct results of Chiarot playing out of position. (The third, of course, was an empty netter.)
It's gotten to the point where Chiarot has done more harm to the Red Wings than good. Eventually, Todd McLellan needs to make a decision.
That decision should be to bench Chiarot -- at least, for now.
Why Chiarot hasn't been benched yet
The main reason Chiarot hasn't sat out any games yet is simple: injuries and unsigned players.
The Red Wings have less than three weeks to sign or trade Simon Edvinsson. His position on the left side of the defense gave Chiarot some breathing room last season, moving him down to the second pairing. Albert Johansson's breakout season last year (and part of this season), in return, pushed Chiarot down to the third pairing.
Unfortunately, neither Edvinsson nor Johansson are currently available. Johansson hit injured reserve last week and his eventual return date is unclear. Edvinsson, obviously, still doesn't have a contract.
Currently, William Wallinder and Andreas Englund fill out the rest of the left side of the lineup. When Johansson returns, it's likely that Englund becomes a casualty of the lineup, hitting the waivers or slotting out as the extra defenseman.
What happens when Johansson makes his return?
Why the Red WIngs should bench Chiarot
Whenever Chiarot steps onto the ice, it seems like the rest of the lineup has to make adjustments to accommodate for him. Moritz Seider has to better cover on defense. The offense seems to stagnate. Whenever the team sets up plays and passes the puck to Chiarot, he'll fire it into an overcrowded defensive zone.
Rarely, if ever, does the puck make it through traffic. When it does, it typically ends up right in the goalie's glove or hits the netminder square in the chest. It's extremely uncommon to see so much as a rebound when Chiarot fires the puck.
Perhaps a smaller role on the third pairing would suit Chiarot best. Until Johansson returns - or Edvinsson is signed - the left side of the defense is shallow at best and abysmal at worst. If the team can't bench Chiarot, they may as well play him in a bottom-four role so that the other defensemen aren't hung out to dry.
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