Ben Chiarot

Simon Edvinsson takes a frightening turn on the ice, leaving him busted open and missing teeth after a nasty self-inflicted hit. The Red Wings defenseman's absence exposed their thin left-shot blue line, with guys like Chiarot and Johansson struggling to hold possession without him. As Detroit fights for playoff positioning in a brutal stretch, his quick bounce-back becomes make-or-break for their wild-card hopes.

Ben Chiarot inks a three-year deal to stay put in Detroit, calling it a no-brainer because he loves the rink, the staff, and mentoring the kids every day. Todd McLellan raves about the vet's size, physicality, and behind-the-scenes stability that keeps the young D steady amid injuries and slumps. With the Red Wings scraping for consistency late in the season, Chiarot's commitment signals Steve Yzerman doubles down on his blueprint before the deadline buzz intensifies.

The Hockey News drops its 2026 Future Watch, and Vancouver's prospect pool sneaks into the top 10 despite the big club's frustrating slide this season. Braeden Cootes dominates as CanucksArmy's midseason No. 1 with 48 points and a faceoff clinic for Prince Albert, while names like Riley Patterson, Gabriel Chiarot, and Anthony Romani light it up in juniors and beyond.

The Red Wings pivot hard after Tyler Myers shuts down a Motown move, zeroing in on St. Louis veteran Justin Faulk to pair with Ben Chiarot and steady their second pair. Faulk brings 32 points in 60 games, power-play chops, and two years of playoff grit on that $45.5M deal, while the Blues shop their top scorer from the blue line amid a seller's fire sale.

The Red Wings pull off a deadline stunner by prying Justin Faulk away from the Blues, sending Dmitri Buchelnikov, Justin Holl, a 2026 first-rounder and a third-round pick back to St. Louis. Faulk brings that veteran right-shot stability Detroit craves to pair with Ben Chiarot and ease the load on Moritz Seider, all while owning one more year on his $6.5 million cap hit. Front offices knew St.