My thoughts on Chiarot

A whole lot of people don't like the Chiarot signing/contract. I get it, they probably overpaid a bit. But, what's important to remember here, is this is the final year of the flat cap. Next year, it starts going up again. Then he's only got three years left on the deal. So, sure, they overpaid, but the term is reasonable. Not to mention, this is just a stop-gap between now and when the bounty of defensive prospects begins to sign new deals.

The Red Wings' defenseman who was consistently hardest to play against last year (aside from Seider) was Marc Staal. Since he's gone, there is a clear hole back there. He can stick around for a few years and provide a stable veteran. For five years, this contract looks a whole lot worse, but for four, that's realistically the time it will take for the Wings to really start contending. All things considered, it's not all that bad, and it still fits (and further defines) the timeline that Steve Yzerman and Co. have on this rebuild.