MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced on Thursday that the team has agreed to terms on a three-year contract (2019-20 to 2021-22) with free agent defenseman Ben Chiarot. The deal has an average annual value of $3.5 million.

"We are very happy to have come to an agreement with Ben Chiarot today. He is a very reliable defenseman and a solid player who will fill a need for our club. He is the type of player who can play some big minutes and be used in different situations. We are convinced he will improve our defensive group," said Bergevin.