Insider Trading: Talks escalating for Chiarot; Leafs showing interest in Sharks' Middleton

The TSN Hockey Insiders discuss trade talks escalating for Ben Chiarot, why the Habs and Wild could be a trade fit, the Leafs being among the teams showing interest in Sharks defenceman Jacob Middleton, why Toronto could make more than one move ahead of the deadline, whether Andrew Copp's future in Winnipeg could be down to days, and much more.

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The first defenceman domino falls with Josh Manson being traded from Anaheim to Colorado and here we go Pierre, Ben Chiarot being held out of the lineup by Montreal against Arizona. How close are the Habs to making a deal?

Pierre LeBrun: Well I would tell you James, that the Josh Manson deal from my perspective, it sounds like really intensified some of those conversations that were already happening between the Montreal Canadiens and a pretty long list of suitors.  Among the teams that we believe still have interest includes Calgary, Carolina, Florida, St. Louis and others.  The Flames have a prospect by the name of Jakob Pelletier that is of great interest to the Canadiens. I just don’t know if the Flames …don’t think they want to move him.  The Hurricanes don’t have a first-round pick; you may remember they used that in an offer sheet on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, so can they lure the Habs with a prospect or two? St. Louis doesn’t want to pay the price of a first-round pick, which is the price, so can they find another way? So, all these things are happening here as the Habs keep to their high price on Ben Chiarot.

Darren Dreger: I would say that the Minnesota Wild also have interest in Ben Chiarot, but like many teams around the NHL, the Wild do not like the asking price on Chiarot.  In the meantime, you’ve got the Montreal Canadiens and the Wild continuing to discuss 6-foot-3