Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word on Hockey. We’re just three weeks away from the start of the regular season. Teams are looking to put the finishing touches on their rosters, and with that, the rumours are coming in full force. This edition of NHL rumours focuses on multiple teams expressing their interest in the recently acquitted Carter Hart.
All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours: Multiple Teams Expressing Interest in Goaltender Carter Hart
Rumour: According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, he’s aware of three teams that have reached out to Carter Hart, expressing interest in his services. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers.
Analysis: We all knew it was only a matter of time before teams started reaching out to the former Flyers goaltender. While some of these teams are surprising, one in particular is not.
Let’s start with the first surprising team, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers are Carter Hart’s former team. They decided to cut ties with the former second-round pick by not tendering him a qualifying offer back in June of 2024. This was, of course, due to the ongoing Hockey Canada trial. Now that he has been acquitted of these charges, the Flyers are looking to get him back in the fold. However, it would be surprising to see Hart return to the team as he is certainly looking for a fresh start.
The second surprising team would be the Carolina Hurricanes. As it stands, the Hurricanes have Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. While Andersen is 35 and nearing the end of his career, Kochetkov is just entering his prime. He’s also posted better numbers than Hart thus far. Though it’s a smaller sample size. Sure, the Hurricanes may like to make a solid tandem, but it’s hard to believe the fit is right given the stature of Kochetkov. Hart surely would want the chance to earn his way back into a starter’s role, and that just doesn’t seem like the best path.
Penguins a Perfect Fit
That leaves us with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins seem like the perfect fit for Hart. A team that’s going to be entering a rebuild now that the Sidney Crosby era is soon coming to an end. The prospect pool is on the rise, after making three selections in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and will secure even more as they sell off their assets. The future is bright in Pittsburgh.
However, they still have a long way to go. The goaltending depth on the team isn’t exactly strong, given the struggles of Tristan Jarry and the unproven play of Arturs Silovs. Hart could be a piece that the Penguins could take a gamble on and build around. They do have two decent goalie prospects in Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov. However, there’s no telling if either will pan out. Taking a flyer on Hart to see if he can potentially get back to the form he was in when he was the starter for the Flyers would certainly be worth it. It also makes sense for Hart, as it’s the path of least resistance for him. He would get plenty of starts in Pittsburgh as he tries to revive his NHL career.
Decision Coming Soon
Hart is expected to make a decision on his future soon, and there will certainly be more suitors. Despite the fit of his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers, it sounds like Hart is looking to play for an American team. Unless something drastically changes, we can all but eliminate the seven Canadian markets. Hart is expected to sign a multi-year deal when he does, in fact, sign. In the meantime, he will try to get his game up to NHL speed again. Hart hasn’t played a competitive game since his last stint in the NHL in 2024. He will need some time to return to form. However, given his impressive play before his extended layoff, we should see Hart back in a starter’s job in the very near future.
Main Photo: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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