Canadian team reportedly interested in Flyers goaltender Carter Hart

PUBLICATION

Cooper Godin
June 7, 2023 (7:10 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Philadelphia Flyers retool/rebuild began with a bang on Tuesday afternoon after a three-team trade involving Columbus and Los Angeles sent former first-round pick Ivan Provorov to the Blue Jackets.

Several other pieces were involved, with the Flyers walking away with goaltender Cal Petersen and defencemen Sean Walker and Helge Grans from the Kings. The Flyers also got a trio of draft picks, including the 22nd overall selection in this month's Entry Draft.

But now Danny Briere's attention turns toward goaltender Carter Hart. Trade talks regarding Hart have reportedly begun to heat up and according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, one team that may enter the sweepstakes is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It's going to be interesting to see how the Philadelphia Flyers navigate the Carter Hart discussions with some of the teams that are out there. They have been engaged in those discussions, as we reported on Twitter earlier today. I'm not expecting a deal happening anytime soon in terms of today or tomorrow, this is likely something that gets pushed towards the draft, but we were told they were working on it, we'll see where this goes." Pagnotta said.

He added, "One team, that if you start to hear a little bit more of connected to Carter Hart, don't be overly surprised if the Toronto Maple Leafs enter the equation."

Hart, 24, is entering the final year of his contract next season with a cap hit of $3.979 million. At the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, Hart will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and a $4.479 million qualifying offer.

In 55 games this season, the Sherwood Park native had a 22-23-10 record along with a 2.94 GAA, a .907 save percentage and two shutouts.

It wouldn't be shocking to see Carter Hart end up with a Canadian team, given the need for goaltending help in a few markets north of the border.

Ottawa is one team that is in need of a starting goaltender and with the age of their core, Hart definitely fits in with what the Senators are building. Currently, the Senators only have two goaltenders under contract for next season with a total of 23 games of NHL experience. 22-year-old Mads Sogaard has played in 21, while 20-year-old Leevi Merilainen appeared in two games for Ottawa this past season.

The Montreal Canadiens could also be another fit for Carter Hart. Jake Allen is under contract for two more seasons and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, while Samuel Montembeault is coming off an impressive showing with Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Hockey Championship. If the Canadiens were to add Carter Hart, it could very well signal the end of Jake Allen's time in Montreal.

Which team do you think would be the best fit for Carter Hart? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below!

So earlier today David Pagnotta said «don't be overly surprised if the Toronto Maple Leafs enter the equation» regarding Carter Hart pic.twitter.com/CgZOVEc1Kl� Nappy (@GretaVanLeafs) June 6, 2023