Does Carter Hart Have a Future with the Philadelphia Flyers?
Interim GM Daniel Briere said the Philadelphia Flyers will need a rebuild. There has been some speculation about a few Flyers, including goalie Carter Hart.
The Philadelphia Flyers' firing of GM Chuck Fletcher on Friday signalled what is expected to be significant changes throughout the organization in the coming months. It also raised questions about the futures of several notable Flyers players.
On Saturday, Sportsnet's Jeff Marek suggested trade discussions regarding Flyers forward Kevin Hayes with the Columbus Blue Jackets could pick up again closer to the NHL draft in late June. He also wondered about defenseman Ivan Provorov.
Carter Hart's situation was also a topic of interest. CapFriendly indicates the 23-year-old goaltender has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $3.9 million.
Marek said the Flyers can attempt to sign him to an extension on July 1 but noted they also have an emerging young netminder in Samuel Ersson. He raised the possibility that they could look at what Hart might fetch in the trade market. Marek also wondered if he would want to spend the best seasons of his career with a rebuilding team.
Hart would draw interest from teams seeking a young goalie with upside carrying a reasonable cap hit for next season. There's speculation that Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson might welcome a trade, but his $6.4-million cap hit through 2026-27 could be tough for most teams to swallow.
On Sunday, Flyers interim GM Daniel Briere told reporters his club needs a multi-year rebuild. However, he stressed that didn't mean it would involve a fire sale of roster players.
Briere indicated there were some players in certain roles that they'd like to keep. Perhaps Hart is among those Briere wants to retain.