Insider reports indicate NHL teams are looking into former starting goaltender Carter Hart pending the results of a criminal case.
The Detroit Red Wings made a splash in the market when nabbing the best available goaltender in John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. The highly sought-after netminder said in a press conference following the move that he is excited to get started and spoke with backup Cam Talbot on their expectation as a duo to make the postseason.
The crease should be more secure than ever for Detroit next season but there's a chance they can keep adding to make it stronger. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke to the media following free agency and still spoke to the third goalie position as one they still need to fill before the start of the season.
There are several low-cost options available, but one intriguing possibility could be back on the table is Carter Hart. The former Flyers goaltender may return to the NHL depending on the outcome of his sexual assault case involving allegations against him and four other members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.
Reports like the one from The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta indicate that teams are keeping tabs on the case as Hart could be the best available option on the market if he returns. The 26-year-old Alberta native was a high-end goalie prospect at one point as he was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Flyers. He would quickly turn into a starter as he managed a .917 save percentage that lead to a 2.83 goals against average and a 16-13-1 record through 31 appearances in his rookie season.
Hart followed up his impressive rookie campaign with a standout season, posting a 24-13-3 record, a 2.42 goals-against average, and a .914 save percentage over 43 games. He carried that strong play into the postseason, where he recorded a .926 save percentage, a 2.23 goals-against average, and a 9-5-0 record. Over the next four seasons, his numbers would decline as the Flyers got worse but it was never in doubt that Hart was a difference-making goaltender and that he would be in Philadelphia for a long time.
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The sexual assault case derailed Hart's NHL career but if he is found not guilty, then he could be motivated to come back better than ever. The case for Hart to come to Detroit is a complicated one as they already have Gibson as their starter and he just finished dealing with a controversy around a younger starting goalie behind him in Anaheim with Lukas Dostal.
Not to mention, Hart would need to be influenced to come and backup when he can likely go to other teams and be an immediate starter. The biggest factor to all of this is if Hart will be found not guilty as he very well could end all of this conversation by not being able to play hockey ever again.
There are many factors in the way of Detroit seeing a Gibson-Hart become a reality but the team would likely love to have a goalie tandem that would be among the league's best and could look to at least give it a shot if the results of the case go in Hart's favor.
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