Tortorella Admits Flyers Expected A Carter Hart Absence During The Summer

John Tortorella revealed in his post-practice press conference on Monday that the Philadelphia Flyers organization had discussed Carter Hart's legal situation, and planned for a scenario where he would not be with the team.

John Tortorella revealed in his post-practice press conference on Monday that the Philadelphia Flyers organization had discussed Carter Hart's legal situation, and planned for a scenario where he would not be with the team.

Hart took an extended leave of absence from the Flyers at the end of January, following news that he had been named in an investigation into the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal. 

While Hart's sudden departure came as a bit of a shock to the fanbase, Tortorella admitted that the team had discussed the different possibilities regarding Hart's situation this past summer.

"Let's face it: things got thrown into a really weird situation when we lost Carter," Tortorella said. "But having said that, we had discussions in the summer about the situation with Carter and figured something was gonna go on, right? We've got to be honest about it."

Considering how many trade rumors were flying about Hart during the summer, it's not all that surprising that the front office was indeed weighing the options between keeping and selling who was, at the time, considered the team's franchise goalie.

Despite the anticipation that they could be without Hart, Tortorella also admitted that his decision to play Ersson led to the rookie to become overworked. 

"I made the decision that I'm gonna live or die with [Ersson] when I played him all those games," he said. "I did not have the confidence [in the backup goalies], and it's certainly not a criticism, it's just my assessment. I made the decision that we're going with Erss. I've played the hell out of him. He's tired."

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