NHL Free Agency
Former Flyers Goalie Expected to Sign with Vegas
It’s October 2nd, which means former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is free to sign his next NHL contract. We know it will not be in Philadelphia. For a while, it has seemed like a two-team race between Vegas and Carolina.
According to TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston, Hart is very close to signing his next contract. In Johnston’s words, the Vegas Golden Knights are “almost certain” to be the team Hart signs with.
Again, Hart is one of the five players from the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial who were acquitted by Justice Maria Carroccia on July 24th. He, alongside Michael McCleod, has been drawing NHL interest since being reinstated by the league.
Hart is now eligible to sign a contract, as it is October. It will not become official until October 15th. All five players are eligible to play in the NHL starting December 1st.
Hart spent six seasons in Philadelphia with a record of 96-93-29. He had a career 2.94 GAA and .906 SV% in his time in Philadelphia. The team made the playoffs once during Hart’s time with the Flyers, where he had a record of 9-5-0, a 2.23 GAA, and .926 SV%.
Assuming Johnston’s report remains accurate, and Hart does in fact sign in Las Vegas, he is set to make his return to Philadelphia on December 11th when the Golden Knights take on the Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers Roster; Big Money Kirill; Hughes Robbery
I saw a report of two years at 2 million per. Vegas is $7 million over the salary cap, so they would have to shed some salary, although Bettman’s darlings have been permitted to exceed the cap before so…
On a related note, the Golden Frauds kicked a reporter out of the facility and revoked his press pass for asking questions about signing Hart. This is sad. NHL teams have been allowed too much leverage with the media, to a point where reporters are afraid of getting on a teams’ bad side. As a result, it’s mostly softball questions and articles so as not to upset anyone, with little transparency – “upper body injury”. Soon it will be “body injury” or “none of your business”. Gone are the days when reporters could dig and report and teams were more accountable to the fans.
Wonder how the Vegas fan base will take it.
The response has been mild so far,i commented on the vegas hockey now page last week about the potential signing,and there was only 1 other response.The writer of that column didn’t seem too enthusiastic about hart playing there,in his opinion at least.I will pull for carter hart wherever he goes,as i do for most former flyers players who play elsewhere in the nhl,unless they are named cutter.
Big Ten games to be excited about.
Nov 7th and 8th….PSU at Michigan State
Jan 30th and 31st…..Spartans at PSU….with Saturday’s game at Beaver Stadium.
Just another reason to root against Vegas. Just because he was acquitted doesn’t mean he wasn’t guilty. To participate in a group setting with a possibly intoxicated female is just 100% wrong.