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Carter Hart

Philadelphia Flyers Send Felix Sandstrom On Conditioning Stint

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After activating Carter Hart from injured reserve yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers did not immediately send a goaltender to the minor leagues. It was a curious decision, given Samuel Ersson could be loaned without exposing him to waivers. Today, they’ve explained why, by sending Felix Sandstrom on a conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That does not require him to pass through waivers. The team has also recalled Kieffer Bellows from the AHL with the extra roster spot they had.

Sandstrom, 25, has essentially been overtaken by Ersson on the depth chart and has appeared just once in the last month despite Hart’s brief absence. The former top prospect has an .888 save percentage in nine appearances this season and has lost seven of them, looking shaky almost every time he entered the net. The only thing saving him from being assigned to the minor leagues more permanently is his waiver status, which would require the Flyers to expose him before sending him down.

Given that goaltenders are the most frequent waiver claims, that could be risky, though it is rather obvious who the team would prefer as the backup right now. Ersson has played well in Hart’s place, getting the last three starts and allowing just six goals on 86 shots. All three were wins, something the Flyers haven’t been able to say very often this year.

Some fans will suggest that it isn’t even a good thing. The Flyers sit 14-17-7 on the year and don’t look to have any chance of competing for the playoffs, but runs like their current win streak also push them further away from lottery contention. The club now sits 26th in the league, and 15 points ahead of the last-place Chicago Blackhawks. Eventually, they will have to make a decision on whether or not to expose Sandstrom to waivers or send Ersson back down.

Bellows, meanwhile, is coming back up after once again showing that he can score regularly at the minor league level. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders earlier this season and struggled with his new club, failing to register a point in 12 Flyers games. But in 11 matches with the Phantoms, he has nine points and was back to playing his physical, gritty game. If the 2016 first-round pick has any NHL potential left in him, there’s no better time to show it.

Carter Hart Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Philadelphia Flyers have their starting goaltender back, after activating Carter Hart from injured reserve. The young netminder cleared from the concussion protocol a few days ago but is now ready to get back into game action. The team already had room on the roster after sending Olle Lycksell down yesterday.

Hart, 24, has a .911 save percentage in 27 appearances this season, a nice bounce-back campaign after his struggles the last two years. Unfortunately, given the team he plays behind, that has resulted in just ten wins, with Hart leading the entire league in overtime and shootout losses with six. His return gives the Flyers’ their best chance at victory, though some fans will now believe that’s the opposite goal at this point in the year.

In his absence, the Flyers gave three straight starts to Samuel Ersson, who actually played quite well in his first NHL experience. Interestingly, the 23-year-old Ersson hasn’t been loaned back to the minor leagues yet, meaning Philadelphia is carrying three goaltenders. Felix Sandstrom would need to clear waivers to go down (while Ersson wouldn’t), something they may not want to risk. Given he has been dealing with an illness of late, they may be keeping Ersson up just for the next few days.

Either way, it should be back to normal with Hart taking the majority of starts. The Flyers are back in action tomorrow and then have a back-to-back situation coming up on Sun-Mon, something to keep an eye on to see whether Ersson or Sandstrom gets in the net.

Carter Hart Placed On Injured Reserve; Max Willman Placed On Waivers

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After saying that Carter Hart was good to go less than 24 hours ago, the Philadelphia Flyers have now placed their starting goaltender on injured reserve, according to Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The team has also recalled Olle Lycksell from the AHL, and will place Max Willman on waivers later today.

Despite the IR placement, Hart was a full participant in practice today for the Flyers according to Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic. Even if the team has made the placement retroactive to his last appearance, it means Hart will not be able to play in tomorrow’s game against the San Jose Sharks. He could potentially return in time for Saturday’s match against the Los Angeles Kings, if deemed healthy. Head coach John Tortorella explained that Hart is still in concussion protocol but is expected to play this weekend.

It’s an odd situation but protecting their young starter is critical if the Flyers want to have any success in the second half of the season. The 24-year-old leads the league in appearances from a goaltender with 27, and has posted a 10-11-6 record with a .911 save percentage so far. Given that the team has won just a single game without Hart’s help, he is arguably the most important player on the roster at the moment.

Willman, meanwhile, has played in nine games so far this year and doesn’t have a single point. The 27-year-old last played on December 13, and will likely clear waivers without issue.

East Notes: McAvoy, Hart, Andersen

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The Boston Bruins are rolling to start the year despite a predicted slow start due to injuries to key players. Their 11-2-0 record is good enough for 22 points and first place in the Eastern Conference, and as if things haven’t been good enough, they’re about to get the final key piece of the puzzle back in their lineup. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is set to make his season debut tomorrow against the Calgary Flames, marking his return from offseason shoulder surgery.

McAvoy, 24, has finished top 10 in Norris Trophy voting each of the past three seasons but has yet to receive his first nomination for the trophy. He’s coming off a 2021-22 campaign when he set career highs in goals (10), assists (46), points (56), plus-minus (+31), and average time on ice (24:38). The New York-born All-Star is set to resume his top-pairing role alongside Hampus Lindholm, who’s taken the reigns in McAvoy’s absence with 13 points in 13 games. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reported last week that McAvoy was ahead of schedule in his recovery, and was set to return earlier than his rough projection of December 1.

  • Philadelphia Flyers youngster Carter Hart is ready to return to action in the crease tomorrow against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a one-game absence due to illness, notes Philly Hockey Now’s Sam Carchidi. Head coach John Tortorella didn’t go so far as to name Hart as the starter for tomorrow night, but it wouldn’t shock anyone if the netminder took the crease. The 24-year-old has yet to lose in regulation through eight starts in 2022-23.
  • Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour today offered an update on goaltender Frederik Andersen, saying that “he tweaked something.” Brind’Amour added that he didn’t think Andersen’s undisclosed injury was serious but didn’t want to put Andersen in the net without full health. His injury necessitated the emergency recall of Pyotr Kochetkov yesterday.

Philadelphia Flyers Re-Assign Samuel Ersson

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Nov 9: Ersson has been returned to the AHL, with Zamua recalled once again.

Nov 8: Philadelphia Flyers starting netminder Carter Hart will miss tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues with an illness, reports The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. Backup Felix Sandstrom will get the start, with Samuel Ersson recalled from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms to be the backup.

In order to make room on the roster, the Flyers assigned defenseman Yegor Zamula to the Phantoms, but The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner notes it’s a temporary stay. Head coach John Tortorella likes what he’s seen from Zamula so far, and he’ll be up on the active roster as soon as they have the space.

For the Flyers, it’s an immeasurable loss to their lineup, even if it’s just for a game. Hart has arguably been the league’s best goaltender to start the year, putting up All-Star numbers behind a Flyers team that’s in the bottom sect of the league analytically. He boasts a 6-0-2 record, a .946 save percentage, and a 1.97 goals-against average through eight starts.

Ersson impressed in training camp for Philadelphia, and he’s tracking a .908 save percentage through six games in Lehigh Valley. He remains the team’s third option in net ahead of veteran Troy Grosenick, who’s off to a rough start in the minors despite a longstanding track record of AHL success.

Carter Hart Expected To Be Ready For Season Opener

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Of all the injuries that the Philadephia Flyers are already dealing with before the year even begins, Carter Hart’s status might be the most important. The young netminder does not have a veteran backup to insulate him this season, and any hope the Flyers have of competing for the playoffs will likely come down to his performance.

It’s frightening then for Flyers fans when Hart is absent from practices or preseason games, as he has so far. Today, when meeting with the media, he explained to reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that they are just being cautious and that he will be ready for the start of the season. The Philadelphia medical staff has deemed Hart (along with Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson) has been cleared for non-contact practice, and he was on the ice today with the group.

After bursting into the NHL with an outstanding .917 save percentage as a rookie and following it up with a strong sophomore campaign, Hart hasn’t been quite that franchise-altering netminder that the Flyers were hoping for. In 2020-21 he posted an .877 save percentage in 27 appearances, and last season he had a .905 in 45. While a good chunk of that is due to the weak play from the skaters in front of him, there should be legitimate criticism of his performance as well.

If he can get back to the goaltender that he looked like a few years ago, the Flyers have a chance of really improving on their poor 2021-22 campaign. But given that it is Felix Sandstrom and his five NHL appearances behind him, any struggles could be devastating. Being cautious is certainly warranted, though fans won’t be very trusting of the Philadelphia medical staff after the past few years.

East Notes: DeBrincat, Severson, Flyers Injuries

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When the Ottawa Senators traded the seventh-overall pick at the 2021 draft along with two other picks to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Alex DeBrincat, many assumed that the Senators were making the trade with the idea of signing DeBrincat to a long-term extension. While that’s definitely Ottawa’s preferred option with their new winger, it seems DeBrincat hasn’t made a firm choice on whether to commit to the Senators long-term just yet.

As reported by Ian Mendes of The Athletic, DeBrincat “isn’t ready” to sign a long-term deal in Ottawa at this point, although he did say that he’s “open” to the possibility of it. (subscription link) DeBrincat will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024, and without a long-term deal in place DeBrincat could accept a $9MM minimum qualifying offer this summer, which would take him right to free agency. DeBrincat, who scored 78 points this season, is an extremely talented offensive player and someone who the Senators undoubtedly want to be a cornerstone member of their club. With this development in mind, it will be important to monitor how well DeBrincat fits in his new surroundings in Ottawa because that fit could determine if the Senators get their wish, which is DeBrincat’s signature on a long-term deal.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL’s Eastern Conference:

  • New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson has spent the entirety of his eight-year professional career in New Jersey, but with his contract set to expire at the end of this season, his time in red and black could be coming to an end. Severson told the media today, as relayed by James Nichols of The Fourth Period, that contract talks between him and the Devils have not yet begun. That doesn’t mean that a deal won’t get done between now and next summer, of course, but with the signing of Dougie Hamilton, the recent Jonas Siegenthaler extension, the acquisition of John Marino, and the eventual arrivals of Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, it’s definitely possible that the Devils don’t see room for Severson long-term in their top-four.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers issued a few injury updates today, as reported by NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer. Per the update, both Artem Anisimov and Carter Hart are dealing with lower-body injuries, and Cam Atkinson is dealing with an upper-body ailment. All are officially day-to-day. While these injuries don’t seem likely to have any major impact on Hart or  Atkinson, an injury could pose an issue for Anisimov, who is in Flyers camp on a PTO and is battling for a roster spot.

Metropolitan Notes: Fedotov, Niederreiter, Rangers

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Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov has been arrested in Russia, reports Sport-Express’ Alexey Shevchenko.  The issue appears to pertain to the netminder’s mandatory military service which has not been fulfilled.  Fedotov left his contract with CSKA Moscow to sign a one-year deal with Philadelphia back in May.  That team is owned by the Russian army (the A in CSKA stands for Army) with its players being considered military personnel so his departure could be classified as a breach of contract.  On the surface, that could put his NHL plans on hold for next season which could have the Flyers back on the hunt for a backup goaltender as the 25-year-old was widely expected to be Carter Hart’s backup next season after being a finalist for the KHL’s top goaltender in 2021-22.  GM Chuck Fletcher released the following statement on the matter to Oliver Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link):

We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Hurricanes winger Nino Niederreiter will test the open market when it opens up on July 13th, his agent Andre Rufener told Pierre LeBrun in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link). Rufener didn’t rule out the possibility of Carolina re-signing him but the 29-year-old will see what’s out there first.  Niederreiter is coming off his second straight season of at least 20 goals which should have his market somewhere close to the $5.25MM he had on his set-to-expire contract.
  • As the Rangers look to find their second-line center for next season, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that they have shifted their focus to the trade market. He notes that the team was unable to meet the asking price of Ryan Strome, their second-line pivot for the past four seasons, or Andrew Copp, their prominent trade deadline acquisition.  New York has been linked to Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois although, with just $11MM in cap space per CapFriendly with several roster spots to be filled, it would be difficult for them to afford Dubois’ next contract – he’s a pending restricted free agent – onto their books as it will undoubtedly come in higher than what Strome and Copp receive.

Injury Updates: Flyers, Barabanov, Maple Leafs, Murray

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Don’t expect the Flyers to get many – if any – reinforcements from their injured list over the final few games.  Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link) that the only player that might be able to return is defenseman Nick Seeler with interim head coach Mike Yeo admitting that even that “might be a bit of a long shot”.  This means the season has come to an end for wingers Cam Atkinson and Patrick Brown, defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Kevin Connauton, and Cam York, as well as goaltender Carter Hart.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov is listed as probable for tonight’s game against Chicago, notes Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury.  Barabanov has been one of the bright spots for San Jose this season, notching 37 points in 65 games, a very nice return on a $1MM AAV.  He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer and will be looking at a sizable raise on his next contract.
  • The Maple Leafs could have defenseman Jake Muzzin back in the lineup tomorrow against Washington, reports Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). The veteran has been held out of the last few games after struggling a bit after returning from a concussion.  Meanwhile, Fox adds that blueliner Rasmus Sandin is expected to start practicing with the team as he works his way back from a knee injury that landed him on LTIR last month.  Toronto has enough cap flexibility to activate him if he’s able to get into a game before the end of the season but if not, he should be ready for the playoffs.
  • Senators goaltender Matt Murray is hoping to get into a game or two by the end of the season but it doesn’t seem likely to happen, mentions Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The netminder has been out for the last six weeks with a neck injury and is a speculative candidate to play for Canada at next month’s World Championships.  An appearance or two in the final week for Ottawa would go a long way towards demonstrating that he’ll be able to play in that tournament.

Philadelphia Flyers Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced several moves, including one that you don’t see very often. Carter Hart will be out for this afternoon’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an eye infection. His status is unclear moving forward, though there is hope that it doesn’t keep him out long. To fill the spot, Kirill Ustimenko has been recalled under emergency conditions. Meanwhile, Rasmus Ristolainen and Patrick Brown have both been activated from injured reserve, while Wade Allison has moved to IR to make room.

Among those moves, Ristolainen’s return may be the biggest. The veteran defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent and could potentially be a prime target at the trade deadline. His health will likely determine how many teams are interested though, so getting him back into the lineup can only help the Flyers. Ristolainen hasn’t played since February 9 against the Detroit Red Wings where he logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time.

Overall, he’s averaging more than 21 minutes this season, his first in Philadelphia. The Flyers suggested earlier this season that they hoped to sign Ristolainen to an extension, though with the way the year has gone so far it’s hard to argue that a trade wouldn’t be more productive. Notorious for his poor plus-minus record, despite that statistic not inspiring much faith, Ristolainen is once again in the negative at -12 on the year. He’s been on the ice for 46 goals against at even strength, worse than all but 28 other defensemen in the league.

Still, the mix of size, skating ability, and offensive upside that the 27-year-old brings (along with the fact that he’s right-handed) will make him an interesting player to watch as the deadline approaches.

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