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Carter Hart

Flyers Notes: Staal, Hart, Ristolainen

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PHLY Sportswriter Charlie O’Connor tweeted that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is very close to returning to the Flyers lineup but will not return for tomorrow night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Staal has missed 11 straight games with what was being called an upper-body injury, but he confirmed to the media today that he was suffering from a rib injury.

Due to the length of his absence, Staal can be activated off injured reserve at any point, and it appears from Staal’s perspective that a weekend return is possible, although the ultimate decision would fall to the Flyers training staff.

Staal has dressed in just four games for the Flyers this season after signing a one-year $1.1MM deal with the team in the offseason. He has no points in those four games and has averaged over 15 minutes of ice time per game.

In other Flyers notes:

  • Sam Carchidi tweeted that Flyers goaltender Carter Hart should be good to return to the net for tomorrow night’s game against Carolina. Hart has been sidelined with several different issues which have led to a five-game absence. Hart left the game during Philadelphia’s 5-2 loss to Buffalo on November 1st and proceeded to miss the next three games with a mid-body injury before he came down with food poisoning and missed two additional games. Hart has been good for the Flyers thus far this season with a 4-3-0 record with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
  • Carchidi also tweeted that Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is getting closer to a return as he practiced with the team for the first time today. The 29-year-old has yet to dress in a game this season as he has been dealing with a lower-body injury and suffered a setback in the middle of October that kept him off the ice for nearly a month. Ristolainen had three goals and 17 assists last season in 74 games while registering 162 hits and 142 blocked shots.

Snapshots: Darcy Kuemper, Carter Hart, Patrik Laine

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Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery shared that Darcy Kuemper got banged up in the team’s last game. He will sit out of the team’s Friday game with an undisclosed injury. The Capitals recalled Hunter Shepard in response. He will serve as the backup behind Charlie Lindgren on Friday.

Kuemper has been in and out of the lineup to start the season, appearing in eight games with the Capitals. He’s managed a 3-3-2 record through that span, recording a .892 save percentage. That’s a step down from the .902 save percentage that he ended the 2022-23 season with – a mark he set en route to a 22-26-7 record in 57 games.

Charlie Lindgren has found himself with the best save percentage on the team, currently sitting with a .929 through the two games he’s appeared in, saving 65 of the 70 shots that he’s faced so far. Shepard also stepped in for one game, allowing four goals on 22 shots but nevertheless managing his first NHL win.

Other notes from around the league:

Metropolitan Notes: Hughes, Hart, Couturier, Pesce, Kochetkov

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The upper-body injury keeping New Jersey Devils star forward Jack Hughes out of the lineup is a right shoulder ailment, Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com reports. Hughes, who remains tied for the NHL’s points lead with 20, remains out on a week-to-week basis after crashing into the boards in the first period of Friday’s loss to the St. Louis Blues.

Notably, this is not an aggravation of the upper-body injury Hughes sustained during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Novozinsky adds. It’s great news for the Devils, who have relied heavily on their offense and power play to stay afloat this season. The 2019 first-overall pick is averaging over 20 minutes per game and has 15 assists in ten games, including nine power-play assists.

New Jersey is currently without Hughes and captain Nico Hischier due to separate upper-body injuries, meaning the team is down both of its top two centers. Dawson Mercer shifted to the middle, and Michael McLeod jumped up to center the second line in yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division today:

  • Injured Philadelphia Flyers cornerstones Sean Couturier and Carter Hart traveled with the team on their upcoming three-game California road swing, Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports reports. While not a guarantee, the door is open for the team’s first-line center and starting goaltender to return to the lineup sometime this week. The team listed both players as day-to-day on Friday with a lower-body and mid-body injury, respectively. Both players have missed the team’s last two games, a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and a 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
  • Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce has returned to practice for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury nearly three weeks ago, Walt Ruff of the team’s official site reports. Sporting a no-contact sweater, Pesce is almost two weeks into his recovery from surgery undergone on October 24. His return to the lineup is not imminent, but he does appear on track to return in the two-to-four-week window following the surgery as initially expected. Pesce, 28, had two points in five games this season and is a pending UFA.
  • Sticking with Carolina, 24-year-old netminder Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to rejoin the team from his loan to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch before tomorrow’s contest against Buffalo, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal relays. Starter Frederik Andersen is not expected to be available as he is dealing with an undisclosed medical issue, and veteran Jaroslav Halák is not eligible to suit up while on a professional tryout, which he signed with the team this morning. Kochetkov, who has a 0-3-0 record and .836 SV% with the Hurricanes this season, will likely back up Antti Raanta in tomorrow’s contest.

Flyers List Sean Couturier, Carter Hart As Day-To-Day

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Flyers forward Sean Couturier is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, while netminder Carter Hart is out day-to-day with a mid-body injury, per an announcement from the team Friday morning.

Hart’s injury, aggravated in Wednesday night’s loss to the Sabres, was previously reported but was expected to be longer-term. An official injury designation of day-to-day from the team suggests it may not be as severe as Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo reported yesterday.

That’s good news for the Flyers, who have cooled off after a hot start and now sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 4-5-1 record. Hart’s play this season has been strong, recording a .913 SV%, 2.52 GAA, and one shutout. He’s on track to have his second straight season above league average after back-to-back disappointing campaigns in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Flyers’ goaltending options behind Hart leave much to be desired. Hopes were high for 24-year-old Samuel Ersson entering the season after a strong campaign in the starter’s net for AHL Lehigh Valley, but he hasn’t been up to the task thus far. In two starts, the Swedish netminder has allowed 14 goals on just 59 shots, resulting in a ghastly .763 SV% and 4.91 GAA. Third-string netminder Felix Sandström, who made the Flyers out of camp, had a 3-12-3 record and .880 SV% in 18 starts last season and is currently on a conditioning loan to Lehigh Valley. 29-year-old veteran Calvin Petersen, recalled yesterday to serve as Ersson’s backup while Hart is injured, has just a .884 save percentage in four games with Lehigh Valley to kick off 2023-24.

Meanwhile, more injury trouble is not a positive for Couturier, who’s missed practices this season with a lower-body ailment. It’s unclear whether this is a different injury or a reaggravation of the one that’s been bothering him, but it is a sigh of relief that it’s not related to the back issues that kept him out for the better part of two seasons between 2021 and 2023.

Couturier has been among the Flyers’ best players so far, and the 31-year-old looks like he’s barely missed a step despite playing in just 39 of 174 games since the 2021-22 season began. He hasn’t missed any action this year and ranks fourth on the team in scoring, with two goals, six assists and eight points. Averaging 19:32 per game (which leads all Flyers forwards), he’s sporting a 51% win rate on draws and boasts a Corsi share of 54.7% at even strength.

Notably, Couturier’s injury leaves the Flyers without any healthy scratches on the active roster for tonight’s rematch against the Sabres. It’s unclear who will replace Couturier’s spot on the top line between Owen Tippett and Cam Atkinson. Shutdown center Noah Cates, who has a goal and three assists in ten contests this year, ranks second among Flyers centers in average ice time with 16:02 and seems like the closest chemistry fit for Couturier’s role. That means Scott Laughton could slide back into a third-line position centering Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink, while Ryan Poehling will re-enter the lineup and center the fourth line after serving as a healthy scratch for the last two games.

Carter Hart To Miss Weeks With Mid-Body Injury

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The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be without their top goaltender Carter Hart for an extended period of time, as Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo shared that Hart could miss anywhere from two to six weeks. Hart left the team’s Wednesday night game with the injury that will now hold him out. The exact moment that the injury occurred is unclear, although there was a moment when Kyle Okposo awkwardly fell on Hart that could have been the inciting incident.

Sam Ersson took over for the Flyers after Hart’s injury. It’s expected that Ersson will hang onto the role, with many anticipating that the team will call up Cal Petersen to operate as his backup. Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate has also had Felix Sandstrom and Parker Gahagen play games for them this season, with Sandstrom recording an overtime loss in his sole AHL game this year and Gahagen repping a team-best .911 save percentage through three games.

Regardless of who Philadelphia opts to use as a backup, Ersson is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of Hart’s absence. Ersson is technically a rookie, despite playing in 12 games last season, and has started the season out a bit uneasily, setting a 0-2-1 record and .763 save percentage through three games. He set a 6-3-0 record and .899 save percentage in his 12 appearances last year. He also played in 42 AHL games last year, recording a .900 save percentage and 24-17-1 record. The Flyers drafted Ersson in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, taking him 143rd overall. He’ll operate as the team’s top option for the time being, getting his first shot at the starter’s net.

Flyers’ Carter Hart Leaves Game And Will Not Return

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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart left tonight’s game with an apparent mid-body injury and will not return. The Flyers tweeted the news just moments ago after Carter left the game in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres. Hart allowed two goals on five shots to start the game after he appeared to injure himself early in the first period. He stayed in the game and looked as though he would try to gut it out, but ultimately decided better of it and exited around the ten-minute mark.

It’s always hard to pinpoint exactly when an injury occurred but the likeliest event in this case was when Sabres forward Kyle Okposo appeared to fall on Hart. The 25-year-old received a visit from the trainer but remained in net and was slow to get up off the ice on several occasions before he was removed from the game.

Sam Ersson took over duties in the Flyers net and could end up seeing a lot more playing time if Carter is out for any length of time. Ersson has struggled in back-to-back starts after winning the backup job in training camp. The 24-year-old is currently sporting a .760 save percentage and 5.91 goals against average entering action tonight. If the Hart injury is of the serious variety, the Flyers could also call up Felix Sandstrom from his conditioning stint with AHL Lehigh Valley and have Cal Petersen stashed in the AHL as well.

This is an important season for Hart as he looks to bounce back from three consecutive disappointing seasons after starting his career with such promise. The Sherwood Park, Alberta native has been terrific for the Flyers in this young season posting a 4-3 record with 2.30 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. He has been largely responsible for the Flyers surprising, albeit unspectacular start to the season.

Canadiens Notes: Montembeault, Hart, Monahan, Galipeau

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A year ago, Samuel Montembeault was just getting through his first full NHL season, one that didn’t go all that well with the Canadiens finishing dead last.  As a result, he didn’t have much leverage in contract talks, ultimately signing a two-year, $2MM deal, one that takes him straight to UFA eligibility in 2024.  Now, following an improved campaign and a strong showing at the World Championship last month, his trajectory is on the upswing.  The 26-year-old is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st and speaking with reporters earlier this week (video link), GM Kent Hughes indicated that he’s open to trying to work out a new deal quickly with his netminder.  Montembeault posted a 3.42 GAA with a .901 SV% in 40 games this season so his next contract shouldn’t break the bank but he has positioned himself to at least double his $1MM AAV whenever he signs his next deal.

More from Montreal:

  • Among the ongoing Carter Hart trade speculation, there have been suggestions that the Canadiens could be interested in acquiring the 24-year-old but Marc-Antoine Godin and Arpon Basu of The Athletic report (subscription link) that this is not the case. Instead, it appears they’ll retain their tandem from this season with veteran Jake Allen joining Montembeault while prospect Cayden Primeau will also jockey for playing time as he is now waiver-eligible.
  • In his latest podcast (video link), Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and TSN notes that there have been discussions about the possibility of Montreal bringing back center Sean Monahan next season. The Canadiens picked up a future first-round pick to take on his contract from Calgary back in August and the 28-year-old did fairly well early in the season, picking up 17 points in 25 games before a variety of injuries ended his season.  Monahan is eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses this summer as long as it’s a one-year agreement and if he’s willing to do so, he could garner some interest from cap-strapped teams looking for short-term help as well.
  • Olivier Galipeau will remain with Montreal’s farm team next season as their affiliate in Laval announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a one-year, one-way AHL contract. The 26-year-old started the season in the ECHL and was quite productive with 15 points in 19 games before being recalled for the rest of the year to Laval where he put up nine points in 45 contests.

Latest On Carter Hart, Kevin Hayes

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The Philadelphia Flyers (and rookie general manager Daniel Brière) made their first big splash of the offseason earlier this week. Naturally, though, after acquiring a fourth goalie with decent NHL experience in Calvin Petersen, questions began to resurface about the future of budding star netminder Carter Hart with the team.

Within minutes of Tuesday’s trade being reported, reports from various insiders surfaced the Flyers were at least engaged in discussions with teams about moving Hart, although it wasn’t something as imminent as the Ivan Provorov deal, which was officially announced hours later. Today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on The Jeff Marek Show that progress toward a Hart trade hasn’t advanced, saying a source told him to “dial back on the [rumors]” and that moving Hart wasn’t Philadelphia’s current top priority.

The Fourth Period today seemed a little more optimistic about the eventuality of a Hart deal, but again noted nothing was imminent on that front. However, they did specifically name the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens as teams believed to have interest in acquiring the 24-year-old.

Both teams got strong goaltending performances this season from Ilya Samsonov and Sam Montembeault, respectively, but neither of them is regarded as the sure-fire long-term starter Hart is. While a poor bubble season in 2020-21 drags Hart’s career numbers down considerably, he’s been admirable in a tough position for Philadelphia in other seasons and sat among the top of the league in multiple stats during the first few months of 2022-23.

The Fourth Period also mentioned in today’s report that the lines of communication aren’t quite closed between the Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets, especially regarding a long-time rumored deal involving Kevin Hayes. They noted the Provorov trade was of higher priority to both clubs, but the two parties are now “set to reengage” after completing the three-team deal.

The main negotiating factor in a Hayes trade is reportedly salary retention, suggesting a return package from Columbus might already be ironed out. Hayes, 31, finished second in scoring among Flyers players with 54 points in 81 games this season and provides a much-needed upgrade at center for Columbus, although his roughly $7.1MM cap hit is a tad rich for his skillset and career arc.

Daniel Briere To Consider Trading Carter Hart

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The new General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, Daniel Briere, has acknowledged the possibility that goaltender Carter Hart may be on the move this summer. In a post from Philadelphia Hockey Now, Chuck Bausman reports the quote, where Briere said, “Most likely, Carter will be our goalie for the future, but I’m not in a position to turn down anything, I have to listen.”

After becoming the interim General Manager for the Flyers in March, Briere quickly acknowledged that Philadelphia was headed toward a rebuild. Failing to make the playoffs the last three seasons, Briere will be looking to change up his roster starting this summer.

In all likelihood, Hart will remain the Flyers’ goaltender of the future, but putting out the possibility of a trade to the public should raise some eyebrows. At still only 24 years old, and with Hart only becoming a restricted free agent at the conclusion of his current contract, Hart should be considered a building block in Philadelphia’s rebuilding efforts.

Aside from a disastrous 2020-21 season, Hart has shown to be a quality goaltender in the NHL. This past season, Hart started in 54 games, holding a record of 22-23-10, and posting a .907 SV% and a 2.94 GAA. Especially considering that the Flyers finished 23rd in the league in GA/G, Hart’s production added some much-needed stability to a lineup that his wholly lacking in that department.

If Philadelphia does end up moving on from Hart, factoring in his age, his performance, and the flexibility provided in his contract, there should be plenty of suitors for his services. For context, although not holding two above-average goaltenders like the 2012-13 Vancouver Canucks, the Canucks were able to trade Cory Schneider at the 2013 NHL Draft for the ninth overall pick, which would go on to become Bo Horvat.

Schneider did hold a longer string of success compared to Hart, but considering that Hart is three years younger compared to when Schneider was traded, and they hold similar contracts, the Flyers could conceivably receive a large haul for Hart.

Injury Notes: Penguins, Hart, Schenn

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently locked in a battle against the Florida Panthers for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and they sit just one point behind Florida with a game in hand at the time of writing. They’ve kept themselves in the race despite facing some major injury losses, although it now seems that reinforcements could be on the horizon.

Today, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told the media, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh, that four significant injured Penguins all skated today and could return before the conclusion of the regular season. Those four Penguins are Dmitry Kulikov, Marcus Pettersson, Jan Rutta, and Nick Bonino. The additions of Kulikov, Pettersson, and Rutta back into the lineup in particular could help Pittsburgh as goaltender Tristan Jarry struggled in the month of March, and adding three significant contributors back to the defense in front of him could help Jarry return to form in time for some crucial late-season games or even the first round of the playoffs, should they make it.

Some other injury notes:

  • Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart has been out since his March 25th shutout over the Detroit Red Wings, but don’t expect Hart’s absence to extend for the rest of the season. Flyers head coach John Tortorella was asked if Hart’s injury would be season-ending, and he responded with a definitive “no,” per The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. While Hart’s absence has given the team the opportunity to take an extra look at Felix Sandstrom, getting Hart back into the crease before the end of the season would allow him to put some finishing touches on what has been an impressive season.
  • St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn had a bit of an injury scare during today’s game against the Boston Bruins, but seems to have moved past it. As covered by The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, Schenn took a skate to the hand, and then left to the locker room with a team athletic trainer to repair some damage caused by what may have been a high stick. Schenn did return to the ice, though, and managed to notch an assist on teammate Jordan Kyrou’s goal despite a cut finger and having stitches on his face, per Rutherford. It seems what has hurt Schenn this game won’t keep him out of any future contests, but given his importance to the Blues as a whole (he has 21 goals and 59 points this season) his status may be worth monitoring.

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