Philadelphia Flyers: 3 Trade Destinations for Carter Hart

The Philadelphia Flyers made their first big move of the offseason Tuesday afternoon when they traded Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but reports suggest Carter Hart could be the next big domino to fall before the draft. 

Carter Hart appears to be at a crossroads for the first time in his pro career – Hart is not an old goalie by any means, but the potential franchise netminder no longer fits the Philadelphia Flyers’ rebuild timeline. The same can be said for Ivan Provorov, who was drafted only one year before Hart. Provorov yielded an impressive haul for new Flyers GM Daniel Briere, and it is expected that Hart can bring even more back to Philly, given that dependable, young goaltenders are much harder to find than second-pairing defensemen.

The Edmonton Oilers might know this better than any team in the NHL. Ken Holland and the Oilers sought to plug their biggest weakness – leaky goaltending – in 2022, and it worked for the most part. 24-year old Stuart Skinner emerged as a regular season hero, posting a 29-14-5 record and usurping the starting role from struggling veteran Jack Campbell. Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Oilers in the offseason, posted a paltry 0.888 save percentage across 34 regular season starts. In the playoffs, their performances were reversed. In 12 playoff starts, Skinner went 5-6-0 with a 0.883 save percentage, while Campbell posted a 0.961 save percentage in four relief appearances. Just like that, the Oilers are back to square one.

With the Oilers tethered to Campbell for another four seasons, Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers have another opportunity to wreak some major havoc. Ken Holland might be feeling the flames after another disappointing playoff exit, and the embattled GM might have the ammunition to make a desperate attempt to straighten out the back end. As the Flyers are still a ways away from competing, it could be smart to make another move like they did with Columbus and the Los Angeles Kings today.

In exchange for taking on Jack Campbell’s contract, and a star young goaltender in Carter Hart, Briere should be asking for Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, or both. Ken Holland has notoriously been an aggressive trader, and it might only take as much as Briere dangling the bait in the water for him to bite.

The Seattle Kraken had unprecedented success after their inaugural season in 2022, as they not only made the playoffs, but also knocked off the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the first round this year. If the Kraken want to build on their success, a goaltending upgrade in the form of Carter Hart might make sense.

Beyond the 2023-24 season, the future of the Kraken’s goaltending is very questionable. Former Flyer Martin Jones has been bad for quite a few years now, and the Kraken are expected to let him walk this offseason. Chris Driedger has one season left on his contract and played only 14 games in the AHL with Coachella Valley after recovering from an ACL injury. Philipp Grubauer was okay in the playoffs, but has gone two consecutive regular seasons in Seattle with a save percentage below 0.900.

Luckily for the Kraken, they shouldn’t need to break the bank for a Carter Hart trade unless they are outbid by other teams. Shane Wright is obviously off limits, unless the Kraken and Flyers combine for some crazy blockbuster move involving more pieces than just Hart and Wright. The Flyers desperately need a top center prospect in addition to whomever they might select in this year’s draft, and David Goyette might make sense. If Daniel Briere feels like going a different route, Jagger Firkus is a decent prospect at right wing.

Whatever the return might be, it ultimately comes down to what pieces Briere feels add the most to the scarce foundation of this Philadelphia Flyers team. Whether it be defense, center, or wing, the Flyers need to get better, younger, and faster from the pieces brought by a Carter Hart trade.