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.
Philadelphia Hockey Now's Chuck Bausman relayed a quote Briere made on Philadelphia's 94.1 WIP regarding his No. 1 goalie.
“Most likely, Carter will be our goalie for the future, but I’m not in a position to turn down anything," Briere said. "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. Still only 24 years old, and 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, he started in 54 games, holding a record of 22-23-10 while posting a .907 SV% and a 2.94 GAA. Considering that the Flyers finished 23rd in the league in GA/G, Hart’s production added some much-needed stability to a lineup that was 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, 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 than Schneider was, and they hold similar contracts, the Flyers could conceivably receive a large haul for Hart.
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