Frank Seravalli Analyzes Carter Hart’s Fit on Two NHL Teams

Seravalli pointed to the Vegas Golden Knights’ long-term uncertainty in net after moving on from Ilya Samsonov, and suggested that Hart, “still south of the age of 30,” could be a fit for their future plans alongside Adin Hill, who Seravalli called “obviously the guy.”

“(Hart) is someone that could fit with that team for the longer haul and also give him a chance to win,” Seravalli said.

The Bleacher Report analyst also mentioned the Nashville Predators as a possible destination despite Juuse Saros being under contract, citing questions about the Predators’ long-term goaltending picture.

“I’m going to give one that I haven’t been able to rule out yet that I think is really interesting, but not from an obvious perspective, and that’s the Nashville Predators,” Seravalli said. “Yes, they have Juuse Saros. Yes, he’s on a long-term deal. Yes, he’s coming off a really disappointing season. What are the Preds' plans in net for the future? I’m wondering if Carter Hart could be a fit for the Nashville Predators.”

Hart has not played in over 20 months, will be allowed to sign a new contract starting Oct. 15, and the NHL has set his eligibility date for December 1 after a lengthy legal process related to the Hockey Canada scandal.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed the possible backlash the five reinstated players would face if they choose to sign with a Canadian franchise on Monday’s episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, predicting all of them to sign in the USA.

“Now, as for the five players and their futures, I would be surprised if any of them played in Canada,” Friedman said. “I think that it’s much more likely they all end up in the United States if they get signed.”

For Vegas, Nashville, and all other Hart suitors, the decision will come down to weighing both how much the goalie will help their long-term plans in net and how much of a gamble it'd be.