Report: Edmonton Oilers could inquire on goaltender Carter Hart following judge’s ruling on trial

Now, it is important to note that this tweet is pure speculation. There is no suggestion the Oilers are actually actively ready to pursue Hart following the conclusion of the court case. But the main problem is, the fit and situation make this the exact situation that the Edmonton Oilers have been completely fine pursuing in recent years.

Carter Hart’s availability

Hart, currently 26 years of age, is an unrestricted free agent after not being qualified by the Philadelphia Flyers following the expiration of his previous contract that ended after the 2023–24 season. He has not played since January 2024 after being placed on an indefinite leave of absence. He was then ordered to surrender to the London Police to be charged with sexual assault with teammates from the 2018 World Junior Team.

Hart could be available to sign a contract later this month. The trial, involving Hart and his teammates Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, and Alex Formenton, concluded last month. Court will reconvene on July 24 to hear the judge’s ruling. That ruling will determine the immediate path forward for Hart.

If he is found not guilty, his eligibility for play would be in the hands of the NHL. He may face punishment or a suspension for his actions delaying his return to the league. But, he may also be let off scot free and ready for training camp with a team.

Is that team bound to the Edmonton Oilers?

If there is any team in the league right now that would be fine to bring Hart into the organization, it is the Oilers. We have seen on numerous occasions in recent years (Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Stan Bowman) that this team has extremely lax standards on the background of the people they bring in. Carter Hart would be the most likely destination league-wide for an NHL comeback for that reason.

Unfortunately, the Oilers have been in a multi-year long struggle for quality goaltending, and although Bowman has said he isn’t shopping for a big change in net, he may be looking to upgrade the back-up position. For Hart, who will have not played a game in 18 months by the start of the season, a professional try-out and potential for a low-cost, one-year deal after preseason seems to be an incredibly likely scenario for a return to the NHL.

That is also how the Oilers are approaching their acquisitions lately, as well. Finding low-cost options that they can acquire for below market value.

This particular player is a risky acquisition, however, from an on and off-ice perspective. On-ice, he hasn’t played in a long time and even when he was playing, aside from his rookie season he has been average at best. His statline was slightly worse than Skinner, albeit Hart was on a worse team.

Off-ice, the PR nightmare that would follow this player would be relentless. Regardless of the outcome of his case, his actions will follow him for the rest of his attempted career. And, it has been made clear through the case that Hart was involved in some capacity, given his own testimony placing him at the scene.

It would be yet another in an ever-growing list of players the Oilers bring into the organization as rehab projects to give them additional chances. With a sizeable portion of the fanbase of the team and league-wide likely and rightfully ready to criticize this decision.

It becomes yet another case of “but he’s good at hockey” overruling the character of the person at the centre of the decision.