It’s no secret the Edmonton Oilers could use an upgrade for embattled goalie Stuart Skinner.
Yet, according to well-connected insider Frank Seravalli, the Oilers are not interested in signing Carter Hart, even though he was acquitted of sexual assault last week.
Before his contract was terminated by the Philadelphia Flyers after being charged as one of the five defendants in the high-profile Hockey Canada case, Hart was 96-93-29 with a .906 save percentage and 2.94 goals-against average.
Why Are The Oilers Not Interested In Carter Hart?
The Oilers finished 16th in the NHL in team save percentage (.894) during the regular season and was 11th among the 16 Stanley Cup Playoff teams in postseason save percentage (.882).
Despite posting a league-high three playoff shutouts (3), Skinner had an .889 save percentage and an awful .400 quality-start percentage per Hockey Reference. Reserve Calvin Pickard was even worse, since he posted a 28.6 percent quality-start mark in the playoffs, while posting an .886 save percentage.
So the Oilers have been tied to Hart — with some pushing them to “rush to sign” him after the trial verdict was unveiled last week. But the NHL is keeping Hart, along with Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote and Dillon Dube, out of the league while they do their own investigation.
“I was told Carter Hart is a non-starter for the Edmonton Oilers,” Seravalli said. “He’s a non-starter for everyone right now coming off his acquittal in the Hockey Canada sexual-assault case in court in London, Ontario.
“He and the other four NHL players have been labeled by the NHL as ineligible, and they’re going to continue reviewing the file before they determine next steps by the commissioner’s office.”
The Oilers, who have served as something of a second-chance operation for players with off-ice struggles — notably Evander Kane who dealt with bankruptcy, domestic-violence allegations, assault allegations, rumors that he coerced a woman to have an abortion, plus violation of the COVID-19 protocol when he produced a fake vaccine card before he joined the Oilers in 2021.
But Kane, who Edmonton traded to the Vancouver Canucks last month, was able to repair his public image after scoring 26 playoff goals and helping the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons.
So, even though the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is reportedly reviewing the case, the fact the Oilers would not even entertain the possibility of filling their glaring in goal with Hart speaks volumes about how they are perceived by league personnel — even as the players’ union fights for their reinstatement.
“Until they are cleared to play, it’s not even a conversation worth having, even though the NHLPA has strongly voiced their objection to how how the NHL has viewed this situation,” Seravalli said.
What Other Goalies Can The Oilers Target?
Edmonton appears content to run back its embattled goaltending duo of Skinner and Pickard, though each is on an expiring contract for 2025-26, which makes things a little bit more fluid.
But Edmonton may be stuck with its current netminders, at least to start the season, since it is up against the salary-cap ceiling. The Oilers in cap flux, despite the rising number to $95.5 million, since they are paying a $2.3 million cap charge to former goalie Jack Campbell, who was bought out last June.
Still, the Oilers need an upgrade in goal, since this could be the final year of their championship window if they are unable to retain captain and three-time Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, who is set to become a free agent in 11 months.
So if the Oilers are unwilling — or unable — to sign Hart, and can’t execute a trade for either Skinner or Pickard, they could sign either Russian-born goalies Ilya Samsonov or Alexandar Georgiev.
Insider Calls Carter Hart ‘A Non-Starter’ For Oilers