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Insider: Carter Hart Ruling Out Oilers, Flyers and 6 Other Teams

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/in ... r-AA1Msbhr


Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports that Carter Hart is likely going to have a deal in place with an NHL team by October 1. He won’t be able to sign it until October 15, but teams can talk to the goaltender as he eyes a return to the NHL.

Among the teams that won’t be in the mix are the Philadelphia Flyers, says Johnston.

The NHL insider writes, “His top priorities are finding a job with a clear chance to get a meaningful number of starts and playing for a team that can win.” Johnston adds, “Hart is looking for a fresh start, which effectively rules out a return to Philadelphia.”

All other Canadian cities are also reportedly not in the running. Johnston notes, “He’s also almost certainly going to land with a U.S.-based team, per league sources. ” That means the Edmonton Oilers are out, too. Understandably, Hart is likely going to try to distance himself from the backlash that will come in the Canadian market after he was part of a sexual allegations case while a member of Team Canada. The spotlight is bright in cities like Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and others. His focus will be on hockey, playing well, and trying to prove he’s capable of getting a contract beyond the short-term one he signs.

“That invalidates any notion of the Sherwood Park, Alta., native landing with his hometown Edmonton Oilers — a popular speculative home among some media and fans, but in reality not a good fit on either side of the equation.”

Hart is expected to sign a two- or three-year NHL contract. He’ll use the month from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 to regain form, likely starting a few AHL games with Lehigh Valley before returning to the NHL in early December.

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 6:35 pm [article saying hart wants a new start, on a team with a chance to play a meaningful number of games, and can win, and not in Canada

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sun Sep 14, 2025 7:41 pm I'm surprised to see Jack Roslovic and Matt Grzelcyk sitting there unsigned. They both seem to be coming off atypically productive career seasons and were undoubtedly looking to cash in. They would be handy bargain signings for someone if it works out that way.

UWSaint wrote: ↑Mon Sep 15, 2025 8:31 am

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sun Sep 14, 2025 7:41 pm I'm surprised to see Jack Roslovic and Matt Grzelcyk sitting there unsigned. They both seem to be coming off atypically productive career seasons and were undoubtedly looking to cash in. They would be handy bargain signings for someone if it works out that way.

It seems every year there are a couple of these guys whose productivity, either measured by stats or advanced metrics (but rarely both….) give them/their agents an understanding of their value that’s not shared in the market. They will accordingly adjust their price, but since teams filled what they needed from free agency in the initial frenzy, the demand actually decreased further.

The Canucks have been in on 3 of these players in recent history: P. Suter, Lankinen, and Sprong. The market was wrong on the first two (though man did it work out for Lankinen….), dead on with Sprong.

I think one of the things that ties together players who fall through the cracks is some kind of deficit in their games that make teams think it just won’t work. For Suter it was suspect foot speed on a modest frame — that doesn’t compute easily in the brain for guys whose main calling is defensive. For Sprong (and I suspect Roslovic), it is defense, and that their + offensive capabilities aren’t great enough for that liability — team *might* be willing to carry a player like this, but two when the second one is good offensively but not a sure thing? For Grzelyck, it is size. He’s offensively okay—but if he’s your offensive defensemen, it’s not good enough. He’s defensively okay, but most prefer an “okay” that can lay a guy out, box guys out more easily, etc. And if your team already has one undersized defenseman, you are less willing to have another.

The market isn’t always right; these bargains can work out. I don’t have interest in seeing either in Vancouver given the club’s current composition, but I think that whoever gets Grzelcyk will have a bargain and a player contributing positive minutes.

Tciso wrote: ↑Mon Sep 15, 2025 11:11 am

UWSaint wrote: ↑Mon Sep 15, 2025 8:31 am

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sun Sep 14, 2025 7:41 pm I'm surprised to see Jack Roslovic and Matt Grzelcyk sitting there unsigned. They both seem to be coming off atypically productive career seasons and were undoubtedly looking to cash in. They would be handy bargain signings for someone if it works out that way.

It seems every year there are a couple of these guys whose productivity, either measured by stats or advanced metrics (but rarely both….) give them/their agents an understanding of their value that’s not shared in the market. They will accordingly adjust their price, but since teams filled what they needed from free agency in the initial frenzy, the demand actually decreased further.

The Canucks have been in on 3 of these players in recent history: P. Suter, Lankinen, and Sprong. The market was wrong on the first two (though man did it work out for Lankinen….), dead on with Sprong.

I think one of the things that ties together players who fall through the cracks is some kind of deficit in their games that make teams think it just won’t work. For Suter it was suspect foot speed on a modest frame — that doesn’t compute easily in the brain for guys whose main calling is defensive. For Sprong (and I suspect Roslovic), it is defense, and that their + offensive capabilities aren’t great enough for that liability — team *might* be willing to carry a player like this, but two when the second one is good offensively but not a sure thing? For Grzelyck, it is size. He’s offensively okay—but if he’s your offensive defensemen, it’s not good enough. He’s defensively okay, but most prefer an “okay” that can lay a guy out, box guys out more easily, etc. And if your team already has one undersized defenseman, you are less willing to have another.

The market isn’t always right; these bargains can work out. I don’t have interest in seeing either in Vancouver given the club’s current composition, but I think that whoever gets Grzelcyk will have a bargain and a player contributing positive minutes.

I see Chicago as a fit for both players. That team really needs talent in general. Sign em both to 2 year contracts, and at a minimum, use them as the whipping boys, as you teach the rest of the team to play team defence.

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 4:25 pm It looks like Grzelcyk had to settle for a PTO with a rebuilding team. I'm a little surprised, given that he was coming off a 40-point season.

JelloPuddingPop wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 8:46 am J.T. Miller named 29th Captain in Ranger's history.

Wondering if Petey just drove his scooter off the Burrard St. Bridge. Someone should do a wellness check.

Have my popcorn in hand to see how the Ranger's react to a sub-par season - likely not this year, as everything is "fresh" - but guys like J.T. can only keep things bottled up for a short time, like hard coaches etc.

The NHL is always the best source of drama. You can't make this shit up!

Tciso wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 4:53 pm

Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 4:25 pm It looks like Grzelcyk had to settle for a PTO with a rebuilding team. I'm a little surprised, given that he was coming off a 40-point season.

Sprong 2.0?

JelloPuddingPop wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 8:46 am J.T. Miller named 29th Captain in Ranger's history.

Todd Bersnoozi wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 8:34 pm

JelloPuddingPop wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 8:46 am J.T. Miller named 29th Captain in Ranger's history.

I am a curious to see how this plays out. Does JT mature, become a better leader/teammate and learn from of his experiences here? Or will he rustle some feathers again and cause some dysfunction in the dressing room?