For many years, the Flyers struggled to solidify “their guy” in net–we’ll never forget the season they used over half a dozen goalies. Orr that they traded Sergei Bobrovsky, who turned into a two-time Vezina winning goaltender. Or that the Flyers will be paying Ilya Bryzgalov through the year 2027. Or that iconic goalie Ron Hextall went from revered to reviled by the fanbase. Or that Ivan Fedotov got kidnapped to a military base in Siberia and will never wear a Flyers uniform. And those are just a few examples that come immediately to mind.
Simply put, it’s been a rough ride for the Flyers between the pipes. However, at the risk of jinxing things, we may have an unprecedented moment in Flyers history: a pipeline of goalie prospects with true NHL upside, and two very good rostered goaltenders–one a proven starter, the other proving he can be.
It’s hard to believe, but Carter Hart has been playing in the NHL since 2018–he’s still just 25 years old, even though he’s been around what feels like forever. Hart has a career .906 save percentage, dragged down by some truly awful Flyers defenses after the pandemic and his admitted struggles with depression during quarantines. So far in the 2023-24 season, Hart’s posting a respectable .912 sv% and 2.67 goals against average–not dazzling, but not bad, either.
Whether Hart’s part of the future in Philadelphia is certainly up for debate, and having the Hockey Canada investigation looming over him makes it difficult for the organization to decide one way or another (Hart’s a restricted free agent and up for a new contract this summer) and for fans to fully embrace him as a franchise goaltender. I wrote earlier this month about a dream trade scenario for Hart, and stand by the notion that now is the time to trade him if a team is willing to pay up–and it’s not just Hockey Canada that may spell the end of his time in Philly, either. A challenger has appeared.
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