EDMONTON – Silly season is as silly season does.
The Edmonton Oilers are on the heels of a second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final in as many years.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.
As part of his postseason debrief, Stan Bowman identified two areas of growth: goaltending and forward depth. Part of the forward depth issue, Bowman identified as needing to get “faster and younger.”
Trending Oilers Stories
Every Oilers Contract They Must Now Make Decisions OnEDMONTON – Not everyone is coming back.
Oilers Complete 2025 Offseason Guide: Trades, Signings, & More
Oilers Bring Back New Strong Forward
REPORT: Oilers Have Found New Team For Viktor Arvidsson
5 Oilers Goalie Targets That Are Big Upgrades
Trent Frederic's New Oilers Contract & Full BreakdownEDMONTON – It’s draft day.
Apparently, getting younger might also extend to goaltending.
It’s no secret that the Oilers' goaltending wasn’t elite in 2024-25. However, reports indicate that the Oilers have mutual interest in Carter Hart.
NHL insider Kevin Weekes, noted for being very connected with goalie news around the league, speculated about the Oilers having interest in Hart.
Obviously, this all hinges on several details. The first being, Hart would need to be found innocent regarding the 2018 Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial. Additionally, he would need to undergo whatever discipline the league decides to impose on the five players who are defendants in the case.
My Take
Insiders connecting the Oilers to a young, good goaltender like Hart makes sense, at least from an insider’s perspective. He grew up around Edmonton and is friends with Stuart Skinner (another local kid).
However, it is nothing short of a PR nightmare if the Oilers consider signing him. It’s one thing for the Oilers to hire Bowman, considering the part he played in the Kyle Beach situation with the Chicago Blackhawks; it’s another thing for the team to sign a player who has been accused of a group sexual assault.
Hart last played in the NHL in the 2023-24 season. He started 25 games, producing a record of 12-9-3, with a 2.80 goals against average (GAA), a .906 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout. He has played 227 games in his career, boasting a 2.94 GAA and a .906 SV%.
Regardless of how he was performing before needing to step away from the NHL, the Oilers would be best served by staying away and pursuing other options.
This is all speculation, so we will need to wait to see how the summer unfolds.
Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.