The air in Edmonton is thick with desperation. After a gut-wrenching loss in the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers’ most glaring weakness was exposed for the world to see: goaltending. With a barren free-agent market and a trade market demanding king’s ransoms for mediocrity, where does General Manager Stan Bowman turn? The answer might be as talented as it is controversial: Carter Hart. As we await the latest Carter Hart news regarding his legal situation, the NHL rumor mill is beginning to churn, and the smoke signals are pointing toward Edmonton.
Let’s be crystal clear: this is all contingent on Hart being cleared of the serious charges he faces. But in the cold, hard calculus of professional hockey, GMs have to plan for every contingency. According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, teams are “keeping tabs” on the situation from a “purely hockey perspective.” When asked specifically about the Oilers, Pagnotta admitted it “wouldn’t surprise” him if they were one of those teams. And frankly, it shouldn’t surprise any of us.
Why Edmonton Makes Sense for Hart (From a Hockey Perspective)
Let’s break this down. The Oilers are in win-now mode. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are in their prime, and the championship window is wide open. They cannot afford another season derailed by inconsistent goaltending. Hart, despite his recent hiatus, is only 26 years old. He’s a former top prospect who has shown flashes of elite, franchise-altering talent. Before his career was paused, he was a bona fide number-one goalie in the NHL.
For a cash-strapped team like Edmonton, this is a high-risk, high-reward scenario that might be too tempting to ignore. If cleared, Hart would likely be available at a significant discount, both in terms of acquisition cost and salary. Bowman could potentially acquire a No. 1 goalie for a fraction of what it would cost to trade for a Juuse Saros or Linus Ullmark. It’s a gamble, to be sure, but it’s the kind of gamble a desperate team, with the best player in the world, might be willing to take for a shot at the Stanley Cup. The hockey world is watching the legal proceedings closely, because the verdict will have major on-ice ramifications.
The Latest Edmonton Oilers News & Rumors
Stay ahead of every trade, signing, and rumor. For the most up-to-date Carter Hart news and all things Oilers, be sure to bookmark nhltraderumor.com. Join one of our Online Hockey Pools for a shot at cash prizes and find out how to watch the Oilers game on TV today. Don’t miss a single update!
The post Could Carter Hart Be the Oilers’ Answer in Net? The Latest Rumors appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
