Acquitted of a charge of sexual assault in July arising out of the 2018 Hockey Canada scandal, former Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Carter Hart is eligible to sign with an NHL club beginning Oct. 15. If he does, he could begin playing by Dec. 1. The Ottawa Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager (GM) Steve Staios should take a long, hard look at recruiting the 27-year-old Alberta native. Let’s take a look at why.
Senators’ Goaltending Depth in Doubt
It looks like Leevi Merilainen will be Linus Ullmark’s number two this season, and many in Bytown are asking whether the 23-year-old Finn is the real deal. After all, say the doubters, he has just 14 NHL starts under his belt over the last two seasons.
Despite this handwringing, many in Ottawa believe in Merilainen. They point to his .925 save percentage (SV%) and his 1.99 goals-against average (GAA) last season. Yet that was over just 12 games, and a dozen games do not an NHL career make.
What’s more, this season he’ll probably be called on to play over 30 games since Ullmark has never played more than 49 in any season. What will Merilainen put up over 30 games or more, many ask, pointing out that a SV% of .925 and a GAA of 1.99 is the stuff of Vezina Trophy winners.
Even so, Jacob Billington, my colleague at The Hockey Writers (THW), pointed out on a recent THW podcast previewing the Senators’ 2025-26 season (see discussion at 12:20) that Merilainen’s performance in his 12 games last season was key to Ottawa making the postseason. Standing in for an injured Ullmark in late December and early January, he showed he had ice in his veins, registering eight wins, including three shutouts. For Billington, the young puck stopper has shown beyond a doubt that he’s ready for the NHL.
If that’s true, then the Senators will have one of the best twine-minding duos in the Atlantic Division. Yet if he falters, they will once again be faced with problems in goal, and there are few solutions in Belleville.
What Carter Hart Would Add to the Senators
Hart is a proven NHL starter, registering a SV% of .904 and a GAA of 2.94 in the 227 games over six seasons he played with the Flyers from 2018-19 to 2023-24. With him and Ullmark sharing the goaltending load this season as 1A and 1B, and Merilainen an option for a call-up in the event of injury, the Senators would add considerable new depth to their goaltending by signing Hart.
Related: Senators 2025-26 Player Preview: Linus Ullmark
Not only that, but Hart’s affordable. According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, it would be surprising if he received more than the $3.979 million he was making with the Flyers on his last contract (from Chris Johnston, ‘What I’m hearing about Carter Hart free agency and why the Oilers and Flyers may be non-starters,’ The Athletic, 9/12/25). I think he may play for even less under a shorter-term contract if he encounters widespread doubts about whether he can bounce back to his previous form before the sexual assault charge interrupted his career. With only $3.52 million in cap space heading into training camp, Staios may have to do some financial gymnastics to squeeze Hart onto his roster, yet it’s doable.
Signing Hart May Be Tough for Senators
Johnston claims that Hart wants to sign with an American franchise. His priorities are finding a team that will be a contender and provide him with significant playing time. I’d say Ottawa fits the bill on both counts, and wouldn’t put too much stock in rumours that he doesn’t want to play in Canada.
Even so, it may be difficult for the Senators to bring Hart to town. The only other free agent goalies available in the league now are Ilya Samsonov and James Reimer. Neither is Hart’s equal, and bidding wars for his services aren’t out of the realm of possibility.
For Staios to use up all of his team’s cap space and possibly move pieces out of town to create additional space to sign Hart may not be wise at this point. The team needs some modest cap space to help make meaningful trades during the season. Not only that, but concerns about Merilainen may be overblown – he could very well be ready to star in the NHL. Hart himself is also a question mark – can he recover from his absence from the NHL during most of two full seasons?
Signing Hart may also be a public relations risk for the Senators. It’s true that he was found not guilty of sexual assault, but he still faces judgement in the court of public opinion. Many fans, especially women, may find him unpalatable. That may be a risk the Senators feel they needn’t run.
Senators Should Give Hart Careful Consideration
Bringing Hart to Ottawa may be expensive and risky. Still, as the GM of a team eyeing a deep playoff run this season, Staios wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t at least kick the proverbial tires on him. Other teams certainly will, and Hart will be off the market soon.
