It has been nearly two years—22 months to be exact—since Carter Hart last stood in an NHL crease. Come Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Carter Hart era officially begins for the Vegas Golden Knights.
According to NHL insider Kevin Weekes, Hart is slated to make his debut at T-Mobile Arena, a move that signals both desperation and high hopes for the Golden Knights’ front office.
Let’s be honest about the situation: this is a massive gamble, but it is a calculated one.
When Vegas signed Hart to that two-year, $4 million contract in October, they knew the timeline. Following his acquittal in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial and the subsequent league reinstatement, December 1st was always the target. But the road to this Tuesday start hasn’t been paved with shutouts.
Can Hart Solve Vegas’s Goaltending Crisis?
Hart’s conditioning stint with the Henderson Silver Knights was, to put it mildly, shaky. In three games, he posted an .839 save percentage and a 3.07 GAA. If you are looking at the box scores, you are worried. However, as someone who has watched goaltenders struggle to find rhythm in the AHL after long layoffs, I’m willing to look past the small sample size. The defensive structure in the minors is chaotic compared to the NHL, and Hart was shaking off nearly two years of rust.
The Golden Knights don’t have the luxury of patience. Despite a decent 11-6-8 record, they are bleeding goals. Ranking 24th in the league with an .888 save percentage isn’t sustainable for a team with playoff aspirations. Akira Schmid and Carl Lindbom (the latter now sent down) haven’t been able to shut the door.
Analyzing the Risk: Rust vs. Resume
Vegas is banking on the pedigree, not the conditioning stint. They are looking at the goalie who, despite playing behind a porous Flyers defense, maintained a .906 career save percentage over five and a half seasons. They are betting that the 27-year-old still possesses the elite tracking and technical ability that made him a franchise cornerstone in Philadelphia.
Tuesday against Chicago is the perfect soft launch. At home, against a team that can score but gives up chances, Hart has an opportunity to settle in. If he can give Vegas even league-average goaltending, this team becomes a legitimate contender again. If the rust is real, however, the Pacific Division race is going to get very uncomfortable very quickly.
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