Oilers analyst drops 'hard no' on Carter Hart's NHL future with Edmonton - "Don't want the PR headache"

Last Thursday, former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart was declared 'not guilty' in the 2018 Hockey Canada World Junior sexual scandal case. Hart was one of five players involved in a sexual assault trial. The judge ruled there was not enough evidence. Still, the NHL has not yet cleared him to return to the league.

NHL analyst Avry Lewis-McDougall spoke on the "Fanatics View Hockey Show" about Hart's future in the league. He said the Edmonton Oilers should not consider the Canadian goaltender.

"No, it sounds like no," Lewis-McDougall said [30:45 onwards]. "I still think it's a hard no. And I know I've heard the NHL, from what I've heard internally, possibly the idea of these guys back in the league this season might not even happen. It might be a full - these are gone for a year or possibly longer." "So I think if you're any team in the league, one, you don't want the PR headache in these guys. And two, why would you try and get a guy who might not be able to play for another year or two or longer? So I think that's what think, where he's a non-starter, for many reasons, and for good reason," he added.

Lewis-McDougall said teams don’t want the media attention and possible problems. He also said the Oilers should look for a goalie without off-ice issues, and that Carter Hart is not the right fit at the moment.

"I think you should be looking at somebody you can bring in with less baggage and less headache as your next goaltender, as opposed to looking at a Carter heart," Lewis-McDougall said. "So, I don't think he should be in this team's radar at all."

The Oilers have lost two straight Stanley Cup finals to the Florida Panthers. They have failed to offensively dominate the Panthers, with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida's net. Their own goalie, Stuart Skinner, has failed to hold his ground, and thus, they are looking for a decent goalie.

NHL's official statement bars Carter Hart from the league for now

The NHL released a statement after the Hockey Canada trial verdict. The league maintained that the behavior of Carter Hart and the other four players was not acceptable, even if it was not criminal. It called the allegations disturbing and will study the judge’s decision before taking any action.

"The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable," NHL said in their official statement. "We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings. ...the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League."

The Oilers are working to improve their team, but Hart’s case is still under review. NHL has not shared when a final decision will be made. So, until he gets cleared, Carter Hart is unlikely to sign anywhere.

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Edited by Parag Jain