Oilers Dodged Goaltending Bullet By Bowing Out of UFA Bidding

One of the best decisions the Edmonton Oilers could have made this season was not chasing Carter Hart. In September of 2025, GM Stan Bowman said, “We are not looking at that situation. We like where Stu (Skinner) is at…”  Clearly, things changed with Skiner, but the former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender has been just short of a disaster in Vegas.

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It has been learned that Hart recently avoided a serious injury. He is currently week-to-week with a lower-body ailment. Having said that, prior to his injury, Hart wasn’t exactly making a case that signing him was an astute move.

In 12 games with the Golden Knights, Hart posted a record of 5-3-3 with a 3.28 goals against average and a .871 save percentage. In other words, he had a winning record, but it could be argued he wasn’t the reason Vegas won those games.

As one account put it, “The Hart signing is an as abject disaster; bad person, bad hockey player.”

The Oilers were briefly linked to Carter Hart after his acquittal, but Edmonton never showed interest. Hart reportedly wanted a fresh start away from Canada, and frankly, any team where the spotlight would be bright. He often refused to speak with the media in Vegas, and the team rarely asked him to. When he did, his answers seemed canned and disingenuous. He offered to work on himself and volunteer in his community, but those who looked for signs that he was doing so didn’t find much evidence.

In Edmonton, that wouldn’t have gone over well, especially if he played as poorly as he’s played in Vegas.

The Oilers, who already had a bit of a reputation for giving undeserved second chances, decided Hart was perhaps a step too far. The public vitriol over his involvement in a sexual abuse case (that ultimately ruled in favor of the players) brought with it serious questions of morality. Right or wrong, the only way that was going to quiet down was a stellar performance on the ice. Hart has delivered anything but that.

Instead, the Oilers took different risks, adding a player in Connor Ingram who was battling his own personal demons. But, unlike Hart, Ingram’s story was more inspirational. He’s a feel-good kind of addition. At the same time, fans are closely watching Tristan Jarry try to cement himself as a legitimate starter with the potential to take the Oilers farther than Skinner did.

It might not pan out for Edmonton, but avoiding Hart clearly seems like the right decision now.

Next: Stuart Skinner Appears to Take Subtle Jabs at Oilers and Fans