Is Carter Hart on the Buffalo Sabres radar in 2023 offseason?

Rumors state the Buffalo Sabres will at least look into acquiring a veteran goaltender for the 2023-24 NHL season. Is that goaltender named Carter Hart?

There is a growing cluster of Buffalo Sabres fans who would love to see the Blue and Gold trade for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. But we all know, even those who want such a deal to occur, that the cost will be substantial, especially now that it seems the Jets are indeed heading for a rebuild.

While such a rebuild increases the odds for the Sabres to land Hellebuyck, we also know general manager Kevyn Adams isn’t giving up so much compensation for a guy with one year remaining on his current contract. Even someone with Hellebuyck’s caliber.

Therefore, a consolation is needed, and that consolation could come in the form of Carter Hart, who I can assure you, won’t cost Buffalo a first round pick, a high end prospect, and a current player. Like Hellebuyck, Hart has one year left on his current deal and is a potential rental, but he will be just 25 when the 2023-24 season rolls around, and he will only cost Buffalo $4.479 million should they acquire him.

Could the Buffalo Sabres go after Carter Hart?

It’s no secret that the Sabres want a veteran goaltender, and it’s also no secret that Hart’s current team, the Philadelphia Flyers, are still rebuilding and don’t figure to contend for a Stanley Cup anytime soon. But the Sabres are closer to at least making the playoffs these days than they have been in the previous decade, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Adams pursue someone like Hart if the price was reasonable.

Even in playing for some bad Flyers teams over the past two seasons, the fifth-year goaltender has fared well, logging a 0.907 save percentage, a 2.94 GAA, two shutouts, and a 0.444 quality starts percentage. Not bad numbers, considering how many saves he needed to make just to keep the Flyers (222 goals for) in games this past season.

So is Carter Hart coming to the Buffalo Sabres? If you ask me, I would expect them to land someone like Hart before I would Hellebuyck. Not only is Hart a younger player with potential to stick around and form a lethal tandem with Devon Levi, he would ultimately be a cheaper option to bring in and sign to an extension than Hellebuyck.

Source: Carter Hart Rumors: Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres may be interested in Flyers goalie by Ankit Kumar, SportsKeeda.com