The Philadelphia Flyers have hit another bump in the road this season as goaltender Carter Hart will be out for several weeks with an abdominal strain. Hart last played on January 13th against the Boston Bruins, so it is likely the injury occurred in that game. Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press announced the injury earlier Wednesday.
Flyers say goaltender Carter Hart is out 2-3 weeks with a lower abdominal strain.
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) January 15, 2020
Carter Hart Out With Abdomen Injury
Hart is having an average year for the Flyers. The 21-year-old has 15 wins in 29 stats with a .905 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against-average. He has handled the starting role well for a Flyers squad that has suffered several unfortunate absences to important players. He is still very young for a starting goalie but definitely looks like Philadelphia’s main goalie for the next several seasons.
Hart has shown much promise that the team’s next step is to increase the talent of the defence in front of him. The Flyers are getting solid performances out of some players like Ivan Provorov but others have stepped back. Shayne Gostisbehere has regressed to the point Philadelphia might try to trade him for more pieces. Their defence has several young prospects that could prompt such a move. The Flyers have a lot of promise with a young core but might need to acquire more help for their young goaltender.
What This Means for the Future
Brian Elliott should become the starter while Hart recovers. The 34-year-old veteran is performing at a below-average pace with a .896 save percentage and 3.16 goals-against but is the best option Philadelphia has. Their cap situation is not great, so they need to rely on internal options until Hart returns.
The Flyers also recalled goaltender Alex Lyon from their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. The undrafted 27-year-old has played in just 13 NHL games but sports a .916 save percentage and 2.56 goals-against average this year. The Flyers are in a tough Metropolitan Division and Hart’s injury is a major blow to their playoff hopes.
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