Carter Hart expected to sign $5 million deal with team he’s chosen!

Free-agent goaltender Carter Hart is getting closer and closer to signing a new NHL contract, so much so, that reports have already exposed his projected salary.

In recent weeks, Hart has been linked to two interested suitors in the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

Hart has allegedly been in contract discussions with both franchises, and there is a sense that the young goalie is expected to sign a two-year deal, with the potential for some AHL tune-up games in mid-November before making his first NHL start in early December.

Insider Frank Seravalli added fuel to the rumour when he spoke about Hart most likely joining the Golden Knights and revealing how much he could cash in as a viable NHL starter despite his reputation and legal ordeal. He hinted at a deal carrying an AAV somewhere up in the $2 million range.

“This is likely to be a 2 year deal, it’s definitely not for league minimum; ballpark that, it’s probably somewhere in the $2’s,” Seravalli explained on the Real Kyper & Bourne show on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Chris Johnston also reported that Hart was likely to end up in Vegas.

"Hart appears closest to signing a contract, with the Vegas Golden Knights almost certain to be the eventual destination for the 27-year-old goaltender, according to league sources. Hart received interest from multiple NHL teams and is drawn to the opportunity to play for a contender in a situation where he’d likely end up sharing the crease with Adin Hill," Johnston writes.

Hart is on the verge of coming back to the NHL as one of the most intriguing names on the market. Drafted by the Flyers in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, he spent six seasons in Philadelphia before parting ways in January 2024. His departure came amid legal proceedings stemming from a June 2018 incident at a London, Ontario, hotel following a Hockey Canada gala. Hart, along with Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote, faced charges, but all five were acquitted by Justice Maria Carroccia earlier this summer. After months of uncertainty and negotiations between the NHL and the NHLPA, Hart and his fellow acquitted players became eligible to sign contracts starting October 15, with NHL action resuming on December 1.

It sounds like Hart could sign his deal in Vegas for more than just league minimum. He will get a second chance, but will be under the spotlight, tasked with proving he can deliver between the pipes after some much complicated time off the ice.