Flyers goalie Carter Hart placed on injured reserve, could return Saturday vs. Los Angeles

The goaltender was injured and subsequently removed from Friday's game against Carolina after a collision with Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis.

Flyers goaltender Carter Hart was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with an upper-body injury.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Olivia Reiner

Published Dec. 28, 2022, 10:54 a.m. ET

The Flyers announced Wednesday that goaltender Carter Hart (upper body) has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 24 ahead of the team’s three-game California road trip.

The transaction, which mostly is a logistical move, comes less than a day after Hart participated in full at the team’s practice on Tuesday. Coach John Tortorella said afterward that Hart didn’t seem to have “any problems at all” with the injury following practice and that he would be good to go for the trip.

Hart was injured on Friday after colliding with Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis in the second period of the Flyers’ 6-5 loss. Jarvis had been shoved into Hart’s crease by Rasmus Ristolainen, and Carolina’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi subsequently scored on the play. Hart was removed from the game and did not return. After the NHL’s leaguewide holiday break (Dec. 24-26), he returned to practice on Tuesday and practiced again Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Tortorella revealed that Hart still was in the league’s concussion protocol and that rookie Samuel Ersson will start Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. Normal backup Felix Sandström, who is still working his way back to full strength from an illness, will back up Ersson against San Jose. Tortorella added that Hart will start the following two games — Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings and Monday against the Anaheim Ducks — assuming he clears the remaining protocols before then. Since Hart’s last appearance came Dec. 23, he is eligible to play after seven days and could be activated from injured reserve before Saturday’s game against the Kings.

“The protocol, as far as concussions, you’re going to have to get the guidelines,” Tortorella said Wednesday. “I don’t have them. But I know he still has to have an interview and go through that final eval to say you can play.”

The 24-year-old Hart has been among the Flyers’ most consistent players this season, posting a .911 save percentage and 2.89 goals-against average. He also has excelled in several advanced metrics, including goals saved above expected (12.8), according to MoneyPuck. At several points this season, Hart’s strong play between the pipes has been the primary factor in keeping the overmatched Flyers in games.

In a subsequent move, the Flyers recalled Swedish forward Olle Lycksell from Leigh Valley and placed Max Willman on waivers.