Gotta have Hart
BY SAM CARCHIDI
In the offseason, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher made a slew of moves as he tried to erase last
year’s collapse and get the Orange and Black back into the playoffs. Some of the moves were muted in the first part of the 2021-22 season, especially the deal that brought defenseman Ryan Ellis to the Flyers. Ellis was expected to be a top-pairing partner for Ivan Provorov and someone who would solidify the defense. But an unspecified injury kept Ellis sidelined for most of the first couple of months, causing the Flyers to struggle to get into a playoff spot and Alain Vigneault to get fired after the team lost eight straight games. There were few positives in the season’s first two months, but 23-year-old Carter Hart’s improved play was one of the exceptions. Hart’s mostly strong goaltending was even more impressive when you consider the Flyers had been without one of their best defensemen. 48