PHILADELPHIA — It’s safe to say some serious planning went into ex-Flyer goaltender Carter Hart’s unavailability for Thursday night’s game in Philly. Hart, who joined the Golden Knights earlier this month after he was cleared to play by the NHL following a not guilty verdict in a 2024 sexual assault trial, started games in New York, at the Rangers and Islanders. Coach Bruce Cassidy opted not to use Hart against the Flyers. The goaltender was not made available for comment. Had Hart been cleared to speak, it might have been a distraction for the rest of the Golden Knights. “Carter wants to play every game. He’s a very competitive guy,” Cassidy said. “We discussed coming out, you’d play two out of three this week, and coming out of the Ranger game, he wanted to get right back in the net. So that led to a decision on Long Island. We discussed it obviously with him, but that was more us making a decision. I had to get (Akira) Schmid back in pretty soon coming off the shutout, that’s how we landed on it.” Hart was able to join Las Vegas for a tryout on Oct. 16, knowing he would not be able to play until Dec. 1, when the NHL cleared he and the other four defendants in the trial stemming from their actions in 2018 as members of Canada’s World Juniors team. Once reinstated, Hart signed a two-year, $4-million contract. According to ESPN, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere explored the possibility of re-signing Hart as a free agent. That offer, along with several others from teams around the league, was declined by Hart. Hart reportedly told the Flyers he wanted a “fresh start.” Hart, 27, played six seasons with the Flyers. A second-round pick (48th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, he played 227 games with the Flyers, recording a 96-93-29 mark, a 2.94 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. He’s 2-0-1 with a 3.11 GAA and an .889 with Vegas. • • • The Flyers started this season with an unusually potent power play, reaching the middle teens in NHL rankings. That has slumped to 22nd, converting just below 18 percent on the season. Part of the problem seems to be inconsistent play at the point, where Jamie Drysdale has struggled on the first unit. Two possible replacements — Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen — are on the mend. When they return, both might get an audition at the all-important power play quarterback spot. “We’re still trying to find the top guy,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I don’t think there’s a guy who’s separated himself. We’re really trying to develop that top of the power play guy for us. Maybe Risto is that guy. He’s got a big shot. Maybe he’s that guy, I don’t know.” Tocchet expects to have Ristolainen back before Christmas. “That doesn’t mean Jamie is out,” Tocchet said. “It’s more of who’s having a good night. And Jamie has done so well five-on-five. … sometimes you have to be careful. You give a guy too much responsibility and it affects their game.” York took part in contact drills at Thursday morning’s skate and reported no issues. Tocchet said Ristolainen has, “stacked some heavy days together. I’d be shocked if he didn’t play before Christmas.” • • • The second defense pairing of Drysdale and Emil Andrae doesn’t overpower opponents with size, both under 6-feet and 200 pounds. But they make up for it in other ways. “Intelligent hockey IQ and quickness,” Tocchet said. “Guys that are smaller, you teach them differently. They’re not going to go in there and hammer guys, which Emil will try sometime. But they use their brains, their quickness. You can outthink somebody on a cycle. That can work when you’re a smaller guy.” ...read more read less