Insider claims Oilers have no interest in Carter Hart even if he is found not guilty

As per NHL insider Jason Gregor on Friday, the Edmonton Oilers have no plans to pursue goaltender Carter Hart, even if he is found not guilty in his upcoming sexual assault trial.

Hart and four other members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior team are on trial for an alleged sexual assault that took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room after a Hockey Canada event.

The five players have pleaded not guilty and the trial has now concluded, with a verdict expected on July 24th.

The Oilers were reportedly considering signing the Edmonton native if he was cleared of charges. However, Gregor said otherwise:

"Any report about the Oilers having interest in Carter Hart is incorrect. Edmonton will not be approaching him, even if he is found not guilty."

Carter Hart is an Edmonton native and a close friend of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. He finished his most recent NHL season with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage over 25 starts with the Flyers.

Fans react to Jason Gregor's report of Oilers not being interested in Carter Hart

Fans have shared their thoughts on insider Jason Gregor's report that the team has no interest in signing goalie Carter Hart, even if he is found not guilty.

Many fans were disappointed by the report. One tweeted:

"If he’s found not guilty then they absolutely should be"

Another wrote:

"This seems like the most incorrect thing ever said about the Edmonton Oilers."

Here are some fan reactions:

"So guilty until proven innocent, and even then, still guilty. Got it." one fan wrote.

"That is poor management then. If found not guilty, then the Oilers should be all over trying to sign him. He could be a value asset to a team short on cap space, and weak in goaltending." another fan wrote.

"Evander Kane and Corey Perry were on the Oilers. Let's not jump the gun in saying Carter Hart isn't an option for Edmonton." a user commented.

"The oilers had no problem signing their new GM Bowman and he was definitely guilty so I don’t see why Hart would be an issue" another user wrote,

If Hart is cleared of charges, it remains to be seen if the Oilers will change their stance on pursuing the Edmonton native to address their ongoing goaltending issues.