The Columbus Blue Jackets have an interesting goaltending situation, but now Don Waddell has confirmed internal talks about chasing Carter Hart.
The Hockey Canada trial has been one of the biggest news stories in recent NHL memory, and after a long time, the five players involved have all been found not guilty, with many believing that will lead to a return to the NHL for some of them.
The player that is likely to draw the most attention is Carter Hart, and while the Oilers have been linked to the goaltender, reports confirm they will not be chasing him. That isn't the same for all teams around the league, however.
That's a topic that was recently addressed by Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell, who confirmed that the team have had internal discussions about Hart, and while he confirms it won't be happening right now, he doesn't rule it out in the future.
'That's a tough one! We obviously have talked about it internally here. We don't have to worry about it right now, because the league's not authorized those guys to go any place. That's probably a decision that I would take upstairs to my ownership if we were interested. You know, it's tough, I've got to be honest. Because there's the hockey side, and the personal side, and you know we've got to see how this is all going to play out. But, you know, time, I guess, will tell.'
As mentioned on social media, Waddell could have easily shut this down, but instead he suggested that the team could be interested in doing so if Hart is ever cleared for a return to the NHL, something that many believe will happen in the near future.
Ultimately, it's a matter of when, not if teams look to chase Hart once he and the others are cleared for an NHL return, but right now Gary Bettman has deemed them ineligible, so we will wait and see whether things change on that front moving forward.