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Panthers Recall Spencer Knight

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The Panthers recalled goalie Spencer Knight from AHL Charlotte on Thursday, according to the AHL’s transactions log.

Knight’s minor-league season ended last weekend after Charlotte dropped their best-of-three Atlantic Division first-round series to Hartford in this year’s Calder Cup Playoffs. This is his first recall of the season, although it won’t result in any playing time unless both Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz go down with injuries over the remainder of Florida’s playoff run.

The 23-year-old has not played an NHL game since Feb. 18, 2023. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program shortly thereafter, where he remained throughout the Panthers’ run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Knight later told The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell that he participated in the program to seek treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, which he said had gone untreated since he first noticed symptoms during his collegiate career with Boston College in 2019.

With Knight being out of action for so long, the Panthers sent the still-waiver-exempt netminder to Charlotte to begin the season near the end of training camp. As the 2019 first-round pick was beginning the first season of a three-year, $13.5MM extension, few believed the assignment would be permanent.

But the veteran Stolarz, signed to a one-year, $1.1MM deal last summer to replace journeyman Alex Lyon on the depth chart, made it impossible to consider removing him from the backup role. While in limited action behind Bobrovsky (only 24 starts and three relief appearances), the 30-year-old was one of the best netminders in the league, ranking first in the NHL with a .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA. His outright 20.1 goals saved above expected ranked third in the league, per MoneyPuck, even totaling higher than Bobrovsky’s 15.6 GSAx in 58 games.

That left Knight in the starting role for Charlotte all season long, where he rebounded well down the stretch from a tough start. He finished the season with a .905 SV% and 2.41 GAA with a 25-14-5 record in 45 appearances but ranked near the top of the league with five shutouts. In his final 10 games of the season, he had a .921 SV%.

Speaking to the Checkers’ Nicholas Niedzielski, Knight said, “I think I have years of my best hockey ahead of me.” He was recently named this year’s recipient of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, voted on by AHL coaches, players and media members and given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey.

With Stolarz headed for unrestricted free agency this summer, it’s feasible that Knight starts next season back on Florida’s roster as Bobrovsky’s backup, especially after his strong finish. He still has two seasons left on his contract at a $4.5MM cap hit, making him a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2026.

Sam Bennett To Skate Thursday, Could Return In Second Round

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  • Panthers center Sam Bennett is set to skate tomorrow for the first time since suffering a wrist injury in the second game of the first round, relays Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. The 27-year-old was a key secondary scorer for Florida this season, picking up 20 goals and 21 assists in 69 games while anchoring the second line alongside Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe.  Head coach Paul Maurice stated that “it’s a very real possibility” that Bennett will be available for their second-round matchup against either Toronto or Boston.

Ryan Lomberg Cleared To Return But Remains Scratched For Game 5

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  • Panthers enforcer Ryan Lomberg has been cleared to return from an illness but will remain scratched for Game 5 against the Lightning tonight, the team’s Jameson Olive indicates. Head coach Paul Maurice said yesterday that Lomberg was “down pretty hard” and will need a few more days to return to a game-ready conditioning level. The 29-year-old last played in Florida’s 3-2 Game 1 win, recording one shot in 6:32 of ice time. He had five goals and two assists in 75 games of regular-season action, as well as 80 PIMs.

NHL Announces 2024 Vezina Trophy Finalists

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The NHL has revealed the finalists for the 2024 Vezina Trophy, awarded each year to the top player at the goaltending position. Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark took home the award last year, after backing a historically-strong Bruins season.

This year’s finalists are the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, the Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky, and Vancouver Canucks’ Thatcher Demko.

Hellebuyck likely leads the pack, after vindicating his six-year extension signed last summer by leading all goalies with 30 or more appearances in save percentage. Hellebuyck posted 37 wins and a .921 save percentage in 60 starts this season, already winning the William M. Jennings Trophy alongside batterymate Laurent Brossoit for the highest save percentage from a goaltending tandem. It was Hellebuyck’s highest save percentage since the 2017-18 season when he posted a .924 in 67 appearances. Hellebuyck finished second in Vezina voting that season, and went on to win the award following the 2019-20 season. He’d become the fifth netminder to win the award multiple times since 2000, should he take home hardware this summer.

Hellebuyck would join a list of repeat winners that already contains Sergei Bobrovsky, who won the award in the 2013 and 2017 season, both with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bobrovsky could be on track to hear his name once again, following a smash year with the Florida Panthers that saw him post 36 wins and a .915 save percentage in 58 games. While Bobrovsky’s time in Florida hasn’t always gone smoothly, he seemed to rediscover his groove this season, looking dialed-in from the start to the end. He’s now poised to stamp his place in history, with the potential to become just the third goalie since 2000 to win the award three-or-more times. He’d join legendary goaltenders Dominik Hasek and Martin Brodeur in the accolade, should he win.

And while Hellebuyck and Bobrovsky have strong cases to return to the podium, Thatcher Demko could be poised to squash their reunion and becoming the 11th-different player to win the award in as many years. Demko was a cornerstone piece of Vancouver’s surprising run to the top of the standings, posting 37 wins and a .918 save percentage in 51 games. Demko missed 14 games with a knee injury near the end of the regular season, limiting his chance to put a bow on his standout season, but his performances aren’t going unrecognized, with this being his first time as a Vezina finalist.

The award will be announced at the NHL Awards this summer. That event is still pending a time and location.

Alexander True Likely To Sign In SHL Next Season

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  • Panthers minor leaguer Alexander True is expected to sign with Modo of the SHL next season, report SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson and Adam Johansson. The 26-year-old was once viewed as a possible part of San Jose’s plans but moved on after four years with the organization and hasn’t seen NHL action since 2021-22.  True, who has five assists in 27 career NHL appearances, has spent the full season with AHL Charlotte, notching 19 points in 55 regular season games.  A pending restricted free agent, it looks like he has decided to try his hand elsewhere instead of sticking around for another year in the minors.

Ryan Lomberg To Miss Game Four With Illness

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  • Florida Panthers bruiser Ryan Lomberg is still feeling under the weather after missing the team’s last two games to illness. He is expected to remain out of the lineup in Game Four, with Kyle Okposo remaining on the fourth-line in his place, head coach Paul Maurice shared with Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). Okposo played in his first playoff game since 2016 on Thursday, recording one assist in a game where the fourth line stood out. It was the first point of Okposo’s seven-game career with the Panthers. He now gets a chance to continue making an impact, and might even solidify his spot in the lineup with another strong performance.

East Notes: Senators, Lomberg, Capitals

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The Ottawa Senators have hit a snag in their pursuit of moving to the LeBreton Flats, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators have been working with the National Capital Commission to facilitate the move for the last two years, establishing a memorandum of understanding with the NCC that dedicated a parcel of land for a new arena. But the parcel is just seven acres, compared to the Senators’ current 75-acre plot, leading the team to worry they may not have room for public parking.

Still, Senators’ CEO Tobi Nussbaum shared with Garrioch that the NCC has room for flexibility, and that the team remains confident that LeBreton is the right spot for them. The two sides will face a soft-deadline of September to decide if they are going to move forward with the LeBreton arena, though Nussbaum added, “Should (the rink) not happen, there is a Plan B for those parcels within LeBreton Flats. If the two sides aren’t able to come to an agreement or the Senators make a decision that they’re not going to build there, then we’ll move to our second option”

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Forward Ryan Lomberg will remain out of the Florida Panthers lineup in Game Three due to illness, head coach Paul Maurice told Florida Hockey Now’s Colby Guy (Twitter link). Guy added that Lomberg traveled with the team, but needs another day of feeling good before returning to their facilities. Kyle Okposo will step into the lineup in his place, set to play in his first postseason game since 2016, when he scored eight points in 11 games with the New York Islanders. Okposo has yet to record his first point as a Panther, despite appearing in six games. Pending a big Game Three performance, he’ll likely step back out of the lineup when Lomberg is back to full health.
  • The Washington Capitals could be without forward Sonny Milano in Game Three due to an upper-body injury, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Milano appeared in both of Washington’s postseason games so far, recording no scoring and a -2. Silber also shared that defenders Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen are each continuing to progress from the injuries that’s so far held them out of the postseason lineup. That means Alexander Alexeyev and Dylan McIlrath will remain in the lineup, after rookie Vincent Iorio was also sidelined with injury.

11 Teams Face Cap Overage Penalties Next Season

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With the salary cap largely being flat the last few years, more teams have had to dip into LTIR when injuries have come up.  Accordingly, the number of teams facing bonus overage penalties has also risen.  This year is no exception as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports in collaboration with CapFriendly that 11 teams are currently facing cap overage penalties for 2024-25 as a result of bonuses achieved this season.

When a team finishes up the season using LTIR to stay cap-compliant, they don’t have any regular cap space to which bonuses can be applied against.  Accordingly, that results in LTIR teams that have incentives that are met finishing over the cap, yielding overage penalties.  Whatever amount they finished 2023-24 over by is then deducted off the Upper Limit for next season.

The teams that are confirmed to have bonus overage penalties are as follows:

Edmonton Oilers: $3.45MM*
Dallas Stars: $2,595,407
Washington Capitals: $2.2525MM
Los Angeles Kings: $1.85MM
New Jersey Devils: $1,538,897
Montreal Canadiens: $1.0225MM
Ottawa Senators: $850K
New York Rangers: $512.5K*
Minnesota Wild: $425K*
Philadelphia Flyers: $245K
Boston Bruins $50K*

Teams denoted with an asterisk could see their bonus overage increase if the following happens:

Edmonton: Corey Perry’s contract calls for $50K if the Oilers make the Western Conference Final and another $50K if they reach the Stanley Cup Final.

New York: Theirs would increase by $25K if they win the Stanley Cup, a bonus in Jonathan Quick’s deal.

Minnesota: Marco Rossi can make $212.5K if he makes the All-Rookie Team which would then be added to the Wild’s carryover penalty.

Boston: Milan Lucic will receive $200K if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup as part of his contract.

In addition to the above, Carolina and Florida also have the potential for an overage contingent on the playoffs.  The Hurricanes would have a $50.45K penalty if Jackson Blake plays in 20 games between the regular season and playoffs.  Meanwhile, the Panthers would take a $500K hit if they win the Stanley Cup to cover that bonus in Kyle Okposo’s contract.

Team-by-team details with specifics on how each one got to the point of an overage were covered separately by PuckPedia.

It’s the first time that multiple teams will carry overage penalties of more than $2MM into the following season.  With the cap expected to go up by closer to $4MM this summer, that could in theory take some pressure off from the bonus overage perspective but only if teams leave themselves a bit more wiggle room to work with.  There’s a good chance that won’t happen so we’re quite likely to see these penalties again next season though with perhaps fewer teams getting the hit next time around.

Ryan Lomberg Could Return For Game 3

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  • Sticking with postseason action, the Panthers may get enforcer Ryan Lomberg back for Game 3 against the Lightning tomorrow, head coach Paul Maurice said. He sat out Game 2’s overtime win with an illness after logging 6:32 of ice time in Game 1. Steven Lorentz entered the lineup in his place, recording two shots on goal and four hits in similarly minimal usage. If Lomberg cannot go, Kyle Okposo will draw in for his first postseason game since 2016, with Sam Bennett already ruled out. Lomberg averaged only 9:32 per game during 75 regular-season appearances, scoring five goals and seven points with a -1 rating and 80 PIMs. The 5’9″ pot-stirrer will be a UFA this summer after completing a two-year deal worth $1.6MM.

Sam Bennett Out One Week With Upper-Body Injury

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Even though the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime of Game 2 last night, the team still received some unfortunate news on the injury front. During the second period of yesterday’s game, Panthers forward Sam Bennett left the ice holding his wrist, and would not return for the remainder of the game.

Although there was no official update from the team last night, Andy Slater of Fox Sports reports that Bennett is set to miss a ’lengthy period of time’. Later on, the Panthers gave an official update, indicating that Bennett should only be out of the lineup for one week, which could eliminate him for the rest of the series against Tampa Bay.

Since coming over to the Panthers organization during the 2020-21 NHL season, there has always been quite a bit of injury concern attached to Bennett. In his three full seasons with Florida, Bennett has missed a total of 43 games due to several different injuries.

Last year, towards the end of the regular season, Bennett was kept out of the lineup for nearly a month with an undisclosed injury but was able to return for Game 1 of the team’s opening-round matchup against the Boston Bruins. Helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history, Bennett performed exceptionally well for the Panthers, scoring five goals and 15 points in 20 postseason games.

For Game 3 and on, the team will have some roster management to take care of, as Bennett’s absence leaves a sizeable hole down the middle of the team’s second line. The team will likely move forward Anton Lundell into the top six, as he scored 13 goals and 35 points over 78 games this season while already tallying an assist in this year’s playoffs.

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