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Spencer Knight

Evening Notes: Knight, Chychrun, Clark

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The Florida Panthers recently re-signed goalie Spencer Knight to a three-year contract with a $4.5MM AAV. The contract raised some eyebrows due to its cost, as Knight’s extension will be more expensive than the recent Jake Oettinger deal, despite the fact that Oettinger seems to have firmly established himself as a quality starting netminder while Knight had an up-and-down 2021-22. Now that a few days have passed since the signing, though, we have some more context on why the Panthers felt comfortable taking a leap of faith with their extremely talented (but still relatively unproven) young netminder.

As Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading, the Panthers were “legitimately worried” about the possibility of another team offer sheeting Knight next summer, when he would have been a restricted free agent. The Panthers, who are paying starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky $10MM AAV through the 2025-26 season, may not have been in a strong enough cap position to retain Knight at what his offer sheet may have cost. So, rather than risk losing the goalie they seem to firmly believe is their long-term future in net, the Panthers decided to sign Knight to this expensive bridge contract in order to ensure he remains in Sunrise for the foreseeable future.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • In another piece of information reported on today’s Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger shed some more light on the current situation with Jakob Chychrun and the Arizona Coyotes. Chychrun recently spoke on his desire to be traded to a contending team, and Dreger has reported that leaguewide trade interest in Chychrun is “intensifying.” Dreger specifically names the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Columbus Blue Jackets as suitors for Chychrun, and notes that the Coyotes are apparently more willing to “take on a contract or contracts” in order to facilitate a deal. Given the issues the above-listed teams are facing with the flat salary cap, it seems that the biggest barrier to a Chychrun deal will be the complicated cap situation of the involved teams rather than the trade compensation package that will need to be agreed upon.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have re-shaped the look of their organization under Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes’ new management, both on and off the ice. With the season about to begin, the Canadiens have made another off-ice move. In an interview on former NHLer Chris Nilan’s Raw Knuckles podcast, Gorton said that the team would be “bringing on” former New York Rangers executive Gordie Clark. Before his contract was not renewed this summer, Clark had been working for the Rangers for two decades and will bring experience and leadership to this still-growing Canadiens front office.

Florida Panthers Extend Spencer Knight

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The Florida Panthers have locked up their future in net, signing Spencer Knight to a three-year extension. The deal kicks in for the 2023-24 season and will carry an average annual value of $4.5MM. Panthers general manager Bill Zito released a statement:

Spencer is a phenomenal goaltender, as well as an exceptional athlete and person. He has thrived in his professional career, dedicating himself to his training through his first two seasons with our organization. With this extension, we are excited about the present and future of Panthers goaltending.

A three-year extension means Knight’s contract status now lines up with Sergei Bobrovsky, with both expiring after the 2025-26 season. While the team will have to carry a combined $14.5MM cap hit those three years, Knight will still be an RFA in the summer of 2026, meaning a long-term extension can still be worked out with the money that Bobrovsky was earning.

For this year, the 21-year-old netminder is still in the final season of his entry-level contract, despite already being a regular at the NHL level. The 13th overall pick from 2019 played in 32 games for the Panthers last season, registering a .908 save percentage. He also got into 11 games with the Charlotte Checkers to stay fresh, posting a .905 in the AHL.

Incredibly composed in net, Knight is basically the prototype for the modern NHL goaltender. Big and agile with strong positioning, there are few goaltending prospects better. While his results do leave a little bit of room for improvement, the Panthers obviously believe he is the real deal, signing him to a rather expensive bridge deal. He comes in ahead of Jake Oettinger (3 years, $4.0MM AAV), and Carter Hart (3 years, $3.979MM AAV), two other young goaltenders with big expectations.

It will be interesting to see how much Knight starts to take over in Florida, and whether the Panthers will ever consider moving on from Bobrovsky. While he holds a full no-movement clause at the moment, that will change to a 16-team no-trade list in the summer of 2024. It would obviously be difficult to move his massive contract but one thing in the Panthers’ favor is the financial structure. Bobrovsky will have earned $57.5MM of the $70MM deal by the end of 2023-24.

Regardless, locking up Knight at this point was important if they plan on giving him more responsibility this season. A breakout campaign would send his price skyrocketing, and potentially take a bridge deal off the table. Locking him in now is a bit risky, as it assumes he will continue to progress, but there aren’t many goaltenders that would be a better bet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports

Alex Lyon, Anthony Bitetto Sign With Florida Panthers

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Florida has landed a third-string netminder to serve behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports the team has signed depth goalie Alex Lyon. They’ve also added some depth on the back end, adding Anthony Bitetto to a one-year, two-way contract.

Lyon, 29, is fresh off winning the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves, where he posted a .923 save percentage in 12 playoff appearances. An undrafted free agent signing out of Yale in 2016, he has been strong in the minor leagues but only appeared 24 times in the NHL.

He may not get any more chances this year but is at least a strong option should one of Bobrovsky or Knight face an injury.

Bitetto meanwhile is in a similar situation, save for the recent Calder Cup win. The 31-year-old defenseman has 197 games under his belt at the NHL level but none of those came in 2021-22. Instead, he split the year between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the San Jose Barracuda, scoring 17 points in 53 games.

If he’s playing regular minutes with the Panthers it is because they are dealing with serious injuries but should represent a stable veteran presence in the AHL.

Snapshots: Knight, Subban, Bourque, Avalanche

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The NHL has named Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight as the Rookie of the Month for April.  The 21-year-old finished up his first full professional campaign on a high note, posting a 2.16 GAA along with a .925 SV% in seven starts for Florida this month.  With veteran Sergei Bobrovsky’s numbers checking in at 3.27 and .893 respectively over that same stretch, Knight has made a strong push for playing time in their upcoming playoff series against Washington.  He’s the second Panther to get the award this season, joining center Anton Lundell who received the honor in January.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Sabres goaltender/surprise anthem singer Malcolm Subban told reporters today, including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) that he’d love to return to Buffalo next season. The pending unrestricted free agent was traded to the Sabres in December but got into just four games before suffering a season-ending upper-body injury back in January.  After clearing waivers earlier in the year, it seems likely that Subban’s best fit would be as a third-string netminder and Buffalo will likely have an opening in that spot with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen expected to be up full-time in the NHL next season.
  • Veteran forward Chris Bourque announced (Twitter link) that he is retiring. The 36-year-old played in 51 career NHL games over parts of four seasons with Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston while spending 13 years in the minors where he’s 20th in all-time AHL scoring with 746 points.  Bourque spent the past three seasons with Ingolstadt in Germany, collecting 134 points in 141 games.
  • Avalanche defenseman Kurtis MacDermid and winger Logan O’Connor avoided any suspensions from the league for their actions against Minnesota on Friday. However, both will be a little lighter in the wallet as the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter links) that both players received fines worth half of one day’s salary, the maximum allowable under the CBA.  MacDermid was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing winger Marcus Foligno who looked to be seriously injured on the play.  O’Connor, meanwhile, had cross-checked defenseman Dmitry Kulikov although the blueliner was eventually able to return to the game.

Snapshots: Knight, Maple Leafs, Canadiens

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One of the most interesting notes in Frank Seravalli’s latest for Daily Faceoff is a report that the Arizona Coyotes brought up Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers in negotiation for Jakob Chychrun earlier this season. The Panthers have turned down anything regard Knight, according to Seravalli, as the top prospect continues to play in the minor leagues.

It’s natural to wonder about Knight’s future in Florida, given the presence of Sergei Bobrovsky and his contract that extends through 2025-26, but the 20-year-old netminder is still an incredibly valuable asset that’s just getting his feet wet in professional hockey. Through 18 games with the Panthers this season he has a .898 save percentage but his time will come before long.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas met with media today in Hamilton, at the site of the upcoming Heritage Classic game against Buffalo and cleared up some of the trade speculation around his team. The executive is not considering a goaltender addition at this point despite Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek’s recent struggles, and his focus is still on a defenseman, not a forward. With Jake Muzzin still hopefully coming back before the end of the season, Dubas explained that the team isn’t likley to make multiple moves at the deadline.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have made another addition, hiring Adam Nicholas as director of hockey development. The founder of Stride Envy, a skill and skating development company, he has a resume that includes time with the Maple Leafs, the Chicago Steel of the USHL and UMass-Lowell.

Noel Acciari Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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The already incredibly deep Florida Panthers may be getting even deeper. Noel Acciari has been loaned to the Charlotte Checkers for a conditioning stint, a sign that he may be ready to make his season debut at some point in the near future.

Acciari, 30, suffered an injury in the preseason that required surgery and has been on long-term injured reserve ever since. This move doesn’t actually remove that LTIR designation just yet, but even if it did the Panthers are still okay cap-wise because of Markus Nutivaara’s absence. The real question would be where exactly Acciari even fits into the lineup when he returns, given how incredible Florida’s forward group has looked to this point.

While he may not be a household name for many NHL fans, remember that Acciari has been a valuable bottom-six option for the Panthers the last two seasons, even registering 20 goals in 66 games during the 2019-20 campaign. He received Selke Trophy votes that year because of the hard defensive minutes he was asked to play–Acciari almost never started a shift in the offensive zone–and there was no Panther who averaged more short-handed ice time last season. Florida’s penalty kill has actually been one of their biggest weak spots this season, as they sit 19th in the league behind several Atlantic Division rivals.

As a lineup crunch seemingly approaches, Owen Tippett’s name keeps coming up in trade talks and just yesterday Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet threw Frank Vatrano into the rumor mill as well. While Acciari certainly wouldn’t be a one-to-one replacement for either of those offensive wingers, the Panthers will need to make room for him somewhere when he’s ready to return.

Meanwhile, the team has also loaned Spencer Knight to the Checkers, where he can continue to play through the All-Star break.

Spencer Knight Enters COVID Protocol

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Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol on Wednesday, as per a team announcement. The team confirmed he’ll be unavailable for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars.

It’s been an unexpectedly rough year for the rookie netminder after he took the World Juniors (and the NHL, briefly) by storm with a string of impressive performances. Florida’s 13th overall selection in 2019 has just a .896 save percentage through 14 games, though, and he’s spent some time on the taxi squad and with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers to continue to develop his game.

Luckily, the Panthers have a better insurance policy in the net than they did at the start of the season. After losing Sam Montembeault on waivers to Montreal prior to the start of the year, the team only had three goalies under contract. That changed when they claimed Jonas Johansson off waivers from Colorado last month, allowing them to give Knight some time off.

Johansson will need to come into action now with Knight on protocol, though. He hasn’t fared any better in 2021-22, posting a .885 save percentage through nine games. The team’s won four straight games after the holiday break, though, giving themselves a comfortable 12-point cushion in terms of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

If all goes well for Knight and he can exit protocol in five days, he could look to return on January 11 against Vancouver. He would miss tomorrow’s game against Dallas and Saturday’s game against Carolina.

Spencer Knight Assigned To AHL

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The Florida Panthers had a new goaltender at practice today, as recent waiver claim Jonas Johansson hit the ice. Spencer Knight, who would have normally occupied one of the nets, has been loaned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.

While that kind of assignment will turn some heads, there’s not a lot of certainty around the Panthers right now, meaning things could change quickly. The team added five players and one staff member to the COVID protocol yesterday and there is some chatter about whether their game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings will be played. Team reporter Jameson Olive tweets that Aaron Ekblad and Frank Vatrano were “unable to skate” this morning according to interim head coach Andrew Brunette, who called it “chaotic” for the Panthers right now.

For Knight, a stint in the minor leagues is certainly not an indictment of his future with the team. The 20-year-old netminder stepped directly into the NHL last season after an outstanding sophomore year with Boston College, and showed that there’s a chance he was ready for primetime right away. That hasn’t been the case, as through 13 appearances this season he has posted a 6-4-2 record with a .892 save percentage. In his last game–against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night–he allowed eight goals on 38 shots, remaining in the net for the whole game despite his poor performance.

Almost every prospect needs seasoning in the minor leagues, especially goaltenders who often don’t hit their true peak performance until their mid-twenties. While there are obviously some outliers able to step directly into the NHL and succeed, some time in the AHL for Knight shouldn’t sour Panthers fans on his upside. The 13th-overall pick from 2019 is still an outstanding talent and should be back with the team at some point in time. For a club trying to contend for a Stanley Cup, that time just can’t be now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Spencer Knight To Debut For Florida Panthers

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If it wasn’t already appointment viewing whenever the 29-12-5 Florida Panthers hit the ice, tonight will bring even more excitement and intrigue. Spencer Knight, one of the very best goaltending prospects in the world, will make his NHL debut at the tender age of 20. Head coach Joel Quenneville confirmed that the young netminder would be starting tonight, saying “he’s ready for it. Looking forward to seeing how he handles it.”

For breaking a new goaltender into the league, there may be no better opponent than the Columbus Blue Jackets these days. The team has lost six in a row and fallen below the Detroit Red Wings for last place in the Central Division. All things equal the Panthers should be able to handle Columbus with almost anyone in net, though that certainly won’t calm any of the nerves for Knight.

Selected 13th overall in 2019, Knight absolutely dominated in his two years at Boston College, posting a 39-12-3 record in 54 games and registering a .931 save percentage. He was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award this year and backstopped the U.S. World Junior squad to a gold medal. Knight is big–he stands a legitimate 6’3″–athletic and usually seems ahead of the play as he slides fluidly around the crease. All of those skills will be tested at the NHL level, but as Quenneville says, he’s ready for it.

The most interesting part of this debut coming so soon though is what it means for the Panthers going forward. The team is locked into Sergei Bobrovsky at a $10MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season and the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has played well of late, seemingly rediscovering his game after a brutal year. Still, the inconsistency he has shown during his time in Florida has to be worrying to the new front office, which has their eyes set on contending for a Stanley Cup not only this year but for the next several. If Knight (or Chris Driedger, who has significantly outplayed Bobrovsky but is a free agent at the end of the season) can take the reins, even a huge contract shouldn’t stand in his way.

Florida Panthers Sign Spencer Knight

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The Florida Panthers’ goaltending position is about to get even more interesting. The Panthers have agreed to terms with top prospect Spencer Knight to his three-year entry-level contract. That will end Knight’s collegiate career after just two (outstanding) seasons at Boston College. GM Bill Zito released a short statement on his newest goaltender:

We are thrilled to have agreed to terms on a contract with Spencer. He is an immensely talented and dynamic young goaltender who has been an elite player at every level that he has played. From the collegiate ranks to international tournaments, Spencer has consistently elevated his game, a testament to his work ethic, compete and character. We are excited for him to take the next step in his career with the Panthers and look forward to his future with our club.

Knight, 19, has been embroiled in controversy since nearly the day he was drafted by the Panthers, selected 13th overall in 2019. At the time it seemed like an obvious choice, given the vacancy in Florida’s net, but a few weeks later the team would raise eyebrows all across the league by handing Sergei Bobrovsky a seven-year, $70MM contract on the first day of free agency. Immediately speculation went up over whether Knight would ever play for the Panthers, given how his path to the NHL was now blocked. College draftees do have a bit of leverage, as they can elect to stay in school for four years and become unrestricted free agents. It would be quite unusual for a player drafted as high as Knight to do something like that, but Bobrovsky’s contract immediately put that scenario (or a trade) into the realm of possibilities.

The worry was for nought, however, as Knight will sign his entry-level deal with the Panthers on schedule and enter the organization after just two seasons at BC. In his time there, the 19-year-old goaltender posted an incredible .931 save percentage across 54 appearances. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2020, named Goaltender of the Year this season and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Squeezed into that college career were two appearances at the World Juniors for Team USA, including a gold medal performance earlier this year. Knight actually went to three of the U20 tournaments, winning silver in 2019 as the extra goaltender.

There are very few goaltending prospects as hyped, but Knight has basically never wavered in his performance so far. Whether he can step to the next level immediately will soon be determined, but all the skills are there to make him an elite starting goaltender at the NHL level.

What that means for Bobrovsky isn’t at all clear. The $10MM goaltender has been outplayed this season by Chris Driedger, a minor league journeyman who was playing in the ECHL as recently as 2018-19. Driedger has earned his opportunity, posting a .930 through 30 NHL appearances so far, but will be a hard player to keep around given he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. With Bobrovsky earning so much and now Knight joining the organization, there may not be much of a place for the 26-year-old, especially if he’s looking for a substantial raise.

The question now becomes whether that’s a good thing for the Panthers, given Bobrovsky’s struggles and Knight’s youth. The veteran has posted just a .907 this season and was even worse last year, making his contract look like one of the worst in the entire league. He’ll carry that $10MM cap hit through 2025-26. As for Knight, his deal breaks down as follows, per CapFriendly:

2020-21: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $1MM in performance bonuses
2021-22: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $1.85MM in performance bonuses
2022-23: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $1.85MM in performance bonuses

Of those bonuses, Knight will receive $1MM if he wins the Conn Smythe Trophy. The other bonuses are Schedule A ones.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to report that a deal was close.

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