Many have said goaltenders are voodoo and can be the strangest players. Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight has gone through a lot in his short NHL career but seems to be on the right track. He has played well during his time in the Windy City and looks to backstop them to a playoff berth sooner than later. With his recent success in teh Blackhakws' net, do they view him as their franchise goaltender?
A long road to success for Knight
Knight was a draft pick of the Florida Panthers (13th overall in 2019) and quickly became a highly touted prospect, a goaltender for the future. With injuries and mental health issues, he saw his time on the ice limited as time went on. The Panthers felt he was no longer a top-tier prospect and shipped him and a first-round pick to the Blackhawks for defenseman Seth Jones and a fourth-round pick in 2026. This seemed odd as Florida needed a defenseman but why give up on a goaltender with so much promise? The 24-year-old Knight saw this as a good opportunity to showcase his talents.
New team, new hopes for Knight
Knight knew this would be a challenge. Going from the Panthers to the Blackhawks defense was the same as night and day. He was up for the challenge as he knew he had talent and could make this work. A team like Chicago was young but determined to make a statement. Knight was the right goaltender for this team and he has been amazing between the pipes. Chicago needed stable goaltending and they found it with Knight.
With the Panthers, Knight was 44-25-7 with a .906 save percentage and a 2.76 goals against average. So far with Chicago he is 7-10-3 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average. Records aside his stats look similar to those in Florida as they do in Chicago. He is the same style of goaltender but the difference is the defense. This season, he is 2-2-1 with a .937 save percentage and a 1.96 goals against average. His save percentage is sixth among goaltenders, his goals against average eighth, and he has the third most saves with 148.
Chicago believes in Knight and signed him to a three-year deal worth $17.5 million. The deal begins in the 2026-27 season and the team should be more competitive and be closer to a playoff spot. Knight has proven he can lead a team that does not have any elite talent. His numbers are extremely good for a team that is average on defense and low scoring. Knight deserves the spotlight after what he has gone through and so far he has been what the Blackhawks hoped he would be.