Panthers recall young netminder for depth fortification

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’ push 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, $13.5M extension, few believed the assignment would be permanent.

But the veteran Stolarz, signed to a one-year, $1.1M 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 $4.5M cap hit, making him a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2026.