It wasn’t a shock that the Chicago Blackhawks received a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick from the Florida Panthers as part of the deal for top defenseman Seth Jones.
But also getting goaltender Spencer Knight, the Panthers’ first-round pick (No. 13) in 2019? Probably not many saw that coming.
And that includes Knight.
“Honestly, no, I was very surprised,” he said Monday after the Hawks’ morning skate at the United Center, his first time addressing Chicago media. “But when you turn pro, you realize that’s always a possibility. I’ve seen it happen a few times.”
It took a second to sink in for the 23-year-old from Darien, Conn.
“I didn’t have any words,” he said twice. “But you talk to people close to you, you move on and you keep moving forward.
“I’m lucky to come to a great organization and be in a great place that has really good groups of people, guys in the locker room, training staff, equipment staff, front office. I’m excited.”
Turns out, it wasn’t an easy decision for Panthers general manager Bill Zito either.
“It was really very difficult, on so many different levels,” Zito told reporters in Florida. “You can’t imagine. The level of respect we have for Spencer is tremendous. He’s a wonderful person. He’s a wonderful guy. The guy’s a champion.
“It’s really hard. It’s not fun on a personal level and it’s not fun on a business level, but you have to make hard decisions.”
Knight jumped into the deep end of the pool Monday, making his first start for the Hawks against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings peppered him with 42 shots — 17 in the Hawks’ sloppy first period — and he saved all but one: Anze Kopitar’s flick-of-a-wrister that was partially attributable to a series of defensive breakdowns.
But he helped deliver a 5-1 win in front of a crowd of 16,254 at United Center.
“He was awesome,” Connor Murphy said. “I mean, we didn’t make it easy on him. It was a good thing he was warm going into that game because that start, we gave him two-on-zeros and back-door plays and everything, and he stood tall.”
“He looked really good,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “Calm is probably the word, right? He just looked so composed back there, so tight down low. He made even some great puck plays.”
Knight said, “I’m glad I got to get the win with the guys. … Everyone battled, blocked shots, big goals. That’s what it’s going to take.”
The goalie still had to wear his subtly Panthers-themed helmet and pads, but he was fully entrenched — figuratively and literally — in the Hawks’ goal.
“I don’t care if we’re in first place or last place or anywhere between, (we) come to the rink and play to win every night,” Knight said. “That’s my motto, at least, going forward. I’m here to build a championship-winning team, whether that’s a year, two years, five, I don’t know.”
Knight was so upbeat, even losing a skate blade in the third period didn’t faze him.
“It’s the second time it’s happened in my last two games,” he laughed. “It’s weird. I got to figure it out. We got to get new skates or something.”
Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight (30) has a broken blade replaced on his skate during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Positive postgame vibes aside, Knight enters a vastly different world than he had in Florida.
Until Saturday’s trade, he backed up Sergei Bobrovsky for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who entered Monday third in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks were second-to-last in the league at 18-35-7 entering Monday’s game.
“I’m just going to bring what I’ve always brought and that’s a positive attitude, a good work ethic and work toward winning hockey,” Knight said. “I want to bring lots of wins to this organization over however long I’m here. That’s really my mindset.”
Connor Bedard said he and teammates are “thrilled” to have Knight in the fold.
“A very high pick, and any young goalie who’s excited for a fresh start” is good, Bedard said after morning skate. “Obviously super talented, so we’re excited to have him.”
Sorensen sees “lots of potential” in Knight.
“A first-rounder for a reason,” he said before the game. “He has his career on track here, and we’re super excited for him (to) be a bona fide No. 1 here.”
But Knight steps into a goalie group that has been getting solid production from Petr Mrázek and Arvid Söderblom. Here’s how the three compare this season:
- Mrázek: 3.46 goals-against average, .890 save percentage, 33 games played, 33 starts
- Söderblom: 3.02 GAA, .906 SV%, 29 games, 26 starts
- Knight: 2.40 GAA, .907 SV%, 23 games, 21 starts
Sorensen said coaches need to make sure they’re communicating the plan with all three goalies and staying mindful of their reps in practice.
“Then obviously game time is when everybody wants to play,” he said. “Just managing that is going to be a bit of a juggle here, but we’ll deal with it day by day.”
Knight, who had a 1.66 GAA and .937 save percentage since Jan. 3, welcomes the competition.
“That’s not a big deal at all,” he said. “These guys are awesome, super helpful, just funny, nice guys.
“And that’s what I’m going to be for them too: great teammate, great supporter. I’m always there for them as goalies. I’m excited working with these guys and getting to know them, make new friends.”
Söderblom called Knight a “great goalie and seems to be a nice guy as well.” Söderblom is having a career year in his fourth season but said the competition makes all three goalies better.
“We have to push each other,” he said.
Sorensen opted to push Knight right into the starter’s net Monday: “Absolutely. He played last week so he’s ready.”
“It was my decision,” Knight said. “I just want to play.”
Knight’s addition also presents long-term considerations for the roster. Söderblom, 25, carries a $962,500 salary-cap hit and will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this offseason.
“My job and my goals are still the same as five days ago,” he said. “I’m still trying to get better every day and improve.”
He said his representatives haven’t discussed an extension with Hawks management.
“We’re just playing this season to the very end and then we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Knight ($4.5 million cap hit) and the 33-year-old Mrázek ($4.25 million) are under contract through next season. Knight will be an arbitration-eligible RFA in summer 2026, while Mrázek will be an unrestricted free agent.
Unless Mrázek is traded before Friday’s deadline, that’s a matter for down the road. First Knight has a lot to get acclimated to.
“It’s still a lot to process,” he said, “but I’m really in the mindset — right now especially — of day by day. Just trying to figure out where I’m living and that stuff.”
The transition includes learning to work with a new goalie coach in Jimmy Waite.
“It’s going to be a feeling-out process,” Knight said. “He’s a great guy and I’ve talked to him a few times. Really positive attitude, which I really enjoy.
“It’s a two-way street. He’s going to have tons of ideas for me, which I’m really open to, and I’m going to have ideas for him.”
Knight said he’s a goalie who relies on skating and technique — but he’s not overly focused on them.
“I do have the athleticism to make plays and lean on the reads and reactions,” he said. “It’s about getting to that flow state and just not thinking. When you get into that, you’re really just playing the game.”
Andreas Athanasiou of the Chicago Blackhawks high fives teammates after scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at the United Center on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Here are three quick observations about Monday’s game.
1. Colton Dach came alive in the third.
He was physical on puck carriers and smartly picked off a pass to set up Andreas Athanasiou’s goal.
“We had a play and he told me to get a pick and go from there,” Dach said. “As soon as I saw the puck shot, just try to anticipate. If it was a (faceoff) loss, it was probably going to the weak side. So, try to get a stick on it and he did a good job of finding the open area.”
2. The Hawks had their first winning streak since a three-game streak in mid-December.
“Positive, obviously right? Before the break we were getting points but we weren’t getting wins,” Sorensen said. …
“Wish we could’ve done a little bit better job in handling some of that (push from the Kings), but in terms of confidence you should grow from this for sure.”
3. A reader coined Ryan Donato’s post-to-post shot as Chicago hockey’s ‘double doink.’
The goal horn even sounded, but play continued.
Murphy said, “It was hard to see, it was in and out so fast. I think everyone’s convinced that it was in the net. But he’s been able to find holes by goalies this year, and it’s been impressive to watch.”
Originally Published: March 3, 2025 at 4:11 PM CST
