'He is again on that curve': Panthers goalie Spencer Knight trying robust on path to NHL return

When the Florida Panthers took the ice for the primary recreation of their preseason-opening doubleheader on Sunday, there was a well-recognized face main them out of the dressing room.

Goaltender Spencer Knight final performed within the NHL in February of 2023.

He made the tough determination to pause his skilled hockey profession and search assist in the NHL/NHLPA Participant Help Program for points he was having with obsessive compulsive dysfunction.

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Following his remedy, which lasted for a number of months, Knight was able to resume his profession and re-joined the Panthers final summer season.

He spent final season slowing getting again into the swing of issues, spending the complete marketing campaign with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

By the tip of the common season, Knight was enjoying like a high younger goaltender once more, trying the half as the most effective goalie prospects round.

Now the query is whether or not he can do it on the NHL degree once more.

In his first style of recreation motion at that degree in over a 12 months and a half, Knight appeared like his ordinary calm, cool and picked up self between the pipes.

Dealing with a break up squad of Nashville Predators that did not embody a ton of acquainted names, Knight shut the door time and time once more, stopping all 19 pictures despatched his method in 30:52 of recreation motion.

Whereas the end result from the sport is pretty much as good as you’d hope, within the huge scheme of issues, there’s way more to Knight’s return than simply making saves on the ice.

“I am actually glad that it is simply this continuation of the complete program,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice mentioned of Knight after Sunday’s doubleheader. “He had a great 12 months final 12 months. It was good for him to undergo a whole 12 months professional. What he did tonight is the best way he is appeared in coaching camp, so he seems to be robust.”

If issues proceed on the trail they’re presently on, Knight will backup Sergei Bobrovsky this season and play an analogous position to what we noticed from Anthony Stolarz final season.

There are going to be a number of eyeballs on Knight this season, each on the ice and off it.

It will likely be an attention-grabbing and sure difficult balancing act for the younger goaltender.

He’ll be engaged on enhancing his recreation whereas persevering with to study and alter to the pains of knowledgeable hockey participant’s extraordinarily demanding schedule.

That is all a part of the method for any goalie working their method into the NHL, and Knight has been lucky to be surrounded by coaches and teammates who’ve been nothing however supportive and nurturing all through his journey.

“There are some, I’d suppose, some changes in his recreation, and that comes from progress,” Maurice mentioned. “He is a younger man, and there is a lot to study to that place, and I feel he is again on that curve. It’s day after day, he continues to type of study to manage within the Nationwide League or in professional sports activities, and he seems to be very, very robust, so he is achieved nicely.”

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