CHICAGO — The rebuilding Blackhawks are relying on Spencer Knight to change into their long-term starter after signing the goalie to a three-year, $17.5 million contract extension Saturday.
Knight, 24, has one yr left on his present contract, with the extension securing him via the 2029-30 season. The Blackhawks acquired Knight, together with a first-round decide, in a commerce that despatched Seth Jones and a draft decide to the Florida Panthers in March.
Knight was chosen by the Panthers within the first spherical of the 2019 draft and spent his first three-plus seasons in Florida primarily serving as a backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.
In Chicago, Knight will get the chance to tackle a bigger function with a Blackhawks staff coming off three straight last-place finishes within the Central Division and with Jeff Blashill coming into his first season as coach.
“After becoming a member of the staff in March, Spencer shortly cemented himself as an important piece of our future,” normal supervisor Kyle Davidson stated. “A proficient, younger goaltender, he brings athleticism, sound positioning and a relaxed demeanor to his recreation, and we’re excited to look at Spencer proceed to flourish in Chicago over the subsequent 4 seasons.”
Arvid Söderblom, who went 10-18-7 final season, returns for a fifth season in Chicago, whereas Petr Mrazek was traded to Detroit following Knight’s acquisition.
From Connecticut, Knight went 5-8-2 in 15 appearances with the Blackhawks and completed the season with a 17-16-3 document. Total, the 6-foot-3, 191-pound participant out of Boston School has a document of 49-33-9 with 5 shutouts.