Latest news with #SpencerKnight
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks Young Goalie Continues To Get Praise
The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping that goaltender Spencer Knight will become something special for them. The 2019 first-round pick undoubtedly has plenty of potential and has shown promise early on, but there is a real expectation that he has not hit his ceiling yet. During this past season split between the Florida Panthers and Blackhawks, Knight put together a 17-16-3 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.72 goals-against average in 38 games. Overall, it was a solid year for the youngster, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of season he has as the Blackhawks' starter in 2025-26 from here. In 95 career NHL games over four seasons, Knight has a 49-33-9 record, a .904 save percentage, and a 2.83 goals-against average. Due to his solid play over the year, he has now received more praise. Blackhawks' Spencer Knight is One of the Most Impressive Goalies Under 25 The NHL is full of young talent and the league has been getting younger in recent years. The Chicago Blackhawks have some of that young talent on their team and have impressive players at every position. NHL Fantasy/Edge has named their top 10 goalies who are 26 years old or younger for the 2025-26 season, and Knight was ranked at the No. 8 spot. Knight beat out Joel Hofer of the St. Louis Blues and Leevi Merilainen of the Ottawa Senators on the list. Given how Knight has performed early on in his career, him making this list is entirely fair. The potential for him to have a strong season in 2025-26 is there, and this is especially so if he taps into his potential more. Thus, he could be a good goalie for fantasy hockey managers to bring in once the big-name netminders are off the board. Former Blackhawks Forward Had Monster Year During the 2022 NHL off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks elected not to send forward Dylan Strome a qualifying offer. As a result, he became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals in July of that year. This was after Strome posted 22 goals and 48 points with the Blackhawks during the 2021-22 season. Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks Promising Goalie Gets Big Praise
The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players on their roster. Goaltender Spencer Knight is one of them, as he has the potential to emerge as a very impactful goalie at the NHL level.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks Promising Goalie Gets Big Praise
The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players on their roster. Goaltender Spencer Knight is one of them, as he has the potential to emerge as a very impactful goalie at the NHL level. Knight has already shown promise over his four-year NHL career thus far, as he has recorded a 49-33-9 record, a 2.83 goals-against average, and a .904 save percentage in 95 games. Now, after being traded to the Blackhawks from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones deal, he will have the opportunity to finally be a full-time starter. Knight's potential and success so far at the NHL level have now landed him some serious praise. In a recent article for Kevin Woodley ranked Knight as the second-best goalie in the NHL who is under 25 years old heading into the 2025-26 season. The only goalie Woodley had ahead of him was Calgary Flames rising star Dustin Wolf. Overall, when looking at what Knight has done so far during his career, it is certainly fair that he has earned the No. 2 spot on Woodley's list. The 2019 first-round pick has the tools to become something special for the Blackhawks as they look to take that next step, and it will be fun to see what kind of campaign he has in 2025-26 from here. Blackhawks Sign Intriguing New Goalie Prospect The Chicago Blackhawks have added a new goalie prospect to their system. Photo Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Future NHL stars: Ranking top 10 goaltenders under age 25, including Dustin Wolf and Spencer Knight
NHL's top young goalies set to own the net (Image via: Getty Images) As NHL Young Stars Week shines a spotlight on the future of the league, goaltending prospects are stealing the headlines. With speed, skill, and mental fortitude, a new wave of under-25 goalies is ready to take over the crease. These young netminders are already making an impact or are on the verge of doing so. Why NHL teams are betting big on young goaltenders Goaltending remains one of the hardest positions to project, but the NHL's next generation is full of talent, with several players already cracking NHL lineups and others dominating the AHL and college ranks. With tighter salary caps and the need for long-term solutions, teams are banking on these young, affordable goalies to be game-changers. — NHLdotcom (@NHLdotcom) Top under-25 NHL goalies to watch in 2025 Dustin Wolf (Calgary Flames) leads the list thanks to a standout rookie season. Drafted 214th overall in 2019, Wolf defied the odds with elite AHL numbers and a solid 29-16-8 NHL debut. His .910 save percentage and ability to read the play make him one of the most exciting young goalies in hockey. Spencer Knight (Chicago Blackhawks) brings the most NHL experience. After a reset year and a trade to Chicago, the 24-year-old is set to battle for a starting role. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo His size, positioning, and calm demeanor give him long-term No. 1 potential. Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose Sharks) was once considered the top goalie prospect in the world. Now with San Jose after being blocked in Nashville, the 23-year-old athletic Russian has a golden opportunity to prove his NHL worth. Leevi Merilainen (Ottawa Senators) and Jacob Fowler (Montreal Canadiens) are quickly rising. Merilainen impressed in both the NHL and AHL last season, while Fowler's .940 save percentage at Boston College and strong AHL debut suggest he could fast-track to the big league. Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings), Jet Greaves (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Devon Levi (Buffalo Sabres) add further depth to the list. Augustine has international pedigree, Greaves is an undrafted success story, and Levi's quick reflexes and smarts continue to turn heads. Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild) and Joel Blomqvist (Pittsburgh Penguins) round out the top 10, both looking to break through on struggling rosters. Also Read: Brad Marchand trade to Florida Panthers leads to Stanley Cup win and emotional return to Boston Bruins The future of NHL goaltending belongs to these under-25 standouts These under-25 goalies represent the NHL's future in net—faster, smarter, and more prepared than ever. With names like Dustin Wolf and Spencer Knight leading the charge, this new wave of talent is already making its mark on NHL rosters. Keep an eye on these rising stars as they battle for starting roles and shape the league's next era of elite goaltending. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about the Blackhawks this offseason: Söderblom arbitration and more
The mostly quiet portion of the offseason is upon us. There might be a few surprises that trickle out in the coming months, but beyond a handful of contracts, including possibly Anton Frondell's entry-level contract, there isn't likely to be a lot of Blackhawks' news. Nonetheless, we'll still have some stories for you in the coming weeks and months. Before we get to those, here's one final roundup of what I'm hearing about the team. It was a little surprising to see Arvid Söderblom file for arbitration. You can't blame him, though. He sees the Blackhawks give Petr Mrázek $4.25 million, give Laurent Brossoit $3.3 million and be willing to take on Spencer Knight's $4.5 million cap hit. Söderblom probably wants his piece of the pie, too. Advertisement Söderblom is projected to get about $1.7 million on a two-year contract, based on AFP Analytics' contract projections. My understanding is that number is probably lower than what Söderblom is hoping to get. It'll probably end up closer to $2.5 million. The key for the Blackhawks will be not committing too much term to him just yet. While he had a bounce-back season, the Blackhawks will want to see a larger sample size before handing him a larger deal. There's also the fact that the Blackhawks' net could see many combinations of goalies in the next few years, with Söderblom, Knight and Drew Commesso all being 25 or younger. The Blackhawks will work out Söderblom's contract one way or another, whether it's through arbitration or not. The one that doesn't have a definite endpoint and could yield some interesting negotiations is Wyatt Kaiser's deal. Kaiser doesn't have arbitration rights, meaning he doesn't have a ton of leverage, but there is always the possibility of a holdout. It doesn't sound like Kaiser is threatening that. It could make sense for Kaiser to bet on himself on a one-year deal and prove he's the player he was late last season, positioning himself for a significant contract next summer. The Blackhawks are hopeful Kaiser is a top-four defenseman, but it probably doesn't make sense just yet to pay him like one. Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham's original plan was to go from the BCHL to the NCAA after Chicago took him in the third round of the 2024 draft. Once the NCAA announced it would allow OHL players to play college hockey, however, Pridham, who is from the Toronto area, decided to include the OHL in his development plan while keeping his commitment to Boston University. Now, after playing last season with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, Pridham has decided to alter his development plan again. He de-committed from BU and hopes to earn a contract with the Blackhawks out of training camp. Advertisement 'After a long decision with my family, I decided I'm not going to go to Boston anymore,' Pridham said at Blackhawks development camp. 'I liked my game in Kitchener this year and I want to put my best foot forward to try to earn a contract with Chicago, and if not, then the plan will be back in Kitchener for one more year.' The Blackhawks do like Pridham and were impressed by how well he played in the OHL last season. Odds are probably against him earning an NHL contract out of camp, but you never know. The Blackhawks do technically own his NHL rights until August of 2029 because they drafted him out of the BCHL. One prospect you can probably expect to see in the NHL next season is Sacha Boisvert. He had a strong freshman season at North Dakota and transferred to Boston University. Chances are he spends next season at BU before making a jump similar to the oness Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar made after their sophomore seasons. It certainly sounded like Boisvert was ready for that, too. He spoke at development camp about how far he thought he was from the NHL. 'I think not too far away,' Boisvert said. 'I think it's mental. It's also physical, but I think a lot of it's mental. I think I'll be ready to play soon enough.' What sort of quarterback prospect was Blackhawks 2025 first-round pick Mason West? In talking to a friend at one recruiting service, it sounds like West once seemed like a big-time prospect due to his size, but interest subsided over the last few years. He does have offers from Kent State, Marshall, Miami (Ohio) and South Dakota, according to 247Sports. The Blackhawks still believe once West commits completely to hockey that he's going to become a next-level player because of his size, athleticism and vision. The plan is for him to play high school football, then finish out his senior year playing hockey in the USHL. He's committed to playing hockey at Michigan State for the 2026-27 season. Advertisement Chicago doesn't have any major fears about him playing high school football either. 'High school football vs., say, playing in the USHL, you may be more apt to get hurt playing in the USHL,' Blackhawks assistant general manager of player development Mark Eaton said. 'I mean, you can take that approach with everything. You can get hit by a bus crossing the street. You're still going to cross the street. We love the athlete in him; we love that he has a desire to go back and lead his football team to win a championship.' Eaton is back to his old job after stepping in as head coach of the Rockford IceHogs last season. He does think last season's experience will benefit him as he moves back into player development. 'At least on the amateur side, when you're working with these guys, it's more sporadic,' Eaton said. 'Maybe it's every week or every couple of weeks, going to see them play and every few weeks. But being around them every day, six days a week for an entire season, if anything it reaffirms that a lot of what we're doing on the amateur side, what we're doing here this week, we're focusing on the right things because that's what a lot of these guys need as first-year pros is stuff away from the rink, learning how to be pros, taking care of themselves, nutrition, that kind of stuff. … Being able to work with them on the ice on a daily basis was real rewarding, beneficial and something that will help me going forward.' Marcel Marcel, a 2023 fifth-round pick by the Blackhawks, will be back with the IceHogs this season. Before he could officially sign that contract, he had to go through this year's NHL Draft. His draft rights expired in June after the Blackhawks decided not to offer him an NHL contract. Since he's from Europe and still 21, he had to enter the NHL Draft again. He didn't get selected, which then allowed him to sign an AHL contract with the IceHogs. The Blackhawks are still considering bringing in another goalie as Commesso's backup in Rockford. There are two goalies — Mitchell Weeks and Owen Flores — under AHL deals next season, but they're likely playing for the Indy Fuel or only in net with the IceHogs if another goalie is injured. Chicago could explore Europe for another goalie, which has paid off for them in the past. The team expected Dominic James, a 2022 sixth-round pick, to sign after his college and were surprised to find out he was going to wait out his draft rights and become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15. That happening more often probably isn't a massive concern for the Blackhawks, but it is something they'll be mindful of as they try to plan out development timelines. Advertisement Competition is one thing, but they don't want to scare off prospects from signing because there are just too many promising players in the pipeline, especially considering how many early-round picks the Blackhawks have made in recent years. (Top photo of Arvid Söderblom: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
