The Florida Panthers have signed goaltender Spencer Knight to a three-year contract worth $13.5 million, per Kevin Weekes.
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Knight, 21, is the latest up-and-comer to earn a lucrative contract, and the pundits are already criticizing the deal, mostly because the young goalie only has 36 games of NHL experience. So far, Knight has managed a 2.74 goals-against average and .909 save-percentage, with a 23-9-3 record for the Panthers.
Still under his entry-level contract, Knight's new rate will not kick in until 2023-24, giving Florida GM Bill Zito time to figure out his expensive goaltending situation. Once the deal kicks in, Florida will spend $14.5 million every season on goaltending.
Knight is, without question, a fine young goaltender and likely the Panthers' goalie of the future. He has proven to be a very capable backup goaltender, but whether or not he can handle a starter's workload remains to be seen.
Ipso facto, why he earned a bigger deal than Dallas Stars' goaltender Jake Oettinger is beyond me. Oettinger has twice as many starts as Knight, better statistics (2.46 GAA / .913 SV%), and a more proven track record in the playoffs.
Yet, somehow, Bill Zito saw to it that his goalie had the bigger tag. Very strange.
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How do you feel about Knight's new deal?
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