Spencer Knight Sent to AHL Charlotte; What Now?
The Florida Panthers sent goalie Spencer Knight back to AHL Charlotte — for now. Here is everything we know about the situation.
Photo by Colby Guy
FORT LAUDERDALE — After an impressive showing in the preseason, the Florida Panthers sent goaltender Spencer Knight back to AHL Charlotte.
At least for now.
When general manager Bill Zito was asked about Knight’s situation, he cited the league’s salary cap as a big reason why.
The Panthers, with their 22-man roster constructed the way it is, are $130,000 under the league’s salary cap, with the team saving about $355,000 by having Chris Driedger on the roster over Knight.
If Knight was on the opening-night roster, the Panthers would have to waive an extra player to be complaint with the salary cap, as that extra $355,000 would put them over the $87.8 million ceiling, per PuckPedia.
“I wouldn’t tell you what I would say to a player,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “But listen. We live in a [salary] cap world in the National Hockey League. There’s a lot of teams who are like us and I think we’re going to see fluidity to the way that our roster shapes up day-to-day to week-to-week and we have to use the CBA.
“We have to use the rules and maximize our ability to field the best team and have the best players available to us for a season.”
As of right now, the Panthers have injured forward Tomas Nosek counting against their salary cap, as well as extra forward Mackenzie Entwistle, which is in part why they are dealing with this problem.
Whether or not the Panthers will actively look for an answer to that question to carry Knight on the roster for their upcoming four-game road trip was not disclosed.
Knight’s gear was still in the Panthers’ locker room on Tuesday morning, but Zito cited travel concerns caused by Hurricane Milton as to why that is the case.
“Did anybody try to buy a flight for today?” Zito said. “To be honest, I don’t even know when we’re going [to Ottawa for Thursday night’s game against the Senators.] We were supposed to go tomorrow, then we were supposed to go tonight, now I think we’re supposed to go tomorrow, and some of it we’re winging it.”
When asked whether Knight was going to get starts at the NHL level or if the plan is to have Driedger be the back-up all season, Zito did not offer an answer.
“There’s a plan,” he said. “But I wouldn’t tell you what it is.”