How Spencer Knight’s three-year Blackhawks contract alters the NHL goalie market

As soon as Spencer Knight’s contract negotiations with the Blackhawks acquired rolling a number of weeks in the past, the 24-year-old goalie sat again and mirrored on his scenario.

The perimeters have been discussing a three-year deal, which might lock him in for 4 extra years since his present contract has a 12 months left on it. That appeared completely cheap.

Nonetheless, the current development for Knight’s friends — notable goalies of their mid-20s across the NHL — has been maximum-term eight-year contracts. The Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman and the Stars’ Jake Oettinger acquired them final October. Dustin Wolf simply signed one with the Flames on Sept. 9. Even the current exceptions — Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Geese goalie Lukas Dostal — signed for 5 years.

There’s an enormous distinction between 4 years and 9 years from now, which Knight was in a position to put into perspective simply by exam-ining his personal life. 9 years in the past, in 2016, he was beginning his sophomore 12 months of highschool at Avon Previous Farms Faculty in Connecticut, a world away. 4 years in the past, in 2021, he was beginning his rookie season with the Panthers. And since then, he has skilled loads: 153 professional begins, a stint within the NHL/NHLPA help program, a playoff run, a high-profile commerce and extra.

In the end, the train helped him resolve a three-year extension made sense.

“It’s not a brief period of time,” Knight mentioned. “There’s a lot time to alter and evolve. I didn’t actually see a must go all the best way out and even attempt to do eight years. Either side have been very comfy with three.

“Clearly, while you get to the third 12 months from now, you make extra selections. However that’s not one thing I’m even eager about now. It’s loads of time for [the Hawks] to essentially develop and for me to work on my recreation.”

Knight’s against-the-grain resolution may have ripple results on the goalie market. Within the quick time period, his new salary-cap hit of $5.83 million may affect the negotiations of Filip Gustavsson (Wild), Anthony Stolarz (Maple Leafs) and Stuart Skinner (Oilers), three beginning goalies who presently make lower than $4 million per 12 months on contracts that expire subsequent summer season.

Additional out, Knight, who’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2029, may benefit from a market shortage at that time, since his friends who signed eight-year offers received’t hit free company till a lot later.

“Goalies are attention-grabbing, as a result of when [Jets star Connor] Hellebuyck was searching for his contract [in 2023], folks have been like, ‘He’s already 30,’ ” Knight mentioned. “Nicely, he’s received two Vezinas and one Hart Trophy since.

“A phrase that I consider loads once I take into consideration my profession is ‘sustainability.’ That’s one thing I’m searching for. I’m trying to not simply peak at 28 or 29, however to maintain this over the course of time.”

Knight’s former mentor in Florida, Sergei Bobrovsky, exemplifies sustainability, contemplating he’s 37 and nonetheless dominating the game. However Knight isn’t looking for to particularly replicate Bobrovsky’s profession, both.

Sergei Bobrovsky, former mentor with the Panthers, exemplifies sustainability, contemplating he’s 37 and nonetheless dominating. However Knight isn’t looking for to observe his actual path.

“After I was rising up, the massive goalies have been Carey Worth, Bobrovsky in Columbus, and [Andrei] Vasilevskiy was simply beginning to choose up,” he mentioned. “You have a look at their video games and also you attempt to choose issues up. However once I turned professional, I began realizing, ‘I’m my very own particular person.’

“I say this once I have a look at Connor [Bedard] or Frank [Nazar]. Everyone seems to be evaluating their stats to [various] gamers from 4 or 5 years in the past [and asking], ‘Are they going to be on the identical monitor?’ I at all times assume, ‘Let Connor be Connor, let Frank be Frank, and I’m simply going to be me. These guys don’t should be anybody else however themselves.’ It’s a refreshing mindset to have.”