Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito said Wednesday that goaltender Spencer Knight is doing much better and he expects to be back next season.
The masked man joined the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) player assistance program last February. In the last playoffs, which ended in a defeat in the Stanley Cup finals, he was not part of his team’s entourage.
However, Knight will have to wait for the show’s speakers to clear him before he can rejoin the action.
Sergei Bobrovsky’s recent performances at the last spring tournament meant that Knight was not guaranteed to reclaim his position as top goalkeeper.
The Russian has played 18 playoff games and has a record of 12-6. He had a 2.76 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
The veteran has three years left on his lucrative seven-year contract, which pays him $10 million a year.
Knight scored 21 times for his team last season and his record was 9-8-3. His goals-against average was 3.18 and his save percentage was .901. The Connecticut native was the Panthers’ first pick in the 2019 draft (13th overall).