Knight (6-foot-4, 193 pounds) was No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies after he went 32-4-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 games for the NTDP this season. He set the program record for wins with 59 over two seasons (78 games) and is committed to Boston College next season.
Already praised for an efficient technical game, powerful lateral movement and an ability to make athletic saves, Knight still sees room to improve.
"I am nowhere near perfect," he said. "For me, a lot of it will be moving less and just trust your angles, and positioning and depth is what I am working on. But I am a good skater and read the play well, like to hold my feet, and I think that's something that could translate well to the NHL."
Knight, 18, wouldn't put a timeline on making the NHL, but Tallon pointed to Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray winning the Stanley Cup at 22 and believes Knight may also be a "rare exception that can play at 21, 22."
Despite that, drafting Knight won't alter the Panthers plans to be aggressive at the position in free agency this summer. Florida is waiting to hear from 40-year-old Roberto Luongo about his future, and James Reimer has two seasons remaining on his contract.
"This is a long-term plan," Tallon said. "We have to wait until we get the decision from Roberto probably sometime in the near future, so we have to make sure we are protected. It's the most important position and we haven't had a lot depth there."
But Tallon is confident he does now, especially after talking to former Panthers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck when both worked with the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
"I respect John Vanbiesbrouck, heck] of a goalie and great person," Tallon said. "He really thought this was a once in a lifetime opportunity if we were able to get a guy like this."
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