Knight returns to Panthers at development camp

Spencer Knight is happy to be back with the Florida Panthers at their development camp this week.

The 22-year-old goalie received permission from the NHL to practice with the Panthers prospects after returning from the NHL/NHL Players' Association player assistance program, which he entered Feb. 24. Under the terms of the joint program, Knight was paid while receiving treatment and allowed to return to the Panthers when cleared by the program administrators.

"It's been great, I think, just coming back down here and just being in a familiar area," Knight said Wednesday after Day 3 of development camp in Coral Springs, Florida. "I know a few of these guys already, whether it's former teammates or guys maybe I played against. So it was good to see them, meet a few new faces and there's a lot of good talent here, too."

Knight last played Feb. 18, when he made 12 saves in relief of Sergei Bobrovsky in a 7-3 loss at the Nashville Predators. He allowed five goals on 27 shots in his last start, a 6-2 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 14, and went 9-8-3 with a 3.18 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games (19 starts).

Knight declined to discuss why he entered the player assistance program or what his experience in it was like.

"I don't think it's the right time to address anything on that front," he said. "I'll do that when I feel the time is right. But regardless, I'm just happy to be here and just have fun. I think that's the biggest thing."

Knight views development camp as a chance to do that and get ready to return to playing.

"I think it is important to be here for the sake that I think I honestly approach it like this is a great opportunity to play hockey," he said. "Any opportunity to play hockey is a great opportunity, but in terms of my game, I think it is, too. The one thing is you've just got to come in and work hard. There's things I'm working on here, too, whether it's your positioning or your skating.

"I always say you can't replicate that in environments where there's not any structure or intensity. So this is one step and then, obviously, you get to games."

Selected with the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Knight is 32-17-6 with a 2.91 GAA, .906 save percentage and three shutouts in 57 NHL games (49 starts) and played two games in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had 19 wins in 2021-22 to set a Panthers record for most by a rookie goalie and joined Roberto Luongo as the only first-year players with multiple shutouts in one season (two). Knight was also the first Florida rookie goalie to win his pro debut and the youngest (20 years, one day) to do so.

Knight knows he will have to prove himself again, beginning in training camp. After the Panthers signed goalie Anthony Stolarz to a one-year contract July 1, general manager Bill Zito said there will be a competition for the backup job behind Bobrovsky.

"I could think things or speculate on how things go, but the one thing I've learned is that I've just got be cool with whatever happens," Knight said. "You can go here, great. If you're there, great. This happens, great. And that's the approach I think I have to have because I know the skill I have, and I don't doubt that. The skill combined with my physical capability, I think I have tremendous skill and I think I can be one of the best goalies in this league. I'm still 22.

"So I think that mentality of embracing the uncertainty and just embracing we don't know what's going to happen next. Do you think Florida would think they would be in the Stanley Cup Final in January? But they [were]."

Knight said he watched "a little bit" of Florida's run to the Stanley Cup Final, a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

"I think it was just one of those things that it was really cool to see," he said. "But [if] there's one thing I learned from watching it is that you really don't know, but if you work hard and you kind of just stick to what you can do and just embrace whatever moment you're in [you can have success]. Because there are times in the season when you're just going to be like, 'We can't win a game,' and you're like, 'We might not make the playoffs.' But then, you just keep working, keep working, keep working and then it eventually pays off, and I think the Panthers' example of that in the playoffs was the perfect example of it."

NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report