Speculation: Is it smart for Florida to hold on to Knight?

[KovalchukFistPump]

They're paying him 4.5M over the next two years along with paying Bobrovsky 10M for two years. Right now, defense looks like it could potentially have some weaknesses unless Nate Schmidt bounces back greatly.

They can probably weather it this year but for next summer, you'd still have two goalies at 15M combined but then would have Ekblad, Bennett, and Verhaeghe to resign. I suppose you can trade Bob somewhere then but he does have a 16-team no-trade. And I suppose if you hold on to Knight this year, you hope he plays well and recoups trade value for next summer. Either way, I just don't think it would be smart to have both of them on the books for 2025-26.

I suppose the plan for right now is to go with both of them for this year and find a way to bank some cap space and trade for a D at the deadline? Forward depth is decently good as is.

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[Dipsy Doodle]

Who else are they gonna use that money on?

 

[HockeyVirus]

Do they even have the assets needed to dump him? I was more surprised he didn't get bought out last week

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Do they even have the assets needed to dump him? I was more surprised he didn't get bought out last week

I think some team with tons of cap room would take him as is for the potential alone. Why wouldn't San Jose take a flier on him for two years instead of a Goodrow or Trouba? Or Anaheim? This seems all about Zito not wanting to trade low on a recent first round pick.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

It wouldn’t be smart to keep him if Bob was younger. He is going to take over for Bob if he can get his head on straight. He's a talented player.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I think some team with tons of cap room would take him as is for the potential alone. Why wouldn't San Jose take a flier on him for two years instead of a Goodrow or Trouba? Or Anaheim? This seems all about Zito not wanting to trade low on a recent first round pick.

The problem is there is also the office issues as well. I think a rebuilding team like the Sharks are being very careful who they bring around 18 year olds they expect to be franchise players for them for the next 15 years

 

[MichaelFarrell]

Do they even have the assets needed to dump him? I was more surprised he didn't get bought out last week

Why would you buy him out? He’s still a great goalie prospect. He just turned 23. He’s so young.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

It wouldn’t be smart if Bob was younger. He is going to take over for Bob if he can get his head on straight. He's a talented player.

Yeah but for 2025-26 specifically, you'd need to find a way to trade Bob or you lose some good players to free agency. Panthers have a cup window right now and need to maximize it.

 

[Soundgarden]

Isn't he like 22? Yes, it would be ok to keep him.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Why would you buy him out? He’s still a great goalie prospect. He just turned 23. He’s so young.

See above. Don't need to pay to dump him and because he is young the buyout wouldn't be that bad

 

[bert]

I think some team with tons of cap room would take him as is for the potential alone. Why wouldn't San Jose take a flier on him for two years instead of a Goodrow or Trouba? Or Anaheim? This seems all about Zito not wanting to trade low on a recent first round pick.

Bingo. The trolls will come out ofcourse from the typical fanbases. But why wouldn't Chicago, Montreal, Columbus, San Jose etc take a chance. They are in full rebuilds.

 

[TheBeard]

Unless a team throws em an offer they can't refuse then yeah

 

[Juxtaposer]

Is Knight waiver-exempt next season?

 

[Dread Clawz]

They're paying him 4.5M over the next two years along with paying Bobrovsky 10M for two years. Right now, defense looks like it could potentially have some weaknesses unless Nate Schmidt bounces back greatly.

They can probably weather it this year but for next summer, you'd still have two goalies at 15M combined but then would have Ekblad, Bennett, and Verhaeghe to resign. I suppose you can trade Bob somewhere then but he does have a 16-team no-trade. And I suppose if you hold on to Knight this year, you hope he plays well and recoups trade value for next summer. Either way, I just don't think it would be smart to have both of them on the books for 2025-26.

I suppose the plan for right now is to go with both of them for this year and find a way to bank some cap space and trade for a D at the deadline? Forward depth is decently good as is.

You just said it, the plan is for Knight to hopefully play well and recoup some value, then trade him next summer, or trade Bob seeing as how Knight has re-established himself as a solid NHL goalie again. Then sign a 1B goalie to tandem with him going into 25-26.

Is Knight waiver-exempt next season?

Yes

 

[The Nuge]

Despite Bob being Florida’s best player in the playoffs, when one guy is 35 and one guy is 23, you don’t look at moving the 23 year old. Knight should be able to help take the load off of Bob for the next 2 years, and then take over as the starter

 

[sensfan4lifee]

Yeah but for 2025-26 specifically, you'd need to find a way to trade Bob or you lose some good players to free agency. Panthers have a cup window right now and need to maximize it.

There not going to trade the Goalie that just won them a stanley cup I'm sorry and also no one is going to take a 36+ year old goalie at ten million, florida is stuck with that Contract and I don't think trading him at any point is a good idea he's literally money in the play offs

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

If they project that he will be a their backup goalie in the NHL, a buyout doesn't save them as much as you think. He is owed 9M over 2 years. Unless someone like Driedger has a bounceback, a replacement backup who is an actual known quantity in the league would cost anywhere from 1M-3M per season. Let's just call it 1.5M. So you're looking at a replacement cost of 3M over 2 seasons.

Add the buyout cost to the replacement cost, and while they would save as much as 3M in total, it's not the 6M that it looks like when you plug the number into Capfriendly because Capfriendly doesn't account for how much it costs to replace them with a comparable player on an NHL roster.

If you add in his high pedigree, and the chance that if he does have a bounce back season he becomes a strong trade asset, it doesn't make much sense to buy him out unless they desperately need short-term cap space since the costs I have referenced so far are lifetime costs throughout the entire contract, but the actual buyout is structured over 4 years.

If they don't think he will play for him in the NHL, or don't trust him to play in the NHL, then a buyout makes sense if there is no avenue to trade him.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Despite Bob being Florida’s best player in the playoffs, when one guy is 35 and one guy is 23, you don’t look at moving the 23 year old. Knight should be able to help take the load off of Bob for the next 2 years, and then take over as the starter

Bob is in freakishly good shape though. I mean Luongo was good until he was 38. Bob could definitely potentially have a few good seasons left. It really depends more on how Knight plays this upcoming season than Bob. If Knight is lights out and looks like a future stud, then yes they will trade Bob.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Who else are they gonna use that money on?

Brady

 

[Peasy]

The problem is there is also the office issues as well. I think a rebuilding team like the Sharks are being very careful who they bring around 18 year olds they expect to be franchise players for them for the next 15 years

Are you insinuating that Spencer Knight has bad character? Are you basing this on him going into the Player Assistance Program or something? If you are, do you know that he went into that program for OCD?

 

[ck26]

Despite Bob being Florida’s best player in the playoffs, when one guy is 35 and one guy is 23, you don’t look at moving the 23 year old. Knight should be able to help take the load off of Bob for the next 2 years, and then take over as the starter

This makes logical sense, but it's a tough sell to the team unless FLA is going to just tear it all down and rebuild. Players are humans, not robots, and Bobrovsky is their dude. Players have faith in the teammates they've won with, soldiers have faith with the soldiers and commanders they've been through battle with.

Unless FLA wants to tear it down, a "smooth" transition requires Knight on the ice this year for 30-35 games this season and needs him to be solid.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Are you insinuating that Spencer Knight has bad character? Are you basing this on him going into the Player Assistance Program or something? If you are, do you know that he went into that program for OCD?

This is HockeyVirus' schtick. He has to knock everything Florida Panthers related.

This makes logical sense, but it's a tough sell to the team unless FLA is going to just tear it all down and rebuild. Players are humans, not robots, and Bobrovsky is their dude. Players have faith in the teammates they've won with, soldiers have faith with the soldiers and commanders they've been through battle with.

Unless FLA wants to tear it down, a "smooth" transition requires Knight on the ice this year for 30-35 games this season and needs him to be solid.

Yup plus the fan base loves him.

 

[dirtydanglez]

unless they really need the space it's better to hold him and wait to see if his career rebounds.

 

[Laus723]

Do they even have the assets needed to dump him? I was more surprised he didn't get bought out last week

No you weren't. We don't have inept management.

And what off ice issues? Dude had an OCD hand washing issue and got help for it. Before that he had terrific numbers. Had a solid season in Charlotte and will come in with Bob next season. Off ice issues, lmao.

They're paying him 4.5M over the next two years along with paying Bobrovsky 10M for two years. Right now, defense looks like it could potentially have some weaknesses unless Nate Schmidt bounces back greatly.

They can probably weather it this year but for next summer, you'd still have two goalies at 15M combined but then would have Ekblad, Bennett, and Verhaeghe to resign. I suppose you can trade Bob somewhere then but he does have a 16-team no-trade. And I suppose if you hold on to Knight this year, you hope he plays well and recoups trade value for next summer. Either way, I just don't think it would be smart to have both of them on the books for 2025-26.

I suppose the plan for right now is to go with both of them for this year and find a way to bank some cap space and trade for a D at the deadline? Forward depth is decently good as is.

As it stands now, Zito sees Knight as the goalie of the future. He's very creative and can find players to fit well into our "holes." Starting this year, both Ek and Bob had to submit modified trade lists, I don't see a trade coming there either, but we can fill in any gaping holes at the deadline.

 

[StreetHawk]

Knight is also making $4.5 mill vs the cap. So, that is lower end starter money. Is he someone you can completely hand the job to right now? Probably not. is the return going to be worth it for FLA? Also, not likely. Since the other club would counter that they are paying for an unproven starter at real money vs a $2 mill young starter.