Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight will be away from the team for an indefinite period of time while he receives care from the league’s player assistance program, according to an announcement from the NHL and NHL Players Association.
Under the conditions of the player assistance program, Knight will be paid while he is receiving treatment. The Panthers netminder will be permitted to return to the team once he is cleared by the program’s administrators.
Knight has struggled throughout the 2022-23 season as he’s compiled a 9-8-1 record to go along with a 3.18 goals-against-average and a .901 save percentage in 21 games.
The 21-year old last suited up for the Panthers on Feb. 18 when he allowed two goals in 30:43 of playing time in a 7-3 against the Nashville Predators. Over the past two months, Knight has appeared in just four total games with injuries and an undisclosed illness keeping him out of the lineup.
Knight was sent down to the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, Charlotte Checkers, last week, but hadn’t played for the team since the roster move.
Knight, who was the No. 13 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, was initially expected to at least split goaltending duties with veteran Sergei Bobrovsky throughout the season. However, Bobrovsky has seen the bulk of the time in the crease and will now be backed up by journeyman goalie Alex Lyon, who has won three of his six starts since joining the team.
