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Goaltender Spencer Knight had a phenomenal first game as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

Panthers Now Have Goaltender Dilemma With Spencer Knight Traded

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Joey Ganzi | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 2:25 PM ET

The Florida Panthers entered March fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Currently, the defending Stanley Cup Champions are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in said division with a record of 38-21-3 and 79 points through 62 games. The Maple Leafs own the tiebreaker as they’ve played one fewer game than Florida.

On Saturday, after shutting out the Calgary Flames 3-0, the Panthers announced they traded goaltender Spencer Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks, along with a 2027 first-round pick, in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones. While it got general manager (GM) Bill Zito what he wanted this deadline in a right-shot defenseman, it put the team in a huge pickle when it comes to their goaltending department.

Bobrovsky’s Contract Is Winding Down

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky came to the Panthers via free agency back in the summer of 2019 when he was signed to a seven-year, $70 million deal by then-GM Dale Tallon.

That contract enters its final year next season. Additionally, when the new regular season starts, he’ll be 37 years old. It is unknown how much he has left in the tank. Furthermore, he might not take that much of a discount if he were to be offered a potential extension. Fans could very well be seeing the last days of Bobrovsky in a Panther uniform.

Driedger May Not Be the Goaltender He Was in His First Stint With Florida

After placing forward Matthew Tkachuk on Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), the team called up goaltender Chris Driedger from the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Charlotte Checkers. In his first season with the Panthers in 2019-20, he went 7-2-1 with a 2.05 goals against average (GAA) and a .938 save percentage (SV%) before the season was halted due to COVID-19. In the 2020-21 season, he went 14-6-3 with a GAA of 2.07 and a SV% of .927. He would start in two games that postseason but ultimately drop them. The following season, he was claimed by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. This past offseason, the Panthers brought him back on a one-year deal worth $795,000. He was placed in the AHL so that Knight would be the backup.

But his numbers with Charlotte haven’t been anywhere near what he did in his first go around in South Florida. In 20 games played with the Checkers, he’s 10-6-6 with a 2.97 GAA and a .878 SV%. That is not a good look at that level. If he’s the potential starter going forward, he has to make this stint count.

Vanecek Is a Stop Gap and Not a Long-Term Solution

On Wednesday, the Panthers announced they acquired San Jose Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanacek in exchange for forward Patrick Giles. In his five-year NHL career, Vanecek has 94 wins with a GAA of 2.82 and a SV% of .903

While he is absolutely a serviceable piece, it’s clear that he’s only being used as a short-term fix. He will hit the free-agent market this summer, and the team is unsure if they’ll bring him back past this season.

Most of the Free Agents Goalies on the Free Agent Market in 2026 are Not Very Appealing

As previously mentioned, Bobrovsky’s contract expires after next season. While the Panthers will have some extra cash with the salary cap going up, there are not many great free-agent goalie options.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will hit the market around that time but he may never get back to his dominant way with his nagging knee injury that has cause him to miss time multiple times this season. New Jersey Devils goaltender and 2008 Panthers draft selection Jacob Markstrom will be 36 once he becomes a free agent, so it will be unknown what he has left in the tank. Additionally, he may not want to come back after such a short and unsuccessful time with the Panthers. However, Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson could work as a potential option if talks begin with the Swedish goaltender.

It also does not help that Florida does not have a first-round pick until 2028. They would either have to draft a goalie in a later round or give up a roster player or prospect to land someone.

What Will Zito Do?

With the trade on Sunday, Zito made it clear he is more focused on keeping the Panthers’ cup window open and putting the team in a “win now” state, especially considering the team is fighting for a high seed in the Eastern Conference right now.

But even if it wins the team a second-straight Stanley Cup, it could handicap the team in a couple of years. Obviously, this is the worst-case scenario, and Zito has rightfully earned the benefit of the doubt over the years as a GM. But, if disaster strikes, he needs to have a plan for between the pipes. Otherwise, the goals against for the team could get very high in a couple of years.