Spencer Knight's hot start gives Blackhawks stability in net

One month into the 2025-26 NHL season, the Chicago Blackhawks have found their No. 1 guy in goaltender Spencer Knight. Since coming over in a trade, the 24-year-old has delivered an outstanding performance with the Blackhawks and has established himself as a stabilizing force during the Blackhawks' rebuild.

Knight was acquired last March in the trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. He posted a 5-8-2 record in 15 games with the Panthers last season.

Bigger Role, Better Results

This season, Knight looks like a new person. In 12 games with the team, he has a 6-3-3 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. These numbers put him among the league's early season standouts among goaltenders. Entering the Blackhawks' game against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, Knight had 13.3 goals saved above expected.

Knight's sharp positioning and rebound control have been key to early-season success and have certainly been an upgrade from last season. Thanks to this, Chicago is 5th in the league in goals against with 2.59.

Of course, it's still early in the season, so don't expect the unexpected. Things could change quickly over time, and Knight will face a heavier workload as the Blackhawks continue on in the 2025-26 season. If the Blackhawks are even going to think about making a run to the playoffs (currently 8-5-4 on the season), they'll need to have a healthy Knight as one of the pieces that will make that happen.

But for now, the results speak for themselves. The Blackhawks needed reliability in net, and Knight has provided that. As Chicago continues its rebuild, the team will hope to build on its early-season success, improve from last season and chase its way toward winning a Stanley Cup.