After splitting their first two preseason games with the Nashville Predators, the Panthers return home to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Head coach Paul Maurice said he plans to play the vets tonight and will go with a younger lineup on Saturday in Carolina. With that being said, here is the group going tonight:
The Canes toppled the Lightning 5-1 and were supposed to play Tampa again but the game was postponed due to Hurricane Ian.
The Cats will be looking to continue ironing out their wrinkles after winning 4-3 (OT) and then getting shutout 4-0 in the second game of Monday’s doubleheader.
One way to get some pucks in the net is load up the man advantage when given the opportunity. Per Jameson Olive, here was the two PP units at this morning’s skate:
PP1: Tkachuk, Barkov, Reinhart, Montour, Ekblad
PP2: Bennett, Lundell, Luostarinen , Verhaeghe, Forsling
Interesting that PP1 has two defensemen on it. But it makes sense given they’re playing style. I mean, Montour is essentially a forward.
While I’m sure there will be a number of combos throughout tonight, I could see the defensive pairings looking like this at some point:
Ekblad - Forsling
Kiersted - Montour
Del Zotto - Gildon
Where is Maurice putting Lundell this evening?
Knight’s Contract
I know the salary cap is increasing next year, but I’m still a bit perplexed with this signing.
This move seems to suggest a couple things:
1. Florida believes Knight will be “the guy” and feels it will be sooner rather than later. At least they hope he will be.
2. There is a pending deal (or plans) to move Bob after this season (which seems unlikely).
What bothers me about the contract - aside from having something close to $14.5 M tied up in two goalies for the next three years - is that it’s an overpayment based on a relatively unproven commodity.
Knight has gotten NHL experience, but has not shown (at least to me) that he’s a #1 yet. Will he end up being a starter? Maybe. But we don’t really know yet. Beginning next season, Knight will get $4.5 M per year for three years. This is way more than a backup is (or should be) paid. That’s starter money.
I have been pro-Zito since he was hired, but this move has me scratching my head. It makes me feel like there’s either a plan in place that will be revealed, or this signing is a gamble by Zito/the front office that they can move Bob and Knight will be step in as a legit #1. My gut tells me it’s the latter.
What are your guy’s honest thoughts on Knight? Do you feel he will be Florida’s savior in net like the Panthers marketing machine has billed him?
For me…Knight feels like a guy for an up-and-coming team. Part of a young core that’s taking their lumps, learning the NHL game, and climbing the development ladder as they inch closer to something special.
Florida’s window is open now. Could Knight be one of those young, talented backups that catches fire? Sure. But I’ve always felt the focus in net needs to be on Bob (hopefully in Bob form) and a seasoned backup - a guy that understands his role as such. This way you let Knight develop in the AHL, or trade him for a king’s ransom. We don’t want another playoff Bob, Driedger and Knight situation again…woof.
Through no fault of his own, but that of the organization’s marketing of him, I believe Knight has become a distraction of sorts to the team. It seems whenever there is a goalie “issue” or bad game/stretch, fans are clamoring for Knight to take over.
But there’s some other things I’ve noticed…
1. Knight is often promoted as the future of this team. Why? The Panthers of the present are a very good team and have potential to go far.
2. Piggybacking off #1 above, Knight’s place on this team always seems somewhat ambiguous (given his accolades and the praises the team gives him). He’s talked about like a “can’t miss” talent, but he’s bounced back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL. This is not surprising for a young guy, but if he’s the player they’ve built him up to be, he wouldn’t be in that situation.
I always thought the best approach to this would be for Zito to come out and give definitive direction on the blue paint. Either say Bob is the starter and Knight will be his backup for this season, or say Bob is the starter and they will be going with a veteran backup while Knight marinates in the AHL.
It’s tough for me to get my thoughts down about the Knight situation, but there’s something there that’s just kind of strange to me since drafting him.
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With the terrible weather battering Florida, stay safe out there, everyone.
Florida Panthers Blogger • 
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