Florida Panthers Prospects: Spencer Knight stays hot in Charlotte

While much of the Florida Panthers roster is enjoying a weeklong break before returning to practice on Friday, Spencer Knight is getting some AHL games in after getting sent down to the Charlotte Checkers.

He was given the starting nod on Friday night — and he did not disappoint.

Stopping 24 of 26 shots, he backstopped the Checkers to a 5-2 win over the Rochester Americans.

That game was highlighted by three goals from team captain Zac Dalpe — the third hat trick in 10 games for the Checkers. 

Dalpe, while not a Florida ‘prospect’ but a potential recall in the future, is the fourth Charlotte player with a hat trick this season which sets a franchise record.

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As for Knight, he is 2-1-0 record with a .917/2.67 in three games with Charlotte.

That includes his first start in Charlotte, where he allowed five goals on 32 shots (.844) in a 5-1 loss to a Bridgeport Islanders on Dec. 18.

In his two most recent AHL starts, including an outing where he stopped 37 of 38 shots in a 6-1 win over Syracuse on Jan. 28, Knight has a 2-0-0 record with a .953/1.50.

Knight was on a groove in the Panthers’ final stretch before the holiday break, going 2-1-0 with a .931/1.98 in three starts since Jan. 19.

If the objective of sending him to Charlotte was to keep his hot streak going when the team returns on Feb. 16, it has been working.

Of course, the Panthers may not be bringing Knight back when the team returns from the break due to roster concerns.

Sourdif heats up Edmonton

Ever since Justin Sourdif was traded from the WHL’s Vancouver Giants to the Edmonton Oil Kings, he has been humming along quite nicely.

The 2020 third-round pick of the Panthers, Sourdif has seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight games in Edmonton— upping his season total to 39 points in 31 games.

That includes six points in his last five contests dating between Jan. 29 and Feb. 5.

Edmonton currently sits as the top team in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 32-11-2 record.

However, the Winnipeg ICE sit six points behind the Oil Kings with eight games in hand.

Florida Panthers Prospect News

• Aleksi Heponiemi was injured in Charlotte’s win over Rochester on Friday and missed Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch.
• Grigori Denisenko has not returned from his undisclosed injury since he scored the overtime winner in a 2-1 win over the Hartford Wolfpack on Jan. 12. He has missed the Checkers’ last 11 games.
• Max Gildon, John Ludvig and Chris Gibson remain injured. Ludvig has yet to play a game this season after suffering an injury during the rookie showcase in Wesley Chapel.