Florida Panthers Send Spencer Knight to AHL Charlotte

With the Florida Panthers not playing a lot of games lately — and Sergei Bobrovsky likely getting most of them — the team sent backup goalie Spencer Knight to AHL Charlotte on Wednesday.

Knight will get the chance to play a bunch of games before Florida needs him on March 10-11 when it plays a back-to-back set against the Blackhawks and Jets in Sunrise.

Charlotte has three games this weekend in Providence, Bridgeport and Springfield. Knight should get at least two of those starts.

With Knight off to the Checkers, Alex Lyon will backup Bobrovsky.

Knight, 21, has not been playing much for the Panthers — and has not been great in the few opportunities he has been given.

It is believed the Panthers were leaning on starting him Monday against Anaheim had his relief stint against Nashville gone well this past Saturday.

On Tuesday in St. Louis, Knight took the loss after giving up five goals; Nashville got two off him after he came in for Bobrovsky.

Those two games last week have been the only action Knight has seen with the Panthers since January due to an upper-body injury.

Last season, Knight was struggling after not seeing much game action but a trip to Charlotte for some extended playing time seemed to rectify the situation.

Knight played in back-to-back games for the Checkers in January and joined the Panthers in New York and was supposed to start the following night in Pittsburgh.

Instead, Lyon ended up starting in five consecutive games heading into the All-Star break.

Lyon went 3-2-1 in his run as the Panthers’ goalie before heading back to Charlotte once Knight was deemed healthy enough to backup Bobrovsky again.

His biggest moment for the Panthers — aside from leading them to a win in Montreal upon relieving the injured Bobrovsky — was helping them beat Boston 4-3 in overtime before the break.

Lyon made 37 saves in that comeback win.

The Panthers also sent Grigori Denisenko to Charlotte to help clear salary cap space in order to activate Anthony Duclair off LTIR.

Florida waived Chris Tierney on Wednesday as well.

Duclair is expected to be back with the Panthers for the first time this season on Friday against the Sabres. He has missed the entirety of the season after having offseason Achilles tendon surgery.

PANTHERS ON DECK

BUFFALO SABRES AT FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Friday, 7 p.m.
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida; ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Season Series (Florida leads 2-0): Panthers 4, Sabres 3 (Oct. 15); Panthers 4, Sabres 1 (Jan. 16)
• Last season: Florida won 3-0
  
• All-time regular season series: Florida leads 53-44-8, 4 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Feb. 28 at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.