By virtually all accounts, the Chicago Blackhawks are still a number of assets away from being a bona fide Stanley Cup playoff contender, let alone a legitimate Cup frontrunner. However, on Saturday, the Blackhawks firmed up their goaltending picture for the foreseeable future with a contract extension for No. 1 netminder Spencer Knight.
Beginning next season, the 24-year-old Knight will get a raise of approximately $1.33 million, from his 2025-26 salary of $4.5 million to $5.83 million in 2026-27. At first glance, that may seem like a dangerous investment in a goalie who has only 95 games of NHL experience to his credit, and who has never played more than 37 games in a single season. But making projections on young players by giving them high-end money isn’t a new exercise for NHL GMs. Indeed, they do that all the time, and Knight’s case is no different.
The 24-year-old Knight, who was acquired from the Florida Panthers last season, didn’t have the best season from an individual statistics perspective. In 15 appearances for Chicago after the trade, Knight posted a .896 save percentage and 3.18 goals-against average. But on a true elite team like the Panthers, Knight’s 2025-26 numbers – including a .907 SP and 2.40 GAA – were significantly better. That’s what Hawks GM Kyle Davidson had in mind when he traded for Knight, and now, in giving Knight contract security through the 2028-29 campaign, he’s locked up a potential difference-maker between the pipes.
With Knight now secure in the knowledge that he’s going to be ‘The Man’ in net for the Blackhawks, Davidson can continue on with his roster-building for the future. But unfortunately for long-suffering Chicago fans, there’s still a very long way to go before the Hawks can have a realistic shot at making the post-season.
Chicago has some key pieces of the puzzle, including forwards Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, and defensemen Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinski, Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov. The problem is, they don’t have nearly enough depth to run with first-rate Central Division teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars. Especially up front, the drop-off in talent in Chicago is severe, and although the Blackhawks currently have $18.6-million in salary cap space, you don’t see NHL free agents climbing over one another to sign a contract with the Blackhawks.
So while there may come a day when Knight’s numbers look like the ones he posted in Florida before the trade last season, the Hawks are going to go through more growing pains this coming year and more than likely, a year or two after that. Once you’re out of the playoff picture in the salary-cap era, it’s extremely difficult to claw and climb your way back into the playoff mix. And even with new coach Jeff Blashill giving every Blackhawks player a clean slate, Chicago is going to have a very difficult time being anything other than cannon fodder.
The Hawks haven’t made the playoffs for the past five seasons, and the 2025-26 season is likely to look very similar for them. Knight has a commitment for the next four seasons, and that’s a good thing for Chicago. The problem is the rest of the roster has multiple holes to fill, and they won’t be filled (a) easily or (b) soon.
It’s probably hard to hear if you’re a Blackhawks fan accustomed to the glory years of the modern era for the franchise, but the truth is, Chicago isn’t anywhere close to being a playoff team at the moment. And while Knight may be good enough to eventually backstop them to a playoff spot, that day isn’t likely to come this coming year, or anytime rapidly after that.
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