In Form Spencer Knight Already a Lock For The USA Olympic Roster?

The official Olympic rosters for all participating nations will soon be released, and as the time comes closer, outside guys are earning their spots, but nobody is more deserving than Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight. The former first round pick is now truly living up to expectations, and as far as merit goes, he is the most deserving to earn a roster spot.

It is without a doubt that the Winnipeg Jets back-to-back Vezina trophy winning Connor Hellebuyck will be the starting goaltender for the United States in Milan, however with the lump sum of games they are set to play, a worthy backup will be handy. At the four nations faceoff, the United States selected the Boston Bruins Jeremy Swayman, and the Dallas Stars Jake Oettinger as their two backups, however with how a number of goalies are performing so far this season, those backups are very likely to change.

The United States arguably have the deepest goalie core in the NHL, ranging from day-to-day starters like Oettinger, Joey Daccord, and Thatcher Demko, to reliable backup guys like Joseph Woll and Casey DeSmith, however this year one tender in particular is standing out as the clear in form goalie.

Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks was a goaltender that was supposed to be next in line for the Florida Panthers, a first round pick out of the USNTDP who was a rising star, and destined to be elite goaltender. However after some trips through the player assistance program, and a lot of time in and out of the line up, Knight has finally found his home in Chicago over the last few months, and is showing what he always promised to be.

So far this season, Knight isn’t just dazzling with his amazing abilities in the net, but is leading all American starting goaltenders in GAA with 2.42, and is also leading in save percentage. Knight has been arguably the Blackhawks most important piece during their recent burst of success, and is earning his way right onto the Olympic team, and rightfully so. There are arguments to be made that Knight is on a hot streak, and hasn’t really experienced international play at men's level, however with the Vezina level he is currently playing a, a backup spot should 100% be in mind for him, and in the USA’s case, it should be well in contention for him. If he can keep up his hot form, and continue to improve, there is no question that Spencer Knight will be on that plane to Milan in February, and this is only the start of his international journey.