Blackhawks playoff hopes may depend on Spencer Knight stealing games

The Blackhawks playoff hopes were always going to require several young players taking significant steps forward. Connor Bedard’s shoulder injury has made that climb considerably steeper. If Chicago intends to remain competitive until its best player returns, Spencer Knight cannot merely be reliable in net.

He may need to become one of the NHL’s best goaltenders.

That expectation sounds ambitious for a 25-year-old coming off a 19-win season. Yet Knight has already shown stretches of play that suggest it is possible. He also handled one of the league’s heaviest workloads without receiving much protection from the developing roster in front of him.

Chicago no longer needs Knight to look promising. It needs him to start stealing games.

Knight's record does not tell the whole story

Knight finished the 2025-26 season with a 19-25-11 record, a 2.82 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage across 55 appearances last season.

Those numbers will not immediately place him in a Vezina Trophy discussion. His workload provides some valuable context, though.

The Blackhawks should be better defensively this season. Bowen Byram joins a young group that already includes Alex Vlasic, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel. Better puck movement and cleaner exits should reduce the amount of time Knight spends trapped in his crease while opponents treat the Chicago zone like an extended-stay hotel.

That help is overdue.

Bedard’s absence raises the pressure

Connor Bedard is expected to miss the beginning of the season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. Without him, Chicago loses its top scorer and the player most capable of turning an ordinary possession into a goal.

Patrick Kane’s return gives the lineup another creative threat, while Frank Nazar should continue developing into a dependable offensive option. Neither changes the reality that Chicago will be missing the center of its entire rebuild.

The Blackhawks probably will not win many track meets without Bedard. They will need low-scoring games, strong special teams and the occasional performance in which Knight leaves the opposing team staring at the ceiling afterward.

A few stolen wins in October could prevent Chicago from falling out of the race before Bedard returns. A slow start could create another season spent discussing draft position before Thanksgiving. That tradition has grown stale.

Chicago has already placed its bet

The Blackhawks signed Knight to a three-year extension carrying a $5.83 million annual salary-cap charge before last season. General manager Kyle Davidson called him a crucial piece of the franchise’s future while praising his athleticism, positioning and calm demeanor in the team announcement.

Now comes the part where that investment must begin producing more victories.

Knight does not need to win the Vezina Trophy. He does, however, need to push himself into the conversation among the league’s top 10 goaltenders. Chicago’s roster is talented enough to improve, but it remains too young to survive average goaltending and the mistakes that accompany a rebuilding team.

The Blackhawks have spent years patiently collecting young talent. Patience is wonderful until it becomes another word for losing.

If their playoff hopes are going to last beyond the opening month, Knight must be the player who finally speeds everything up.

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