On Sunday night, Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight made 38 saves on 39 Anaheim Ducks shots in a 2-1 victory at the United Center. If it wasn't for a goal by Mason McTavish with 35 seconds remaining in regulation, he would have had his first shutout in a Blackhawks uniform. Knight's star performance took his numbers to a new level. He now has a top-ten goals against average and save percentage through the early stages of the season. Spencer Knight was a first round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Whenever a goalie is taken that high, the expectation is that they will become a star. It is rare for that position to be in the spotlight on draft night. Spencer Knight was one of the recent exceptions. Is Knight going to be a guy that competes for the Vezina Trophy? The Blackhawks probably have to improve as a team for that to happen, but the Olympics could be a very realistic posibility. Knight has experience playing with the United States National Team Development Program and World Junior Championships, so USA Hockey is well aware of his talents. Most people consider it a lock that Connor Hellebuyck, Jeremy Swayman, and Jake Oettinger are the three goalies that go with Team USA to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but it may not be as much of a set thing as some think. These three went to the 4-Nations Face-Off, but that shouldn't guarantee them being the three in Milan. For one, there are always injuries. All three of those guys being available in mid-February is not a guarantee. Team USA must also consider their best options, even if new information suggests something uncomfortable. The Blackhawks are seven games into the season and Knight has been chosen to start five of them. They were competitive in every game, and he has been elite. "When Kyle made the trade for Spencer last year, I think he envisioned the opportunity that he'd be a number one goalie in this league," Jeff Blashill said on Spencer Knight after his big perforance against the Ducks. Now, it looks like he may be even more than that. Being an Olympian is not an easy challenge for Knight. For one, he has to prove that he's more worth than the other great American goalies, including the three named to the team last year at 4-Nations. Secondly, he'd have to keep it up all the way through the selection process. Is there going to be a natural dip in the numbers when they are this good through just five starts? Probably, but that doesn't mean that they will be anything short of stellar stats when the season is over. When Knight speaks after games, he always seems to bring up the playoffs. He feels confident that the Blackhawks are in that conversation, despite most people seeing them as a bottom five team coming into the year. His confidence in himself may be a big part of that, which has been shown on the ice so far. If an NHL goalie doesn't believe that he can stop the puck, he won't. The Blackhawks are only 3-2-2, but the deceent start has a lot of players feeling good about their game. With it being an Olympic year, everyone wants a chance at the roster of their home country. Knight has as good of a chance as anyone when it comes to American goalies who are trying to out-bid the big three from the 4-Nations squad. Right now, all he can do to improve his case is to continue building on his strong start. It doesn't have to end. He has all of the talent to be an elite goalie, and now he's in a situation where his team wants him to take over. Taking it day by day with Chicago could lead to him one day realizing that Olympic dream. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-newshttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-dayhttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/playershttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players], and more.
