The Florida Panthers’ first move ahead of the NHL’s 3 p.m. Friday trade deadline saw them send backup goaltender Spencer Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday for All-Star defenseman Seth Jones. Four days later, the Panthers have a new goaltender in the fold.

By STEPHEN WHYNO The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers continue to be active in the leadup to the NHL trade deadline. The Panthers acquired goaltender Vitek Vanecek on Wednesday from

The trade came a day after Vanecek was held off San Jose's lineup for trade-related reasons when he was scheduled to make a start against the Buffalo Sabres. Alexander Georgiev was forced to make starts on back-to-back knights and helped San Jose defeat Buffalo 6-2.

CHICAGO — Nearly 36 hours after being traded from the Florida Panthers to the Chicago Blackhawks, goalie Spencer Knight was still analyzing everything.

The Florida Panthers entered March fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Currently, the defending Stanley Cup Champions are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in said division with a record of 38-21-3 and 79 points through 62 games.