The Vegas Golden Knights have caught another break as goaltender Robin Lehner’s cap hit has been cleared from the team’s books.
It comes weeks after Lehner violated his contract by failing to report for a mandatory medical exam that would allow him remain on the long-term injured reserve, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Thursday.
Lehner had previously told the team he wouldn’t attend for personal reasons. The netminder will still earn the $4.5-million owed to him, Seravalli added, but now, the Golden Knights won’t begin the season in long-term injured reserve, allowing the team to accrue cap space throughout the season.
“Sources indicated the Golden Knights had a strong case to fully terminate the deal, which would result in no pay, but they didn’t want to pursue that path – as they were only seeking salary cap relief,” Seravalli reported. “From the NHLPA perspective, protecting a player’s earnings was of the utmost importance, and the resulting salary cap change is mostly immaterial – resulting in the agreed upon settlement. His $4.5 million is still expected to count against the players’ share of the 50/50 revenue split with owners.”
Lehner last played in the 2021-22 season, appearing in 44 games and posting a 23-17-2 record, a .907 save percentage and a 2.83 goals against average. That summer, however, Lehner underwent hip surgery and hasn’t played since.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported the NHL, NHLPA, and the Golden Knights were “all well aware” of his absence before, but “given the sensitive nature of Lehner’s situation, league sources called it an ‘unprecedented and highly unique’ case.” She reported that Kaplan reached Lehner for comment, but he declined to speak.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Lehner has been in a two-year Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, where he owes creditors over $27-million. They reported in late September that Lehner’s assets were frozen “after lawyers alleged Lehner and his wife, Donya, of transferring money to off-shore companies, as well as spending $1.5-million on luxury purchaes and gambling.”
The 33-year-old Lehner has appeared in 364 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and Golden Knights, posting a 152-141-49 record with a .917 save percentage and 2.17 GAA. He won the 2018-19 Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplified perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, earning the award for opening up about his battles with bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, and how his undiagnosed struggles leading him to drugs and alcohol, an eventual sober life, and later earning his deal with the Golden Knights.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
