One of the big Vegas Golden Knights storylines to follow in the off-season will be the future of goaltender Robin Lehner.
It is a subject we have covered extensively on this site already, but the Vegas Golden Knights face the very real reality of losing Lehner in the off-season.
Acquired as a pure rental at the Trade Deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, a tactic the Golden Knights rarely employ, Lehner went 3-0-0 in his first three starts in Vegas with a hugely impressive 1.67 Goals Against Average and a .940 Save Percentage.
However, carrying an Average Annual Value of $5 million, although both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks retained some of that salary, Lehner is already an expensive commodity for a glorified backup.
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Due to become a UFA in the off-season for the fourth time since 2017, Lehner will be seeking both long-term stability and a significant pay rise.
Given that the Golden Knights are already committed to paying future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury an Average Annual Value of $7,000,000 through the 2021-22 season, the front office will unlikely want to pay big dollars to Lehner.
And they won’t be able to given that they have around $8 million in cap space to re-sign seven free agents and fill out the rest of the roster.
Losing Lehner would be a huge body blow given his elite ability, especially if he walks after just three games if hockey doesn’t return this year.
But, after seeing that 41.9% of fans voted for Lehner as the goalie they want going forward in a Fan Survey by The Athletic, we decided to delve into the ways the Golden Knights could keep Robin Lehner on the roster for the 2020-21 season and beyond.