Robin Lehner's final year of his contract will not count against the salary cap
After a settlement was reached between the Vegas Golden Knights, the NHL, and the NHL Players’ Association the final year of Lehner's $25 million deal will not count against the salary cap.
In breaking Vegas Golden Knights news from hockey insider Frank Seravalli:
Details on Lehner contract settlement with @GoldenKnights, NHL and NHLPA.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 3, 2024
Significant news before season-opening rosters are submitted on Monday:https://t.co/Ty8sqDDWJ7
When Lehner failed to report for a mandatory medical exam at the start of training camp, he violated his contract's terms. He claimed he didn't report due to personal issues.
This will give the Golden Knights some much-needed cap space, which they can use to make roster moves at the trade deadline. Lehner will still receive the $4.5 million owed for the upcoming season. The team could have been justified in terminating his contract, but instead, it opted to gain cap relief.
The Vegas club currently has $1.46 million in cap space, and adding Lehner's $4.5M will bring them close to the $6M mark. That cap space will allow them to add a needed player at the trade deadline.
Lehner last played on April 20, 2022. He wasn't expected to suit up this season, as he had been inactive for the third consecutive year. He went under the knife for a hip injury in August of 2022, which was expected to end his NHL career.
He also has struggled with other ailments, such as bipolar disorder, ADHD, and PTSD. At the time, his undiagnosed mental health struggles led him to drug and alcohol abuse.
He recovered and was awarded a 5-year $25 million contract in October of 2020. He earned that pact with his performance in the 2019-20 season. He gathered a 19 -10-5 record with a stellar .920 save percentage and a 2.89 goals-against average.
Without Lehner in the lineup, the Golden Knights will go with Adin Hill and newly signed Ilya Samsonov. That duo seems adequate, and losing Lehner may be a small factor. After all, the Golden Knights were able to secure their first Stanley Cup in 2023 without the services of Lehner.
At this point, Robin Lehner's future is undetermined. Although his NHL career has ended, depending on his physical and mental health, he may eventually return to his home country of Sweden and play in the SHL.
If Lehner's NHL career ends, he will have fond memories of his performance with the New York Islanders in the 2018-19 season. During that campaign, he went 25-13-8 with an astounding 2.13 GAA and a .930 SV%. He recorded six shutouts and placed third in the Vezina Trophy voting.
He can also be proud of his career NHL statistics. He collected a 152-141-49 record over his 12-year career. Lehner had a .917 SV%, with a 2.71 GAA. At the age of 33, he can look back and be proud of his playing time in the NHL suiting up with five different teams.
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