Emily Kaplan, ESPNO, Oct 3, 2024, 12:17pm ET
Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL correspondent.
The Golden Knights will pay Robin Lehner for the final year of his $25 million contract, but the goaltender will not count toward Vegas’ salary cap, sources told ESPN.
The decision was reached Thursday after lengthy discussions between the team, the NHL and the NHLPA. Lehner (33 years old) is due $4.4 million this season to complete a five-year contract.
Lehner did not report to training camp for a mandatory physical — which is required by the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Long-Term Injured Players (LTIR) — but sources told ESPN that there was a specific reason the goaltender was not in Vegas that the team, league and players association were aware of. Everyone. Given the sensitive nature of Lehner’s situation, league sources described it as an “unprecedented and very unique” situation.
Editor’s Picks
1 related
Reached by ESPN, Lehner said he would not be commenting at this time.
Lehner last played an NHL game in April 2022. He underwent hip surgery that summer and returned to training away from the team afterward.
The Swedish-born goalkeeper has been an outspoken advocate over the past several years demanding more understanding around mental health. Lehner has spoken openly about his experiences with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and PTSD, which led to substance abuse.
In 2019, he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Award, given to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.
NHL teams must be in compliance with the cap at the start of the regular season, which begins this week. Had that decision not been reached, the Golden Knights could have tried to terminate Lehner’s contract or would have started the season on LTIR again.
