Gary Bettman and the NHL Confirm Robin Lehner's Future: Official Announcement Released
Robin Lehner hasn't played an NHL game in nearly two years and his future with the Golden Knights has just been confirmed today in an official announcement.
Robin Lehner has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights since the end of the 2021-2022 NHL season. He had undergone surgery on his hip last summer, which ruled him out of the whole 2022-2023 season after having been a huge part of the Knights' goaltending tandem. The experienced pro was initially rumored to get back into the lineup during the 2024-2025 season, and with the speculation mounting, fans and the organization alike were proud to have him get onto the ice and solidify their D yet again. Unfortunately, Lehner's ongoing health issues have him on the shelf for an extended period once again, as speculation will start to swirl regarding his long-term future in the NHL.
Despite the early optimism surrounding his return, Robin Lehner did not show up to the Golden Knights' training camp when it opened a couple of weeks ago. Not long after that, the goalie released a statement explaining that his absence was anticipated, and the team knew exactly why he wasn't in camp. It was one of those good news/bad news kinds of deals, as it helped explain what was happening, which everyone found out was a bankruptcy after owing millions in unpaid debt, but also left the Golden Knights in a bit of a bind.
There was tons of speculation throughout the summer whether Robin Lehner would go on LTIR, which would have allowed the Golden Knights to take on his cap hit and give themselves a little flexibility. According to NHL insiders Elliotte Friedman and Frank Seravalli, it would appear this has been resolved in a different manner. This new agreement reportedly allows Lehner to still collect his salary while giving the organization the salary cap relief they desperately need, even though he hasn't officially been placed on LTIR. This deal certainly raises many questions about how that could be possible under the NHL rules and regulations.
This strange solution had its own set of legal and contractual questions, especially when one injured player cannot participate in any game; normally, they are placed on LTIR. In Robin Lehner's case, he wasn't on such a list but still stays on the roster, which gave rise to speculation on what the exact legalities were with the agreement. Since it is not entirely transparent what exactly is being done, it's hard to understand how the Golden Knights will have both salary cap relief and still pay the remainder of Lehner's contract. Fans and analysts thus wait for further clarification from Gary Bettman and the league. This has many fans once again calling out NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for playing favorites with Vegas.
While Robin Lehner solved the Golden Knights' cap problem with this latest update, the situation isn't that simple. These last two full seasons away from the ice, and with all the trouble his contract brought, has put the team in a difficult position. The one thing that's certain, with Lehner's status still in the air and questions still surrounding how this resolution came to be, the Golden Knights will continue to make adjustments on the fly in preparation for a regular season without their veteran goaltender.
