The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have reached a settlement on Robin Lehner’s contract situation that will see the Vegas Golden Knights pay the injured goaltender his remaining salary without carrying his cap hit this season, multiple sources briefed on the agreement confirmed Thursday.
The settlement was first reported by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
Lehner has not played for the Golden Knights since undergoing hip surgery in August 2022 and is entering the final season of a $25 million, five-year deal. He violated the terms of his standard player’s contract by failing to report for a mandatory medical exam by team doctors last month — putting the Golden Knights in a favorable position to potentially terminate his deal citing a breach, according to league sources.
At the outset of training camp in Vegas, general manager Kelly McCrimmon told reporters: “He continues to be unfit to play. There are unique circumstances surrounding the situation that the NHL, the NHLPA and the club are currently working through.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Vegas will pay Lehner the $4.4 million in salary owed on his deal this season while no longer carrying his annual $5 million cap hit. That should put the Golden Knights in a position to start the regular season outside of long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which means they’ll begin accruing cap space that could be useful closer to the March 7 trade deadline.
Lehner is a past winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and has spoken openly about his challenges with addiction and mental health issues. He also finished third in Vezina Trophy voting following the 2018-19 season with the New York Islanders.
However, the 33-year-old will miss his third consecutive season since having hip surgery and he is not expected to be able to resume an NHL career that spanned 364 games for the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and Golden Knights.
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