Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Absent for medical test
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Lehner (hip) was not at training camp Wednesday to undergo a yearly mandatory medical test, per RDS.ca.
To qualify for long-term injured reserve -- which Lehner has been on for each of the last two years -- a player must be checked and proven medically unfit to play. Lehner's absence from the Golden Knights' first day of camp has led to the team potentially pursuing a contract termination, which would get them fully out from under his $5 million cap hit. While this situation will have salary cap implications for the Golden Knights and could also impact the NHLPA's relations with the league, it doesn't change the fact that Lehner has likely played his last NHL game and won't suit up in 2024-25 while in the last year of his contract.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Will begin year on LTIR
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Lehner (hip) will begin the 2023-24 campaign on long-term injured reserve, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon told Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday.
Lehner didn't play at all in 2022-23 because of his hip injury. Adin Hill and Logan Thompson are projected to enter the season as Vegas' top two goaltenders, but if Lehner's able to return during 2023-24, then he'll be in the mix for starts, too.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Not on training camp roster
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Lehner (hip) is not listed on the Golden Knights' training camp roster.
Lehner's absence from the camp roster doesn't bode well for his availability at the start of 2023-24. The 32-year-old goalie missed all of last season while recovering from hip surgery, and in his absence, Logan Thompson and Adin Hill emerged as viable goalies for the defending Stanley Cup champions. As such, Lehner will not be rushed back this year, and given the length of his recovery, it's fair to question if he'll ever get back into an NHL game.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Won't play this season
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Lehner will miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season due to pending hip surgery, the team announced Thursday.
Lehner was already in doubt for the start of training camp after having offseason shoulder surgery, but clearly the netminder is dealing with a more significant injury. With Lehner sidelined, the Knights will have to turn to either career-backup Laurent Brossoit, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury of his own, or up-and-comer Logan Thompson. While not yet official, Lehner will no doubt be placed on long-term injured reserve when the season starts to give Vegas some cap flexibility.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: At risk of missing training camp
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Lehner's (shoulder) timeline to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season is "tight," Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Lehner underwent shoulder surgery in May, and it's possible his recovery wipes out his participation in some or all of training camp. The Golden Knights have let him rehab his injury individually, though general manager Kelly McCrimmon anticipates the goalie will return to Vegas soon. His status for the start of the regular season will likely be determined later in the summer.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: No timetable for return
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Lehner will undergo shoulder surgery Wednesday and a timeline for his return is not yet clear, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Lehner missed 18 of the final 24 games of the season while dealing with various injuries. The 30-year-old netminder will have a full offseason to recover but a more specific return timeline won't be available until later. He went 23-17-2 with a .907 save percentage this season.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Expected to suit up Sunday
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Coach Pete DeBoer expects Lehner (knee) to dress as the backup Sunday against the Sharks, Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Logan Thompson will get the starting nod, but Lehner's evidently healthy enough to keep playing. Barring another update, Lehner should be dressed against San Jose, which would refute previous reports that he could miss the remainder of the season.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: May not be done for season
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When asked about a report that stated Lehner is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery, coach Pete DeBoer said "Not to my knowledge. It was a maintenance day today. I expect him at practice tomorrow. I expect him dressed on Sunday," Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
This is definitely an odd situation, as several credible reporters came out with the news that Lehner would be done for the year only for DeBoer to refute those claims an hour later. For now, fantasy managers can tentatively expect Lehner to be available for Sunday's game against San Jose, but this is definitely a situation worth monitoring.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Undergoing season-ending surgery
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Lehner is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery, ESPN.com's Emily Kaplan reports.
Lehner tried to battle through his knee injury, but according to Kaplan, his "body finally gave out," hence the decision to undergo season-ending surgery. The Golden Knights, who are still battling for a playoff spot, will now have to turn to Logan Thompson as their No. 1 option in net. Lehner will end the year having gone 23-17-2 while posting a 2.83 GAA and .907 save percentage through 44 appearances.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Pulled at odd time
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Lehner allowed a goal on 13 shots in the first period of Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Capitals.
Lehner was solid in the first period, but Logan Thompson played the rest of the game. Head coach Pete DeBoer described it as a way to shift the momentum in the contest, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports. Perplexing decisions aside, Lehner did not pick up a result in this contest. He remains at 23-17-2 with a 2.83 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 44 contests. Given the Golden Knights' desperation in pursuit of a playoff spot, there's no predicting who might get the start in goal Sunday versus the Sharks.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Guarding cage Wednesday
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Lehner will guard the home goal Wednesday versus the Capitals, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Lehner has gone 2-2-1 with a 3.21 GAA and an .889 save percentage in his last five outings. The Golden Knights' playoff chances are getting thin, but head coach Pete DeBoer will ride with his starting netminder despite the recent struggles. The Capitals have racked up 33 goals in their last six games, so their explosive offense could be a challenge for Lehner to contest with.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Falls short against Devils
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Lehner stopped 25 of 28 shots in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Devils.
Lehner returned from a one-game absence due to a personal matter, but he wasn't able to guide the Golden Knights to a much-needed win. The 30-year-old has gone 2-2-1 with 16 goals allowed in his last five games since returning from a lower-body injury. The Swede is at 23-17-2 with a 2.83 GAA and a .907 save percentage. It's unclear if head coach Pete DeBoer will try to ride with Lehner despite his slump or turn to Logan Thompson for Wednesday's game versus the Capitals.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: First goalie to exit ice
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Lehner was the first goalie to leave the ice at Monday's game-day skate, indicating he'll patrol the crease at home versus the Devils, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
With the Golden Knights needing every point they can get, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Lehner getting the starting nod. In his last four appearances, the Swedish netminder has been inconsistent, as he posted a 2-1-1 record and 3.23 GAA that includes two outings in which he allowed five goals to find the back of the net.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Practicing Monday
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Lehner (personal) was back at practice Monday, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Lehner has traveled back to Vegas without the team to attend to a personal matter but has rejoined practice ahead of Monday's matchup with New Jersey. With the Golden Knights still needing to secure their place in the playoffs, Lehner will likely play the majority of the team's six remaining games, including potentially taking both ends of a back-to-back April 26 and 27 versus Dallas and Chicago, respectively.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Not with team
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Lehner has returned to Vegas due to a personal matter and will not play Saturday against Edmonton.
Saturday's game will be the final leg of Vegas' three-game trip to Canada and the team will host the Devils on Monday. It's unclear how long the team expects Lehner to be away but he'll miss at least one game. The 30-year-old netminder has allowed 13 goals in four appearances since returning from a 12-game absence.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: In goal versus Canucks
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Lehner will protect the road goal Tuesday versus the Canucks, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.
Lehner's gone 2-1-0 with eight goals allowed in three games since he returned from a lower-body injury. He split results versus the Canucks earlier in April, though he did win these teams' last meeting in Vancouver.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: No trouble versus Coyotes
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Lehner stopped 29 of 30 shots in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Coyotes.
Lehner only surrendered a goal to Barrett Hayton in the first period, and the Golden Knights' offense gave him plenty of help. The 30-year-old netminder is now 2-1-0 with eight goals allowed in three games since returning from a lower-body injury. The Swede is at 23-16-1 with a 2.76 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 41 appearances. The Golden Knights begin a three-game Western Canada trip Tuesday in Vancouver.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Slated to start
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Lehner is on track to start between the pipes in Saturday's home game against Arizona, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Lehner wasn't great in his last start Wednesday versus Vancouver, surrendering five goals on 31 shots en route to a 5-1 defeat. He'll try to shake off that poor performance and secure his 23rd win of the year in a home matchup with a Coyotes team that's 12-20-4 on the road this season.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Ugly outing versus Canucks
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Lehner allowed five goals on 31 shots in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Canucks.
Lehner beat the Canucks in overtime in Vancouver on Sunday, but they got their revenge in Vegas. He's now allowed seven goals on 59 shots in two games since returning from a lower-body injury. Lehner's at 22-16-1 with a 2.81 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 40 appearances. With Logan Thompson in good form prior to Lehner's return, it wouldn't be surprising to see both goalies get multiple starts down the stretch, even as the Golden Knights remain firmly on the playoff bubble.
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Golden Knights' Robin Lehner: Returning to action Sunday
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Lehner will get the starting nod in Vancouver on Sunday, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.
Lehner will make his first appearance since March 8, when he allowed just two goals in a loss to the Flyers. The veteran goaltender is 21-15-1 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA through 38 games this season. He defeated the Canucks on Nov. 13 despite coughing up four goals on 43 shots.
