It’s no exaggeration to say that former Ottawa Senators goaltender Robin Lehner’s career will likely end on long-term injured reserve.
Lehner hasn’t played since undergoing hip surgery in the summer of 2022, and he’s now entering the final year of a five-year, $25 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. The team announced this week that Lehner remains unfit to play and won’t report to the club this season.
However, according to Elliotte Friedman of SportsnetAll players must pass a physical before camp to remain eligible for LTIR. And this week in Vegas, Lehner was not present.
So in theory, it’s possible the Knights could try to terminate Lehner’s contract. It would seem like a completely insane penalty for missing a doctor’s appointment, but it would save the club $4.4 million in salary and $5 million in minimum wage. That process would have to go through the NHL and NHLPA.
Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon addressed Lehner’s status in a written statement at the start of training camp this week.
“(Robin) will not be reporting to the club this year,” McCrimmon said Thursday. “He continues to be unfit to play. There are unique circumstances surrounding this situation that the NHL, NHLPA and the club are currently working to resolve. Collectively, we are evaluating next steps and when we have more details to share, we will do so.”
This has led to speculation about Lehner’s situation and the unique circumstances everyone is suddenly trying to navigate.
McCrimmon loves a good salary cap loophole and has used LTIR to his advantage in recent years. That said, he hasn’t mentioned anything about a potential contract termination.
Lehner released the brief statement on Saturday.
“All I can say at the moment is that everyone knows why I couldn’t be there. I’m calmly waiting for things to sort themselves out.”
During his NHL career, Lehner has dealt with concussions, substance abuse issues, mental health problems and bankruptcy. He and his wife, Donya, filed for bankruptcy two years ago and are said to owe creditors more than $27 million.
No matter what happens, the fate of a $4.4 million contract is not something to be taken lightly. But we will say this: No league that wants to be taken seriously would allow a team to void a player’s guaranteed contract because he failed a physical.
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