Report: Knights mulling options after Robin Lehner no-show for physical
The Golden Knights are looking into the possibility of terminating goaltender Robin Lehner’s contract after he didn’t show up for a required preseason medical exam, according to a report.
Daily Faceoff reported Wednesday that Lehner did not report to the Knights to confirm that he would be ineligible to play this season.
The Knights declined to comment on the report.
Lehner, 33, has been on long-term injured reserve the past two seasons and was expected to be again this season because of hip and shoulder surgeries.
Lehner has not played for the Knights since April 2022. He underwent hip surgery in August 2022.
Players, even those on long-term injured reserve for multiple years, must have a medical exam to be deemed unfit to play, according to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.
The Knights have been in consultation with the NHL and NHL Players Association regarding the proper protocol should they try to terminate Lehner’s contract, according to the report.
Lehner is in the final season of a five-year, $25 million contract he signed with the Knights in October 2020.
Should this be the route they take, the Knights would be completely free of Lehner’s $5 million cap hit without needing to put him on long-term injured reserve. He also would lose the $4.5 million owed to him this season.
The Knights acquired Lehner minutes before the 2020 trade deadline in February from the Chicago Blackhawks for goaltender Malcolm Subban, prospect Slava Demin and a second-round draft pick.
Lehner and his wife, Donya, are currently in a two-year-long Chapter 7 bankruptcy case in which they owe creditors more than $27 million. A stipulation in one of the cases closed on July 2 said RMSPC Funding LLC would garnish 25 percent of Lehner’s paycheck this season.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.