Vegas Golden Knights get salary cap relief on Robin Lehner's contract: sources

The NHL and the NHL Players' Association have reached an agreement over Robin Lehner's contract situation in which the Vegas Golden Knights will pay the injured goaltender his remaining salary without requiring him to carry his cap hit this season, according to several reports Sources familiar with the agreement confirmed on 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 five-year, $25 million contract. He violated the terms of his standard player contract by failing to report for a mandatory medical exam by team doctors last month — which, according to league sources, put the Golden Knights in a favorable position to potentially terminate his contract, citing a violation.

At the start of training camp in Vegas, general manager Kelly McCrimmon told reporters: “He remains unfit to play. “The situation that the NHL, the NHLPA and the club are currently dealing with is characterized by special circumstances.”

Under the terms of the settlement, Vegas will pay Lehner the $4.4 million salary he is owed on his contract this season while no longer carrying his $5 million annual cap hit. That should put the Golden Knights in position to begin the regular season off Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), meaning they will begin to create cap space that could come in handy closer to the March 7 trade deadline .

Lehner is a former winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy for endurance, sportsmanship and commitment to hockey and has spoken openly about his challenges related to 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 straight season since hip surgery and is not expected to be able to continue his NHL career, which included 364 games for the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and… Golden Knights.

Required reading

(Photo: Zak Krill / Getty Images)