Vegas Golden Knights receive salary relief from Robin Lehner's contract

The Vegas Golden Knights secured a big win before even taking the ice for the 2024-25 season.

sources told Daily Faceoff This will be the final year of injured goaltender Robin Lehner's $25 million contract not count against the Golden Knights' salary cap this season after an agreement was reached between the Golden Knights, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association. Lehner violated his contract when he failed to report for a mandatory medical examination at the opening of training camp; Lehner had previously informed the Golden Knights that he could not appear for personal reasons.

This newfound flexibility is a significant change to the way Vegas approaches the season. The Golden Knights now don't have to put Lehner on a long-term injury (LTIR), don't have to grind out a near-perfect season-opening win to maximize LTIR usage, and can start accumulating salary cap space for every day they miss this season $88 million limit reached. This saved space can then be used for a more expensive player at the trade deadline.

The 33-year-old Lehner is expected to receive the $4.5 million he is owed this season. Sources indicated that the Golden Knights had a strong case for terminating the deal entirely, which would result in no salary, but they did not want to pursue that route – as they were simply seeking salary cap relief. From the NHLPA's perspective, protecting a player's revenue was paramount, and the resulting salary cap change is largely immaterial – it results in the agreed upon agreement. His $4.5 million is still expected to count toward the players' share of the 50/50 revenue split with the owners.

Lehner has not played in the NHL since April 20, 2022 and was expected to miss his third consecutive season after undergoing seemingly career-ending hip surgery in August 2022. Anyone who has played multiple seasons in the LTIR must undergo a medical examination at the start of each season to confirm that he remains unfit to play. The player can then be placed on the long-term injured list at the team's discretion.

Lehner was a respected teammate and fan favorite because of his work on and off the ice. In the 2018/19 season he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy with the New York Islanders and finished third in the Vezina Trophy voting. He has advocated for greater awareness and understanding of mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, and trauma. Lehner bravely spoke about his struggles with bipolar disorder, ADHD and PTSD, his undiagnosed mental health issues that led him to turn to drugs and alcohol, and then his journey to sobriety that led him to the best hockey of his career and This $25 million deal helped with the Golden Knights.

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