Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner will still receive payment under his $25 million deal without it having an impactful effect on their salary cap space. This agreement comes following extensive talks amongst them, the National Hockey League (NHL), and NHLPA which came to an agreement last Thursday.
At age 33, Lehner stands to make $4.4 million this season as part of his five-year agreement. However, unlike previous LTIR players he did not attend training camp or undergo the mandatory physical examination required of such players as part of this agreement – for reasons known to the team, league, and player association this presents an unprecedented case within sport.
As Lehner hasn’t played in an NHL game since April 2022 and undergone hip surgery that summer, much of his off-ice time has been dedicated to advocacy and personal journey. Since opening up about his struggles with mental health – such as bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD and substance abuse – Lehner has used this platform as an advocate. Lehner was given the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy this past February for perseverance sportsmanship and dedication towards hockey.
As NHL season starts up again, teams must comply with salary cap constraints. An unusual agreement regarding Lehner’s contract exempted them from having to release him or place him on long-term injured reserve; further illustrating the difficulties inherent to managing player contracts amid health considerations.