Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner is set to undergo shoulder surgery next week, GM Kelly McCrimmon told reporters including NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika (Twitter link). The procedure is being termed as a ’cleanup’ and the team expects that Lehner will be ready to participate in training camp which, as thing stand, is pegged for sometime in December with the NHL currently targeting a January 1st start.
The 29-year-old signed a five-year, $25MM contract with Vegas last week, entrenching himself as their goalie of the future. It was a big improvement from a stability perspective for Lehner after he played on three straight one-year deals. Last season between the Blackhawks and Golden Knights, he posted a .920 SV% along with a 2.89 GAA in 36 games. His GAA dropped considerably in the playoffs to 1.97 in 16 starts with a .917 SV% which was all the Golden Knights needed to see to commit to him.
While veteran Marc-Andre Fleury has been a speculative trade candidate following the signing (plus the recent addition of Alex Pietrangelo), McCrimmon stated (via Cotsonika) that they will not be moving the 37-year-old. That ensures that they’ll have a quality insurance policy behind Lehner given this procedure but it also means that their cap trimming will have to come from elsewhere.
Now you need Fleury!!
it’s going to have to be Tuch in all likelihood then if they just want to move another player for picks.
otherwise maybe someone will take a flyer on Reaves
Karlsson or Marchessault should be gone before Tuch… Tuch can play with anybody on any line anytime… Big fast and can score… But again Vegas does do stupid things when they want to win so so bad…
marchessault is possible but no one is touching that Karlsson deal after this past season.
Reilly Smith only has two years left. The rest of the core is signed long term.
Trading Marc still makes the most sense. Trading any of the names bandied about here instead of MAF, when they could find a serviceable stopgap, would be nonsensical.
should not have jumped to sign Lehner so quickly. now you have a goalie cap problem with really no need for it. Fleury is still a capable starter and if you find he’s faltering just make another mid-season trade. now you essentially have to dump him.
I would have to agree with you on your point. If any pos. in hockey ages well it’s goalies and maf really show signs that he can’t be the no. 1 or 1a goalie so the leaner signing is a head scratcher iirc until this year leaner was at best a bu or a 1b guy at best. Now you sign petro (@ 31 and 7 years @ 8.8 aav) can you even keep maf or do you weaken another area of your team to stay under the cap.
Like I said before players sign these deals then s**t the bed so Vegas do something right leave Fleury where he is… Either in nets or on the pine.. And collecting his money… Old saying is u live by the sword u die the sword.. So keep spending.
Ironic but that’s life.