Robin Lehner Will Miss Entire 2022-23 NHL Season Following Hip Surgery
Welcome to the Logan Thompson show. This was always going to be the case but it’s really official this time. Robin Lehner is set to miss the entire 2022-23 season following hip surgery. Lehner’s season is over before it ever began.
The team has already reported the news.
Lehner, 31, is a very good goalie when healthy. That has not been the case for a year and a half. The advanced metrics were kind to Lehner and maybe the declining team defense had something to do with it. However, Lehner wasn’t healthy last year and everybody knew it. Vegas picked the wrong guy. Marc-Andre Fleury should still be with the club.
With Lehner out for the season, his money will go on LTIR allowing Vegas to make more moves. That’s the good news in all of this. A new contract for Nic Hague still needs to be taken care of. There are still free agents available on the open market. Sonny Milano and Paul Stastny are two names that immediately come to mind as potential additions. Lehner’s $5 million AAV will go to LTIR along with the Shea Weber money.
This is the Logan Thompson show until further notice. He played well last year in his stint with the Knights. Outperformed Lehner too. Laurent Brossoit will likely be the back up although Jiri Patera is likely the better play. Just needs more seasoning. Michael Hutchinson is the only other goalie on the roster of note.
The biggest thing is Butch Cassidy was brought in to fix this team defense. His track record in Boston speaks for itself. Thompson will be just fine in net. With Lehner out for the season, he’s probably saved five years off my life. I no longer have to watch him fall in while he lets in cookie goals. Could be a blessing in disguise for a Knights team that needed more financial flexibility.
