The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Robin Lehner on Saturday to a five-year, $25 million contract that makes him their goaltender of the present and future.
Lehner’s deal carries a $5 million annual salary-cap hit and runs through the 2024-25 season. Committing to Lehner makes it likely Vegas will at some point move on from Marc-Andre Fleury, who took the Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season.
Coach Peter DeBoer made clear his preference for Lehner when the NHL returned to action for an expanded playoffs. Although he said he would use both goalies, he started Lehner in 16 of the Golden Knights’ 20 postseason games.
DeBoer opting for Lehner led Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, to tweet an illustration during the second round of his client with a sword — featuring the coach’s name –through his back. The tweet was deleted the next day, and Fleury said he and Lehner have a good relationship.
Lehner, 29, made only three starts for the Golden Knights in the regular season but went 9-7 in the playoffs with a 1.99 goals-against average and .917 save percentage as Vegas reached the Western Conference finals before losing to the Dallas Stars. Fleury was 3-1 with a 2.27 GAA and .910 save percentage.
The long-term contract means some security for Lehner, who played for four teams over the past three seasons. When word of this contract being agreed to came out, the 30-year-old Swede said during the playoffs it wasn’t finalized but that he was comfortable with Vegas as soon as he arrived at the trade deadline in February.
“I felt it right away when I came here: This team is all about just winning and you deserve what you get,” Lehner said last month. “That’s, I think, what winning teams do, and it hasn’t always been the case, so it’s refreshing when I got here and I felt that vibe and that culture around here. I had to work hard.”
After some up-and-down seasons with Ottawa and Buffalo to start his career, Lehner won the Masterton Trophy last year for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey after detailing his addiction and mental health problems.
The New York Islanders took a chance on Lehner in 2018-19 with a one-year, $1.5 million deal, $2.5 million less than his last year in Buffalo. He made his New York deal a major bargain.
With the Islanders, Lehner posted a 2.13 GAA and .930 save percentage and won 25 games in the regular season. He had a league-best .936 save percentage in eight playoff games as New York reached the second round.
He went to free agency last offseason and signed a one-year, $5 million with the Chicago Blackhawks, who later flipped him to Vegas.
He won’t be bouncing around for the next little while, though Fleury’s status is a major question mark. Fleury, who will be 36 by the time next NHL season starts, has two years left on his contract at a $7 million cap hit with a 10-team no-trade clause.
Fleury is a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who re-signed All-Star Tristan Jarry to a three-year, $10.5 million contract Saturday. Matt Murray, who Fleury teamed up with to win titles in 2016 and 2017, faces an uncertain future like his former teammate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
