As per a Daily Faceoff article, Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner failed to report for his physical with the team prior to training camp. As a result, the report states the Golden Knights are doing their diligence on options to part ways with Lehner, up to and including contract termination.
As this is the case and the Avalanche could use goaltending help, this is something they should inquire with Vegas about. Lehner has had a hip injury which has kept him out the last two seasons and the belief was he’d miss all of most of this season as well.
Obviously, a hip injury, especially for a goaltender, is an extreme risk, but if the Avalanche can acquire a player like Lehner, an experienced, competent, big goaltender, for the minimum or a bit more, they should consider it. Maybe their doctor would find something the Vegas doctor didn’t and the contract would pay off sooner than later.
Lehner has had below 3.00 goals against average over the last seven seasons and only once since 2015-2016 was above 3.00, he finished 2017-18 with a 3.01 mark. He hasn’t had a save percentage below .905 since his rookie season in 2010-11 when he only played eight games. He’s a good NHL goaltender.
Lehner has had some headaches in the past. He has dealt with addiction and mental illness. He’s also overcome those conditions or is dealing with them, and he’s become a guy that fans can resonate with. He’s an advocate for those causes and does great work in the community.
The Avalanche have a difficult cap situation and need to be creative with ways they hand out contracts. With Lehner’s injury history as well as apparent current injury, they would not offer him a professional tryout (PTO). They’d have to offer him at least a one-year contract, maybe with an option for a second.
General Manager Chris MacFarland has shown a propensity to make a deal if it’s an advantageous situation for the Avalanche, which signing Lehner, pending a clean bill of health, would be.
Vegas has some depth in between the pipes even without Lehner. It’ll likely make them more open to ending their relationship with him. This loss for the Knights could be a gain for the Avalanche, and MacFarland and Co. should do what they can to inquire about Lehner’s availability.