$5 million Vegas Golden Knights goaltender refuses to report for medical: his NHL career is likely over

The Vegas Golden Knights aren't ruling out any possibilities, including a compliance buyout of goaltender Robin Lehner's contract after he didn't show up to a mandatory pre-season medical to confirm that he's unable to play any hockey this season, Daily Faceoff has learned from multiple sources.

The Golden Knights in turn have reached out to the league for guidance on how to proceed, with the NHL having communicated with the NHLPA to ensure that all matters pertaining to this contract are handled appropriately under these unprecedented conditions.

The 33-year-old Lehner hasn't appeared in an NHL game since April 2022 and will most likely miss a third consecutive season because of injury after undergoing hip surgery in August 2022. He's entering the final year of a five-year, $25 million contract that includes a $4.5 million salary for the 2024-25 season.

According to the NHL-NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, injured players under contract, even those who have been on LTIR for multiple seasons, must undergo a medical exam at the start of each season to confirm their unfit-to-play status. After the exam, teams have the discretion to place them on LTIR for salary cap relief if necessary.

It's a situation with significant implications in a number of directions. Because of not being present at the medical examination, Lehner is in danger of losing $4.5 million. Moving the situation to its end, the Golden Knights will be clear of financial liability, and most importantly, moving the $5 million cap hit that Lehner represents clears a path to avoid starting another season on LTIR. Meanwhile, the NHLPA will be eager to protect the rights of the players, especially since injured players are guaranteed their salaries, and not wanting to set a bad precedent for future cases. Lehner has been open about his time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program previously.

It has been easy for Robin Lehner to be among the most popular in hockey, as not only does he perform well on the ice, but he is an outspoken advocate off the ice. During the 2018-19 season with the New York Islanders, he captured the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and finished third in voting for the Vezina Trophy, which goes out to the league's top goaltender. Lehner has been very public with his mental health, addiction, and trauma, sharing openly his experiences with bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, and substance abuse, as well as his path to sobriety, on which he credited landing that $25 million deal with Vegas that is now in jeopardy.