Vegas Goalie Robin Lehner Expected To Miss Entire Season

NHL training camps haven't even started, but the Vegas Golden Knights expect to be without Vezina-finalist Robin Lehner for the entire 2022-23 season.

The Golden Knights tweeted the news about the goalie.

The team announced that Lehner will undergo hip surgery. There is no time frame for his recovery.

Lehner has backstopped the Golden Knights since being dealt to the team by the Chicago Blackhawks in February 2020. Just the season before — as member of the New York Islanders — Lehner was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.

While he didn't win the Vezina, he was awarded the Masterton Memorial Trophy — given to the player who most exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication — for his public acknowledgment of his battles with addiction and mental health.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 20: Robin Lehner #90 of the Vegas Golden Knights warms up prior to a game against the Washington Capitals at T-Mobile Arena on April 20, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

Vegas has some options

This injury leaves a hole in net for the Golden Knights, who now probably wish they still had Marc-Andre Fleury on the books, however they shipped off to the Blackhawks before the start of the 2021-22 season.

The team could make a deal for an established starter, or it could try to snag a free agent. Braden Holtby — the man who backstopped the Washington Capitals to a Stanley Cup over the Golden Knights in 2019 — is currently on the market.

Former NHL goaltender and analyst, Mike McKenna, however, thinks the team's solution could be in-house.

Thompson appeared in 19 games for the Golden Knights last season. McKenna pointed out that the 25-year-old has posted solid numbers throughout his career.

The Golden Knights will head into the 2022-23 season facing uncertainty on several fronts including a new head coach in former Boston Bruins bench boss Bruce Cassidy, questions about the team culture, and now goaltending.

Vegas will be looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2021-22 season, that saw them miss out on the postseason for the first time in franchise history.

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