Reports of Robin Lehner Being Done For Season Possibly Inaccurate

The situation evolving between the Vegas Golden Knights and goaltender Robin Lehner is an odd one. Reports earlier this week were that he was done for the season, ready to undergo season-ending surgery. New reports suggest that might not be accurate and that personal issues between him and the team are at the heart of why he was rumored to be shutting it down.

Related: Robin Lehner Reportedly Out For Remainder of Golden Knights’ Season

Concern that Lehner was ok was immediate when the news of his surgery made the rounds. But, on Saturday night, Elliotte Friedman reported during the 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada that Lehner’s absence might be unrelated to surgery and that the team is denying reports that he’s done for the year.

When Friedman was asked about what was going on between the two sides, the NHL insider said that the best he could piece together was that Lehner is playing hurt and was upset at some of the criticism he’s received of late. Head coach Pete DeBoer called him out after some poor performances and Lehner was pulled the other night, which he didn’t like. Friedman says that Lehner then told the team that he was going to get surgery and call it quits on the season. The team and coaching staff have talked to the netminder over the past 24-48 hours and tried to iron things out. Everyone is hoping he’ll show up for the game on Sunday and he might even play.

Considering he’s legitimately playing injured, it’s an interesting shift in the narrative as the Golden Knights struggle to stay in the playoff race. They need Lehner, but he feels they are disrespecting him. No one seems to know if he’ll be with the team until the lineups are submitted.

This situation in Vegas gets stranger and stranger by the day. The team has spent to the cap (well above it, actually) to be Stanley Cup contenders, but they might not make the playoffs. They moved their starter this past offseason and gave the role to Robin Lehner who has been injured and dealing with personal issues, but he might bail on the team, and they might deserve it.

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