Robin Lehner

At 33 years old, Robin Lehner has this physical status:

Robin Lehner (born 24 July 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. (NHL)

He has appeared for the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Islanders.

In the second round, 46th overall of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Lehner was selected by the Senators as the winner of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs for Ottawa's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

Early life

Lehner was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on July 24th, 1991, to parents Michael and Veronica Lehner. Lehner, a former football player, made the switch to ice hockey at the age of ten and was mentored by his father. Michael, a mixed martial artist with no goaltending experience, had been asked to prepare future National Hockey League (NHL) players Henrik Lundqvist at the same time when his son expressed an interest in learning the role, and Lehner was often asked to try out drills meant for Lundqvist. Michael Lehner's rigorous training programme created a difficult relationship between father and son that reconciled with adulthood. Lehner attended high school in Sweden for a brief period of time, but opted to leave at the age of 14 after finding that the public education system "did not work" for him.

Personal life

Lehner has been diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the signs of which led to alcohol use and a love of sleeping pills. Lehner's undiagnosed mental illness and subsequent self-medication led him to suicidal thoughtlessness on several occasions, and he later joined a drug rehabilitation center to address these long-standing problems. Lehner has been sober from drugs and alcohol since 2018, and he commemorates his sobriety every year on social media. Lehner, who came out of his own experience, has pushed for open discussions into mental health, trauma, and heroin in the sport of ice hockey. He has been vocally critical of the NHL's treatment of its athletes, alleging "many teams" of selling sedatives and anxiolytics without their or a doctor's permission, and has expressed his concern for Kyle Beach in the aftermath of the sexual harassment scandal surrounding the Blackhawks' sexual harassment scandal.

Lehner and his partner Donya have two children together: Lennox, born 30 October 2014, and Zoe, born 27 October 2017. Although Lehner endorsed Donald Trump during the 2016 US presidential race, he expressed reservations about Trump's proposed migrant policy, although his wife, Lehner, is Persian and often visits her family in Iran. Lehner expressed regret for his previous support for Trump, and he joined his colleagues in kneeling during the US national anthem to condemn George Floyd's assassination.

Lehner, a Gothenburg-born musician, is a huge fan of Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames, and he often pays tribute to the band on his goaltending masks. He is also a big fan of Vinnie Paz of the Philadelphia hip-hop band Jedi Mind Tricks. The Lehner's second goaltending mask features a massive panda design created by cartoonist Juan Muniz. When Lehner played for the Blackhawks, he began going by the name "Panda," noting his resemblance to the titular character in the Kung Fu Panda film series.

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Playing career

Lehner's amateur career began with the Swedish Frölunda HC's J20 SuperElit division, with whom he had a chance to support Johan Holmqvist in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) if he were to excel in the under-20 team. Lehner had a 3.05 goals against average and a.916 save percentage in 22 games with Frölunda during the 2008–09 season. Despite being granted the opportunity to assist Holmqvist during the 2009–10 SHL season, Lehner had already considered quitting ice hockey after extra blood vessels in his hamstring caused him severe pain on the ice. Since he and his father took a trip to New York to see Henrik Lundqvist play for the New York Rangers, he was only inspired to continue. Lehner was inspired by his experience to continue his development in a North American junior ice hockey program.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau named Lehner as the top European goaltender available in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, coming off of his Swedish junior season. The Ottawa Senators, who had gotten an additional second-round draft pick in a larger goaltending trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, selected Lehner 46th overall in the 2009 draft. The Sault Ste. is getting more accessible. The Ontario Greyhounds were voted ninth overall in the 2009 CHL Import Draft, and Lehner was drafted in ninth place, and the team made the move to Ontario for the 2009–10 season. Despite missing time in November after contracting the H1N1 influenza virus in 2009, Lehner's one season with Sault Ste. Marie was a success, with a 27–13–3 record, 2.88 GAA, and a 0.918 save percentage. His five OHL shutouts were also a record in the league, beating Ray Emery's four-shutout season in 2001-02.

Lehner's three-year, entry-level deal with the Senators ended, and he skipped out the 2009–10 hockey season with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. In a 6–5 win over the Syracuse Crunch on September 9, he made his professional ice hockey debut on April 9, 2010, making 21 saves. In a 3–1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he got his first appearance with Binghamton this year, making 31 saves.

Despite being expected to begin the 2010–11 season in Binghamton, the Senators were forced to call Lehner up to the NHL as a back-up for Brian Elliott. Elliott made his NHL debut on October 16, 2010 by blocking all three shots he took in the third period, when Elliott had to rebuild his broken skate blade. Lehner, who was just 19 years old at the time, became both the youngest goaltender in Senators history and the youngest Swedish goaltender to play in a FIFA game in his debut. Lehner returned to Binghamton on November 1st and remained there until January 12, 2011, when he was summoned to fill in for an injured Leclaire. In a 6–4 victory over the New York Islanders and snaping a six-game losing streak for Ottawa, he got off to a good start the next day. Although Lehner appeared in Ottawa for eight games, he spent 22 in Binghamton, where he went 10-8–2 with a 2.70 GAA as a back up for Barry Brust. Brust started the first four games of Binghamton's 2011 postseason season, but after losing 3–1 to the Manchester Monarchs in a seven-game series, he was suspended in favour of Lehner, who led them to the next playoff round. Lehner was named AHL postseason MVP for his efforts in Binghamton's first Calder Cup title, with a 14-4 record, 2.10 GAA,.939 save percentage, and three shutouts in 19 postseason appearances.

Lehner played in Binghamton for the majority of the 2011–12 season, with just a few emergency calls to the NHL. He was sent to assist an injured Alex Auld during a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs before being sent down again on November 4th. On February 23, Lehner expected a longer call-up after starting Craig Anderson openly on a cooking incident that needed surgery and extended recovery time, but he was sent back on March 5th to allow Ben Bishop a chance to play in the NHL. Lehner's first NHL shutout came in the midst of his second call-up, stopping all 32 shots against him in a 1–0 loss of the Boston Bruins. He appeared in five games in Ottawa, going 3–0 in the process, and 40 games with Binghamton. He ended the year with a 3.26 GAA and.907 save percentage, but was overshadowed by teammate Mike McKenna's AHL presence.

Although the 2012–13 NHL lockout postponed the 2012–13 season, the 2012–13 AHL season continued as normal, with Lehner returning to Binghamton to wait out the lockout. He spent time in the Eastern Conference Classic, goaltending for the Eastern Conference team in their 7–6 loss to the West by the time the lockout came to an end in January, and Lehner finished second in AHL goaltenders with a 0.945 save percentage and third in the league with a 1.90 GAA. He expected to return to Ottawa when the NHL season returned to full swing, but Lehner was sent back to Binghamton, as unlike other backup Ben Bishops, he would not have to clear waivers before returning to the AHL. Ottawa had several injuries in the first month of the season, but Lehner was called up on February 22nd, when Anderson sprained his right ankle. Lehner had a.936 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA in 12 NHL starts during the lockout season, but his impact on the ice was limited only by Anderson's presence. He has also appeared in 31 AHL games, posting a.938 save percentage and a 2.12 GAA. In Game 2 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Lehner played his first NHL postseason appearance, where he and Anderson were on the receiving end of a Sidney Crosby hat-trick.

Lehner played in the NHL for the first time in 2013–14, serving as a full-time backup for Anderson. Anderson was sidelined with a neck injury at the start of November. In his absence, Lehner scored three victories, posting a 1.33 GAA and.958 save percentage, as well as winning the First Star of the Week for the week ending November 11th. Anderson's poor showing on his return to the lineup prompted calls that he be swapped with Lehner as the new starting goaltender, but Lehner did not have a chance to play again until March, when Anderson sustained a shoulder injury. Lehner had a difficult time getting used to the starting position because of Anderson's two injuries, Lehner played in only 18 games. Lehner played in 36 games between 2013-2014, he went 12-15-16, down from Anderson's 3.00, although Anderson's was only.002 higher than Anderson's.

The Senators announced Lehner's three-year contract extension on July 31, 2014. Anderson also signed a contract extension this month, debunking rumors that the Senators planned to swap Lehner with Lehner within two years. Andersons received equal playing time in the first ten games of the 2014–15 season, but they got more playing time in November, relegating Lehner back to a backup role. Both Lehner and forward Clarke MacArthur sustained concussions while playing against the Carolina Hurricanes in February. Lehner's season came to an end, as he continued to have concussion signs for the next five months well into the offseason. Although Lehner's alcohol use had already struggled with alcohol use, the concussion's symptoms exacerbated Lehner's drinking problem, which would continue for the next three years. Lehner was 9–12–3 in the 25 games in which he saw action before his concussion, with a 3.02 GAA and a.905 save percentage.

The Buffalo Sabres, who didn't have a starting goaltender in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, gave Ottawa the 21st overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Lehner on June 26. Colin White was chosen from the city's new draft pick that night. Lehner sustained an injury in the second period while playing his old team in the Sabres' season opener on October 8th, and the Sabres' season opener had to be scrapped off the ice. He had sprained his right leg and will miss anywhere from six to ten weeks of game time, according to medical reports. Chad Johnson was promoted to starting goaltender, while Nathan Lieuwen was called up from the AHL. In a 4–1 loss to the Boston Bruins on January 16, Lehner made 27 saves. Lehner stopped all 38 shots in a 4–0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 19th, his third shutout and first with Buffalo. Lehner was involved in a brawl that began when Columbus forward Boone Jenner struck Buffalo defenceman Zach Bogosian in the third period of his shutout game. Jack Johnson, the Blue Jackets' chief, received two minor retribution points, one for roughing and another for leaving the goaltending crease. Even after being reinstated from the injured list, Lehner's ankle pains persisted, and he underwent season-ending surgery on March 30. Lehner's first season with Buffalo had limited to only 21 games, with a.924 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA.

Buffalo acquired Anders Nilsson from the St. Louis Blues as a back for Lehner during the 2016-2017 free agent signing season. Lehner took up mixed martial arts in the hopes of losing weight and increasing his speed on the ice during the offseason. Although Lehner had a.914 save percentage and.266 GAA in November, poor offence from Buffalo meant the goaltender was 1–6–3 in that ten-game stretch, and fans began to demand that Nilsson get more playing time. Lehner, a coach who "is drawing it up there, has a great deal of anxiety as the season progressed," he said. Lehner had a 2.47 GAA and was third among NHL starting goaltenders with a.926 save percentage at the time of the season, but he was only 17-16–6 for the season. Lehner's appearance in March was his 48th appearance as a goaltender, breaking his previous record of appearances in one season. Despite being in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 33–37-12 record, Lehner went 23-26–8 for the season, with a 2.68 GAA and a.920 save percentage. With 59 games played, 23 wins, and two shutouts, he came in third in the NHL with 1,758 saves and set career highs.

Lehner, a restricted free agent from the 2016-17 season, has signed a one-year, $4 million contract extension with Buffalo on July 25, 2017. Despite his good goaltending efforts, particularly at the KeyBank Center, Lehner had many of the same problems during the 2017–18 season as he had the year before, with poor Buffalo defense resulting in losses. Lehner's 1.94 GAA was the highest in the NHL in the first 13 home games of the season, although his.935 save percentage tied Braden Holtby, but he had only one record in that time period. Despite rumors that Lehner would be released before the NHL trade deadline in February, general manager Jason Botterill's only move by general manager Jason Botterill was to bring Evander Kane to the San Jose Sharks. Lehner, meanwhile, denied rumors that he had requested a trade, telling reporters, "I have no reason not to be here." Despite the team's turbulence, Lehner responded angrily that the team's struggles, he rebuked rumors that he had requested a trade. The Sabres, who were already out of playoff contention, were carrying three goaltenders: Lehner, Johnson, and Linus Ullmark, who was called up to gain some NHL experience before returning to the Rochester Americans for their potential AHL playoff appearance. Buffalo had to cut Lehner down for the season at the end of March due to a hip injury. Lehner had to leave Buffalo on March 29 for what was later discovered to be a panic attack. He had been suffering from substance use disorders triggered by undiagnosed mental illness at the time, and Lehner was admitted shortly after suffering the on-ice panic attack. He went 14–26-19 for the season, with a 3.01 GAA and a.908 save percentage. The Sabres refused to give Lehner a qualifying bid on June 22, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Following Jaroslav Halák's departure in free agency, the New York Islanders, who were looking for a substitute goaltender to Thomas Greiss, signed Lehner to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million on July 4th, 2018. Lehner stopped all 35 shots he faced from the San Jose Sharks on October 8 in his season debut, becoming the first Islanders goaltender to record a shutout in their first game for the team. Though Lehner's openness about his addiction made him a fan favorite in Long Island, he had a great year in his career up to that point, going 25-13–5 with a 2.13 GAA,.930 save percentage, and six shutouts. Lehner and Greiss received the William M. Jennings Trophy at the end of the season, which is given to the NHL team's goaltending staff, which has the fewest regular-season goals. In 2018-19, the Islanders went from allowing 296 goals in the 2017-18 season to just 196. Lehner was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which is given to the best goaltender in the NHL, and also for his "perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." When the trophy arrived in August, it mistakenly listed Lehner as a member of the New York Rangers rather than the Islanders.

Lehner was instrumental in the Islanders' first-round victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. During the four-game sequence, he blocked 130 shots in 136 attempts, including 32 saves in New York's 3–1 elimination game victory. When the Islanders faced the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, he was less effective. After dropping the first three games in the series, coach Barry Trotz allowed Lehner to play in Game 4, but Greiss replaced him after Lehner allowed three goals in the first 25 minutes of the game. To finish the sweep and ban the Islanders from the playoffs, the Hurricanes won the game 5–2.

Lehner told Newsday that he planned to re-sign with the Islanders and had no interest in speaking to representatives from other clubs as the window opened on June 23rd, 2019. Lehner was given a two-year contract last week, but when the goaltender expressed his desire to find a long-term solution, talks fell through. Lehner decided on a one-year, $5 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks within hours of the free agency period opening at 12 p.m. (ET) on July 1st. Lehner was reportedly replaced by free agent Semyon Varlamov, who and New York agreed to a four-year, $20 million deal on the same day.

Rather than ordering Lehner to rehear Corey Crawford or unseat him as Chicago's starting goaltender, head coach Jeremy Colliton decided to platoon the two players roughly equal playing time. Although Lehner was a natural netwarrior during regulation, leading the league in the league with a healthy save percentage by the end of November, he still struggles in shootout situations. Lehner's career-bestowl percentage was the lowest of any goaltender in NHL history who had shot out 40 or more targets, and he said that if a game transpires, Crawford will assume goaltending duties for that portion of the game. Lehner, who modified his goaltending technique and said to have been distracted by a tale that teammate Zack Smith told him before, won his first shooting out of the season on Sunday, knocking out three shots from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since Lehner's return to the bench more often, he's seen a decrease in his results as a result of his downturn. Lehner's last five starts went 1–3–1 with an.888 save percentage, and his coworkers noticed that he became more withdrawn off the ice, marking a departure for the usually extroverted goaltender. Lehner's 33 games with the Blackhawks ended 16–10–5 with a.918 save percentage and a 3.01 GAA.

Lehner was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for prospect Mrti Dzierkals, and the Vegas Golden Knights followed him straight in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, with Toronto keeping a portion of his salary. Marc-André Fleury, Lehner's brother, only had the opportunity to start three games for Vegas, including a 1.67 GAA and.940 save percentage, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to prematurely end the 2019-20 season on March 12, 2020. Lehner was one of 31 Golden Knights invited to join the team in Edmonton when the NHL returned to action in July for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. In six of Vegas's eight qualifying and first-round playoff games, Lehner effectively ended Fleury's role as the starting goaltender during the postseason, receiving the nod. When Fleury's agent posted a snapshot of "DeBoer" in his back on Twitter, it sparked some controversies, assuaging coach Peter DeBoer to stabbed his client in the back. During the Golden Knights' second-round playoff series, Lehner's three shutouts against the Vancouver Canucks, which culminated in a series of close calls, impressed DeBoer enough to say he should be eligible for the Western Conference finals as well. Vegas lost in five games to the Dallas Stars, with Lehner making 23 saves but losing overtime in the final matchup. He went 9-7 in 16 postseason games for Vegas, achieving a.917 save percentage and 1.99 GAA in the process.

On October 3, 2019, Lehner signed a five-year, $25 million contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. He underwent a simple "clean-up surgery" on his shoulder the next week, with general manager Kelly McCrimmon confident that Lehner will arrive fully recovered at training camp. The Lehner and Fleury were platooned for the 2020–21 season, with neither team playing in consecutive games until Lehner sustained an upper body injury while playing against the Los Angeles Kings on February 7, 2021. Lehner's long absence sparked rumors that he was suffering from a relapse of mental or heroin use problems that had previously hindered him, but when he returned to the field on March 18, he reiterated that he had only suffered a concussion and didn't want to return before he was physically fit. Lehner had failed in his first five starts before the concussion, going 2–1–1 with a 2.96 GAA and.390 save percentage, but he recovered to form after that time: between 19 March and April, Lehner was 7–0–1 with a 1.86 GAA. Fleury and Lehner received the William M. Jennings Trophy at the end of the regular season, resulting in a total of 124 goals in 56 regular-season games. Lehner went 13–4–2 for a 2.29 GAA,.913 save percentage, and one shutout per week. In all seven games of the Golden Knights' first-round series against the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, Fleury was active, and Lehner was expected to begin Game 1 of the second-round series in order to let Fleury rest. In a loss to the Colorado Avalanche, he allowed seven goals and did not get off to the Stanley Cup Semifinals, where he made 27 saves in the 2–1 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal defeated Vegas in six games, with Lehner allowing the series-winning overtime goal to be scored off the stick of Artturi Lehkonen.

When Fleury was unexpectedly traded to the Blackhawks on July 28, 2021, Lehner became the Golden Knights' de facto starting goaltender for the 2021-22 season, a change from the platoon role he had never taken ever since his time with the Islanders. Lehner was ordered to keep the Knights competitive despite having offensive issues and injuries throughout the season. Lehner's 2021–22 season was marked by a number of injuries. In Vegas's 5–1 victory over the New York Rangers, he first sustained a lower-body injury on 19 December in the Golden Knights' game against the Islanders. On February 14, he was hospitalized again, this time with an upper-body injury. In a 3–1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, he won another game after missing five games by making 16 saves. Lehner was sent back to Vegas in the middle of the Golden Knights' road trip to undergo injury evaluation one week later after making 19 saves in a 2–1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He returned on Sunday, stopping 26 shots to win 3–2 over the Vancouver Canucks. During the season, Broissoit was also injured, and in the absence of both veterans, rookie Logan Thompson received significant playing time for Vegas. Following anonymous reports that Lehner required knee surgery, the Golden Knights announced on April 25 that he would not return to the league for the injury he suffered in February. He finished the season with a 23–17–2 record, 2.83 GAA, and.907 SV% in 44 games, with one shutout.

The Golden Knights reported on August 11, 2022, that Lehner required hip surgery, which would cause him to miss the entire 2022-23 NBA season.

Career statistics

Elite Prospects has the following career tracker.

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