Life in the NHL hasn’t been great for Robin Lehner since he joined the NHL with the Ottawa Senators in the 2010-11 season.

The Swedish goalkeeper played for five teams during his career, including one season on Long Island with the NY Islanders.

Lehner signed a five-year, $5 million AAV contract with the Vegas Golden Knights shortly after being traded to the desert from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020. But since then, Lehner has missed more games than he has played.

Lehner played his final NHL game on April 20, 2022. In the summer of 2022, Lehner underwent hip surgery, causing him to miss the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

Another season without Robin Lehner

When training camps around the league began this week, Lehner was absent from the Knights’ mandatory pre-camp physical. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, all players must pass their pre-camp physical in order to be eligible for LTIR. Failure to do so could result in forfeiture of their contracts.

“(Robin) will not report to the club this year,” Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said. “He is still not fit to play. There are unique circumstances surrounding this situation that the NHL, the NHLPA and (Vegas) are working through. Together, we will assess our next steps and when we have more to say, we will do so.”

It’s unclear why Lehner is considered “unfit,” but the former Islander briefly commented on the situation.

“The only thing I can say at this point is that everyone knows why I couldn’t be there,” Lehner said. “I’m just waiting for things to be resolved.”

Lehner struggled with mental health and alcohol use throughout his career, but his one season on Long Island seemed to be the breakthrough he needed to get the demons he was battling under control.

Although his time with the Islanders was short, it played a significant role in Lehner’s life, along with the fan base. Shortly after leaving the Islanders, Lehner showed off a tattoo of Long Island on his neck, pointing to it after his first game back against the Islanders.

Whatever Lehner goes through, we all hope he perseveres and comes out stronger.