Vegas Golden Knights should keep Robin Lehner And Marc-Andre Fleury
By Ant Barberio
Robin Lehner was the Vegas Golden Knights number one goalie in the playoffs. They should re-sign him, and play him tandem with Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Vegas Golden Knights season barely ended a few days ago, but a major signing rumor came up while the team was still competing in the bubble. Rumors stated that the team and pending free agent goalie Robin Lehner had agreed to a five-year contract extension. Lehner himself directly denied the news.
Should Vegas keep Lehner around? The franchise’s most popular icon Marc-Andre Fleury has been on the shelf as Lehner was given the majority of the workload. Where does Fleury fit in with this team of Lehner stays around?
With 1A and 1B goalie arrangements becoming the new norm of the NHL as opposed to the traditional starter and backup, Lehner and Fleury can peacefully coexist in Vegas. It also gives the Golden Knights the most experienced, and perhaps the best, goalie tandem in the NHL. Besides, Fleury isn’t getting any younger. Lehner is still a pretty young 29 years old.
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If you watched this year’s playoffs, Lehner was the clear number one. Does that mean head coach Peter DeBoer is planning on going with Lehner as number one starter going forward? Considering Fleury’s injury history, and how weird this year’s playoffs has been, it’s possible that’s not the plan going forward. It might only be the plan for living and playing out this 2020 season.
Speaking of DeBoer, he’s been in this situation before. The 2013-14 NHL season saw him have the goaltending services of both Martin Brodeur and Cory Schneider with the New Jersey Devils. Brodeur was the clear number one, although it was clear Schneider was much more than a normal back up with this skill set.
Critics can say DeBoer mismanaged the goalie group, preferring to go with Brodeur over the statistically superior Schneider. That year, the Devils surprisingly got close to a playoff spot, but not close enough. If Schneider had a few more quality starts, they might have made it in.
Assume Lehner signs for the rumored five year term. That leaves Fleury with the remaining two years on his contract. With Malcolm Subban sent off to the Chicago Blackhawks, the room is open for Lehner, and the number one and two will be set, at least until Fleury’s contract is up.
Some have wondered “what if the Seattle expansion team takes Fleury in the expansion draft?” That is how Vegas ended up with Fleury. It’s important to remember that as the NHL’s last expansion team Vegas is exempt from the upcoming expansion draft. So that’s not an option.
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There may be some drama around it but Vegas should extend Lehner. They’re a contender for years to come. Having Lehner and Fleury gives them amazing depth in goal.