Mailbag: Golden Knights’ goalie situation the talk of the town before training camp

By Danny Webster

Monday, Aug. 29, 2022 | 2 a.m.

Perhaps asking for your questions fresh off the news that Robin Lehner would miss this upcoming season might have been a bit much.

Nevertheless, many want to know what the Golden Knights are going to do now that their No. 1 goalie is sidelined due to hip surgery.

Trying to figure that out might be difficult until Vegas opens training camp in a little less than a month, but we’ll do our best here. Thanks to all who sent in questions, and we’ll try to make this a regular feature going forward.

Note: Some questions have been edited for clarity.

@posting4L: I'd prefer to wait 20 games into the season before making any moves. There are so many other unknowns at this point, and while the goalie situation is probably the biggest one, what do you see being the biggest hurdle: line depth, scheme changes, injuries?

I don’t think the scheme change from Pete DeBoer to Bruce Cassidy will ultimately make much difference. Having an entire training camp to figure out schematics, with a talented roster pending health, should still put the Golden Knights in a strong position to be competitive.

When the Golden Knights are healthy, I don’t see an issue with depth. It will be tested more this year than ever before, with Max Pacioretty gone, but this is a big opportunity for Nic Roy now that he’s under contract for the next five years. It provides an opportunity for Brett Howden after a strong first season with Vegas. Where and how they line up is the bigger question.

Injuries will remain the Golden Knights’ biggest problem. They can’t afford to have Mark Stone miss half a season again. You’re banking on Jack Eichel being fully healthy, as well. If one of the top guys goes down, does the team have enough to stay in the playoff race as the season progresses? That’s the biggest challenge for Cassidy as this season goes on.

@DominicDecocco5: What should Vegas do with the cap space afforded by putting Robin Lehner on LTIR?

The decision to essentially shut Lehner down for the year might have been the best thing that could happen for the Golden Knights. And, no, it has nothing to do with the man not being able to play.

Once Lehner goes on LTIR, the Golden Knights will be able to exceed the cap by $5 million. With just over $2 million in relief thanks to defenseman Shea Weber’s contract on LTIR, Vegas will be able to go over $7 million. Add the potential that Nolan Patrick could wind up on LTIR, and the Golden Knights are looking at about $8 million in relief.

The first order of business, whenever that may be, is to sign Nic Hague to his new deal. The restricted free agent is the last Vegas free agent in need of a new contract. This salary relief should mean this gets done before training camp.

All this ties in perfectly to the next question.

@VGKOUNOLA: Do they get a goalie before the season?

I wrote about this following the Lehner news. While I understand the trepidation in rolling with a potential 1-2 punch of Logan Thompson and Michael Hutchinson, the Golden Knights seem inclined to go with that tandem heading into opening night, depending on the health of Laurent Brossoit (hip surgery).

The free agent market is not enticing. Braden Holtby is the top option available, but the 32-year-old is not the same man who won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. Cory Schneider is the other viable veteran option on the market, but his numbers haven’t been great over the past few years, either.

Training camp is going to be interesting. Isaiah Saville or Jiri Patera could have a strong camp and challenge Hutchinson for the backup job. At this moment, it’s unlikely, but weirder things have happened.

@VGKNak: What the heck is going on to get where we are today with Robin Lehner? What can we figure out based on timeline and statements made by various parties?

Trying to figure out how Lehner went from having shoulder surgery and could miss the beginning of next season, to undergoing hip surgery and missing all of 2022-23, might be the biggest mystery of it all. And until we hear from Lehner himself, feel free to make your own assertions.

The accounts from general manager Kelly McCrimmon and DeBoer are what they stand by: That Lehner wanted to play in the Washington game on April 20, DeBoer felt he didn't look comfortable, and that started the chain reaction to play Thompson the rest of the way.

Everything after that is anyone's guess. Only one person knows for sure, but we're likely not to hear from him until 2023.

@DBrooksSr: Which will VGK do, sign a free-agent forward or trade for a goalie?

Well, with the sudden signing of Phil Kessel, we can take that bit of priority off the list.

First bit of business: Kessel is a great low-risk, high-reward signing for the Golden Knights at $1.5 million. Coming off a 52-point season on the second-worst team in the NHL, a motivated Kessel with a motivated group that wants to get back to the playoffs next season is a good recipe.

The goalie situation is going to be intriguing. McCrimmon said Thursday that it will be a Logan Thompson-Laurent Brossoit tandem for the season, pending Brossoit's health on his own hip surgery. McCrimmon said his rehab is going well and they'll make further decisions on that once training camp rolls around.

If Vegas trades for a goalie, it'll be based on performance. I think they do trust Hutchinson as a possible No. 3 if things go haywire, but any trade will have to be done after evaluating the market.

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.