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Vegas Golden Knights puck-stopper Robin Lehner is pessimistic about the NHL's chances of resuming play this season.
"No, I don't think it is possible to shut down and then run again when you have 100,000 cases of the coronavirus. Safety goes first," Lehner told Swedish outlet Expressen on Thursday, as translated by The Athletic's Jesse Granger.
"You can't turn 180 degrees and start playing again," he continued. "I see a zero percent chance that you can save this season. Now I hope that next season can start as usual in October."
As of Thursday, the United States - which is home to 24 of the league's 31 teams - had more known cases of the coronavirus than any other nation in the world.
If the NHL skips the remainder of the regular season and goes straight to the playoffs - an option that several players are open to - Lehner would get a chance to strap on the pads again. Vegas sat first in the Pacific Division when the NHL suspended its season on March 12.
The league has reportedly explored late-summer options for a possible return, asking teams about arena availabilities in August. However, the NHL doesn't want a late resumption to interfere with the 2020-21 campaign.
Lehner spent most of this season with the Chicago Blackhawks before he was dealt to the Golden Knights at the trade deadline. In total, he went 19-10-5 with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, five shutouts, and 12.67 goals saved above average. The 28-year-old is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in the coming offseason.
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