The Vegas Golden Knights netminder took to Twitter to deny a report from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli that said he has a fractured kneecap and is not expected back anytime soon.
Seravalli reported in February that Vegas was interested in bringing back Marc-Andre Fleury because Lehner had a torn labrum in his shoulder that would eventually require surgery. Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said later that day there was "absolutely no credence to that rumor at all."
The club stated at the time that Lehner was dealing with an upper-body injury. He later returned to the lineup March 1 after missing five games.
Lehner started four more games before landing on injured reserve again, this time with a lower-body injury. He told The Athletic's Jesse Granger on Thursday that he can't disclose information regarding his injury but is hoping to return soon.
As I reported earlier today, Lehner is dealing with a serious injury, but he believes he can play through it at some point.
It’s easy to see why he doesn’t want the specific injury disclosed, as any weakness can be used against you as a goalie.
Lehner has recorded a .909 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average in 38 games this season. Vegas has failed to receive reliable goaltending in his absence, as Laurent Brossoit and Logan Thompson both own sub-.900 save percentages.
The Golden Knights are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
"We know that Mark Giordano is one of the targets that the Maple Leafs have on their list at this point in time," Johnston said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."
He added: "The Seattle Kraken would like to get a first-round pick back in any trade for Mark Giordano; that's expressly what Kyle Dubas has told other teams he doesn't want to do. He's not going to trade his first-rounder, he's told teams, in a deal for a rental player."
The veteran defenseman carries a $6.75-million cap hit and is set for unrestricted free agency after the season. The Kraken selected him from the Calgary Flames in the expansion draft and quickly named him the first captain in franchise history.
Giordano, 38, has inevitably lost a step in his game as he's gotten older, but he can still bring value on the left side of the blue line. He has six goals and 17 assists in 55 games this season and has averaged 21:29 minutes of ice time per game.
If the Maple Leafs were to add Giordano, their blue line combinations could look something like this if and when Jake Muzzin returns to the lineup from LTIR:
LD
RD
Jake Muzzin
Morgan Rielly
Mark Giordano
TJ Brodie
Rasmus Sandin
Ilya Lyubushkin
The Montreal Canadiens landed a significant package for Ben Chiarot that included a solid prospect, plus first- and fourth-round picks. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche gave up a second-round pick and one of their top prospects to acquire Josh Manson. The Kraken will surely be looking for a similar package for Giordano.
Although he's already sold assets ahead of the trade deadline, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes isn't hanging an "everything must go" sign on his door just yet.
"We're not looking to make a fire sale," Hughes said Thursday, according to TSN.
Montreal shipped defenseman Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-rounder, and prospect Tyler Smilanic.
Chiarot was one of several players on expiring contracts on the rebuilding Habs' books. Arturri Lehkonen and Brett Kulak are also rumored to be on the move.
Hughes was named Canadiens GM in January. He's already made a handful of changes, including hiring Martin St. Louis as interim head coach. Since the Hall of Famer took over, Montreal has an 8-6-1 record after starting the season 8-30-7 under Dominique Ducharme.
Chabot sustained the injury in Wednesday's loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets after logging only 8:54.
The 25-year-old was in the midst of another strong campaign, having registered 34 points in 55 games while averaging over 26 minutes per contest. He also recorded 88 blocks and 71 hits.
Chabot is in the second season of an eight-year, $64-million contract extension signed in 2019.
Injuries have held the Senators back all season, and they sit seventh in the Atlantic Division with 47 points through 60 games.
We have a juicy 10-game slate on the docket Thursday night, which means there's a ton of player props to comb through.
Let's take a closer look at three of my favorites.
Brendan Gallagher over 2.5 shots (-106)
Brendan Gallagher is always an attractive option on home soil. He has registered at least three shots in 59% of his home games, compared to a 45% success rate on the road.
There's plenty of reason to believe he'll hit again Thursday night. With Josh Anderson out of the lineup due to injury, Gallagher finds himself with more weight on his shoulders to provide offense on the right wing.
The matchup is also surprisingly good. Miro Heiskanen is out for the Dallas Stars, and they've given up shots at a much higher rate since he went down.
John Carlson over 2.5 shots (-118)
The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the best teams to target with shot props, especially for defensemen. Only the Arizona Coyotes have allowed more shots and shots per game to blueliners.
Offensively gifted rearguards continue to find success against the Blue Jackets on a nightly basis. We saw that firsthand Wednesday as Thomas Chabot recorded five shots in eight minutes of ice time before leaving with an injury.
It's not reasonable to expect that level of efficiency again in this contest. However, a talent like John Carlson is worth backing in such an advantageous matchup.
Anze Kopitar over 2.5 shots (-106)
The San Jose Sharks have conceded shots at an alarming rate for quite some time. I figured getting some players healthy - such as Erik Karlsson - might help, but the Sharks continue to struggle defensively.
No matter the stretch you focus on - be it 15 games, 10 games, or five - San Jose ranks dead last in five-on-five attempts allowed per 60 minutes. They're giving up a ton of volume each and every night.
Anze Kopitar figures to be one of the prime beneficiaries. He has gone over the number (2.5) in 68% of his home contests this season and is taking on an even larger role with so many key players missing for the Los Angeles Kings.
He's also going up against one of the worst teams at defending against centers. Only seven clubs have allowed more shots per game to the position, and the Sharks find themselves moving further down the list every week.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
Wednesday night was a good one on the ice. We successfully backed the Calgary Flames to pick up a multi-goal victory over the New Jersey Devils while splitting our +100 player props.
We'll look to turn 2-1 into 3-0 as we dive into our best bets for a jam-packed Thursday slate.
The Carolina Hurricanes enter this game playing some of their best hockey of the season. They're on a 7-2-1 run and have absolutely dominated opponents during that stretch, controlling 58.26% of the shot attempts (first) and 56.14% of the expected goals (fifth) at five-on-five.
Beating a team like the Hurricanes is difficult enough, but when you factor in their elite special teams - headlined by arguably the league's best penalty kill - and high-end goaltending from Frederik Andersen, they're a miserable opponent for any side. I don't think they're getting the respect they deserve.
Considering the Toronto Maple Leafs have home ice, I'd understand pricing this game at essentially a coin flip - if they were just dealing with goaltending issues. That's not the case. Not only are the Maple Leafs starting a third-string netminder, but they're playing without a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate in Auston Matthews.
I don't see Toronto getting the better of the five-on-five play without Matthews. Its special teams are no better than Carolina's, and it's at a big disadvantage in goal with Erik Kallgren going up against a potential Vezina Trophy finalist.
The Hurricanes have plenty of edges in this game. With an implied winning percentage of around 52%, there's real value backing them.
The Montreal Canadiens have quietly played solid defensive hockey of late. No, seriously.
Over the last 10 games, they rank 10th in attempts against and expected goals against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. They really haven't given opponents much.
Now they're getting a big jolt in the arm with Jake Allen expected back Thursday night. His play has dipped this season, but Allen still has around 0.30 more goals saved above expected than Sam Montembeault per start - and he carries a higher floor and ceiling.
Put simply, the Canadiens are not giving up many chances. Upgrading in goal should really help them limit teams on the scoreboard.
On the flip side, the Dallas Stars are a competent defensive team with one of the league's hottest netminders. Jake Oettinger has started 17 of the last 20 games, posting a remarkable .927 save percentage in that span. Montreal's offense has been better under Martin St. Louis, but Oettinger still has a good chance of slowing it.
I think this total should be considerably juiced to the under. Since it's not, I'll happily take the value.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been a team to target all season long - and nothing's happened to give any pause for change.
Columbus has dropped six of the last 10, posting miserable numbers in the process. Its share of the five-on-five shot attempts during that spell was just 43% and, somehow, it looks even worse by expected goals. Its expected goals for percentage is below 40%, which is mind-numbingly bad.
The Washington Capitals are starting to get healthy and desperate for points to get out of a wild-card spot. Winning would be a difficult proposition for Columbus at the best of times. Doing it with Joonas Korpisalo makes it nearly impossible.
OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration - emphasis on "might." Korpisalo owns a putrid .883 save percentage this season. Of all netminders with at least 19 appearances (Korpisalo's number), only three allow more goals above expected per start.
The Blue Jackets play a style that's heavily reliant on their goaltender stealing games. That's a disastrous recipe with Korpisalo between the pipes.
Bet: Capitals in regulation (-129)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
Goalies aren't typically hot commodities approaching the trade deadline, but the 2021-22 campaign may be a different story. Teams sitting in playoff spots at this time of the year usually have their crease figured out, but there are a handful of postseason hopefuls this season that could surely use an upgrade in net.
The Toronto Maple Leafs previously indicated they planned on riding it out with Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek, but the two have struggled mightily over the last couple of months. With Campbell now sidelined with an injury, it's possible the club opts to address its troubling crease in order to avoid another playoff disaster. We dove into the team's options earlier this week.
Finding an upgrade at this point is no easy task, but let's take a look at three other clubs that could do with one ahead of Monday's deadline.
Minnesota Wild
Steven Ryan / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Wild were one of the league's best teams in the first half of the season but have sputtered in recent weeks. Inconsistent goaltending is one of the main reasons for their downward spiral.
Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen are both capable options but have been wildly inconsistent. Since Feb. 1, the club has lost 11 of 19 games and allowed 75 goals in the process. On the season, the Wild have allowed four or more goals 23 times.
It appears right now that Minnesota will struggle to make a deep playoff run with one of Talbot or Kahkonen in net. Talbot is signed for another season with a $3.6-million cap hit, while Kahkonen is set for restricted free agency. Many have viewed Kahkonen as the goalie of the future, but this season may have derailed that idea.
The Wild have all of their draft picks at their disposal as well as an adequate amount of cap space. General manager Bill Guerin hasn't been afraid to shake things up, so it wouldn't be surprising if he attempts to right the ship before the deadline.
Edmonton Oilers
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
It's no secret that the Oilers need an upgrade in goal. Even reaching the postseason isn't guaranteed, but if they want to get there and make any noise, it's highly unlikely they can do it with one of Mike Smith, Mikko Koskinen, or Stuart Skinner leading the way. The Oilers have the NHL's 11th-worst save percentage (.899) and have allowed four or more goals in 24 contests.
Marc-Andre Fleury would be the obvious leading candidate if he gives the OK for the Chicago Blackhawks to trade him. So far, he's indicated he doesn't want to move, so that may not even be a possibility. Another viable option could be Semyon Varlamov, who's having a decent season but has been dominant the last few years. With Ilya Sorokin being the future of the New York Islanders' crease, they would be wise to move Varlamov, who has one more year on his contract with a $5-million cap hit. If available, he could be just what the Oilers need.
However, with limited cap space and not a ton of attractive options, the Oilers might decide to waste yet another season and address the issue during the summer.
Vegas Golden Knights
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
The Golden Knights are in the midst of a staggering free fall, and their chances of making the playoffs are dwindling every day. They've been decimated by injuries throughout the lineup, so it's hard to point out one particular area to blame for their struggles.
Robin Lehner has appeared in just four games since Feb. 10, and his health moving forward is a big question mark. If Vegas wants to have a shot at making the postseason, bringing in a goalie is as good a desperation move as any.
Since Lehner could return at any point, the club doesn't have to chase a high-end starter. Lehner's having a down year by his standards, but if he can get healthy down the stretch, the Golden Knights won't hesitate to hand the crease back to him. They simply need someone who can man the crease in the meantime, as Laurent Brossoit has struggled to fill in.
There are plenty of options out there, including Jaroslav Halak, Jake Allen, James Reimer, Alexandar Georgiev, and Joonas Korpisalo. These goalies are solid stopgap options and are good enough to be leaned on if Lehner misses an extended period. Bringing in one of these guys could keep the Golden Knights in the playoff picture, and if they can get back to full health in the next few weeks, they could be a nightmare to face come playoff time.
Radulov is in the midst of his worst NHL season, as he's registered just three goals and 15 assists in 52 games while averaging 14:52 of ice time per contest. He is a proven playoff performer, though, as he's totaled 49 points in 64 career postseason tilts.
The 35-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $6.25 million. The Rangers have $6.239 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, so they're one of few contending teams that could afford his salary without performing major cap gymnastics.
Dallas currently holds the Western Conference's second wild-card spot via points percentage. It's unclear whether the club will buy, sell, or sit ahead of Monday's trade deadline.
The Rangers, meanwhile, sit second in the Metropolitan Division and are well on their way to clinching a playoff berth.
