Robin Lehner RFA - to Sign or Trade that is the question!

[GASabresIUFAN]

I'll be very surprised if Lehner is traded and not re-signed. Looking at Matt Murray's extension, Lehner deals should be less then 4 mill per season. This is a bargain for a starting goalie.

[dudacek]

Pretty sure this is Lehner's last RFA contract. He's entering his seventh-year pro.

More than a one year deal and the Sabres will be buying UFA years.

And a one-year deal is very risky for both sides.

 

All his recent comparables made more than $4 million per at this contract.

Edited May 15, 2017 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

Pretty sure this is Lehner's last RFA contract. He's entering his seventh-year pro.

More than a one year deal and the Sabres will be buying UFA years.

And a one-year deal is very risky for both sides.

All his recent comparables made more than $4 million per at this contract.

Still a bargain for a legit starting goalie

[7+6=13]

Does anyone think Fleury is an upgrade on Lehner?

When you factor in age and salary it's a non-starter for me.

They are both average NHL starters.

 

Maybe if Lehner is - as some believe - a locker room issue.

Fleury is certainly a nice guy.

 

 

Where has this been hinted? I've seen it nowhere except in the internet daydreams of Penguin fans.

 

I was waiting for this to get brought up.  I don't dislike Lehner on the ice although of course he's frustrating at times - most goalies are.  However I think he may have called out his teammates a bit too much during the season.  He never seemed to put any responsibility on himself but was all too quick to say there was a lack of effort in front of him. 

 

I also think he was wrong about effort most of the time.  We lacked skill but it sure looked to me like the guys for most of the year were trying.

[LikeEich]

I will trade you Lehner for Josh Morrissey and a pick.

Keep the pick, I'll take Morrissey Comrie. However if I know Chevaldayoff, he will take another year of tending and take the lottery pick. Guy doesn't make a trade unless it's a steal of a deal. It'll be Helly n Hutch with a sub .900 for another year,or I'll eat my shorts!

 

Biding his time until Comrie is ready, even though they're only a starting goalie, and some forward depth away from being in the playoffs

 

-----------------------

 

Murray made alot of poor trades but this wasn't one of them. 6×4M or it goes the arbitration.

Edited May 16, 2017 by LikeEich

[shrader]

Paging the mods: we may need a Pommenstein type filter for this guy.

 

 

I think Lerner is still young by goalie standards and has shown big steps forward. Seems silly to go after someone else's castoffs when Lerner is exactly what we wish the team to be...competitive and combatative

[Huckleberry]

I like Lehner, Its pretty much our only worry in the expansion draft.

We could gamble and protect Ullmark, but either way we could loose a good young goalie.  All though I still think there are better ones out there.

[GASabresIUFAN]

If JBot is worried about losing Ullmark, could he sign Lehner to an extension now for 4+ a season and then expose him and protect Ullmark? The theory being that LV won't want to spend big $ on a goalie for an expansion team when it has so many cheaper quality options available like Pickard, Raanta and Grubauer?

 

It's a gutsy move and could backfire, but even if it did, it would clear $4 mill in cap

[Brawndo]

Per Friedman's 30 Thoughts, Botterill is comfortable with Lehner being the starter next year

[pi2000]

If JBot is worried about losing Ullmark, could he sign Lehner to an extension now for 4+ a season and then expose him and protect Ullmark? The theory being that LV won't want to spend big $ on a goalie for an expansion team when it has so many cheaper quality options available like Pickard, Raanta and Grubauer?

 

It's a gutsy move and could backfire, but even if it did, it would clear $4 mill in cap

 

If they expose Lehner while he's an RFA and LV takes him (signs him prior to July 1st), then his salary (whatever LV signs him for) doesn't count toward the minimum cap number they must hit in the expansion draft.

 

LV needs to think long and hard about "drafting" any RFA/UFAs because it won't help them reach the min cap number... there are other more enticing RFAs likely to be available, and they probably only take maybe 1 or 2 at most.

[dudacek]

Per Friedman's 30 Thoughts, Botterill is comfortable with Lehner being the starter next year

The exact quote of what Friedman wrote: "Last one on Buffalo: Botterill was asked if he is comfortable with Robin Lehner and didn’t hesitate. “I have no problem starting next season with him in goal. There are more pressing needs. I liked what I saw from him when he won the Calder Cup.” Lehner backstopped the Binghamton Senators to the AHL title in 2011."

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I was waiting for this to get brought up.  I don't dislike Lehner on the ice although of course he's frustrating at times - most goalies are.  However I think he may have called out his teammates a bit too much during the season.  He never seemed to put any responsibility on himself but was all too quick to say there was a lack of effort in front of him. 

 

I also think he was wrong about effort most of the time.  We lacked skill but it sure looked to me like the guys for most of the year were trying.

 

With respect, I don't think that he called them out enough.  Your point after that one is very good, but I do think that he did say he needs to be better, as well.

[JJFIVEOH]

Why would Las Vegas be hesitant to pick a young goalie, who was 7th in save percentage, behind one of the worst defenses in the league with a $4mil cap hit?

 

Am I missing something?

 

Miller could rarely hit 7th, called out his teammates on a daily basis without ever taking blame, and had a much higher cap hit. And fans thought he was God.

 

I have to be missing something. It must be those shootouts.

[Doohicksie]

Why would Las Vegas be hesitant to pick a young goalie, who was 7th in save percentage, behind one of the worst defenses in the league with a $4mil cap hit?

 

Am I missing something?

 

Miller could rarely hit 7th, called out his teammates on a daily basis without ever taking blame, and had a much higher cap hit. And fans thought he was God.

 

I have to be missing something. It must be those shootouts.

 

One could argue the shootout losses were the difference between GMTM and DDB keeping their jobs and getting fired; the difference between the Sabres competing for a playoff spot at the end of the season versus being a clear lottery team.

[JJFIVEOH]

One could argue the shootout losses were the difference between GMTM and DDB keeping their jobs and getting fired; the difference between the Sabres competing for a playoff spot at the end of the season versus being a clear lottery team.

Well, I think one would be ridiculous to argue that when they consider the Sabres were the worst shootout team in the league themselves and Lehner only lost 5 shootouts when team missed the playoffs by 17 points.

 

One could argue, though, that they never would have even gotten to the shootouts if it weren't for Lehner.

[Doohicksie]

Was it only 5 he lost?  Seemed like more than that.

[Huckleberry]

Was it only 5 he lost?  Seemed like more than that.

 

between 5 - 10, Nillson had a few as well.

[JJFIVEOH]

Was it only 5 he lost?  Seemed like more than that.

 

Actually, he only lost 4. The Sabres scored 2 shootout goals TOTAL in those four games. 

 

Nilsson was 2-2. 

I should also point out the Sabres only scored 6 goals (1,3,1,1) TOTAL in the four shootout games. So Lehner managed to get a point in three games in which the Sabres only gave him one goal support. 

[nfreeman]

How's the Enroth crusade going?

[7+6=13]

With respect, I don't think that he called them out enough.  Your point after that one is very good, but I do think that he did say he needs to be better, as well.

 

Interesting that we have a different view when Lehner spoke out and how much he should or shouldn't have.  I'll admit I probably didn't hear or read everything he said but the moments that stand out in my memory is him calling the team out.  I didn't care for it. 

 

He would say "we" but then his explanation was clearly directed at the other players.  He would complimented Gio and say the team should be listening to him and following the coaches game plan.  They were curious comments to me because it was obvious we didn't have the talent to do much better on defense - so was he calling out the offense too?  If he was - there wasn't a lot of people including players (as it turns out) that liked the game plan.  He did take the 3rd most shots against so I can definitely understand the frustration - I'm just not a big fan of goalies calling out skaters.

[JJFIVEOH]

How's the Enroth crusade going?

Don't know. But if people are concerned about shootouts, he does hold the NHL record for most consecutive stops.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Why would Las Vegas be hesitant to pick a young goalie, who was 7th in save percentage, behind one of the worst defenses in the league with a $4mil cap hit?

 

Am I missing something?

 

Miller could rarely hit 7th, called out his teammates on a daily basis without ever taking blame, and had a much higher cap hit. And fans thought he was God.

 

I have to be missing something. It must be those shootouts.

I agree generally.  I was thinking of a way to "protect" Lehner and Ullmark.  The notion came from seeing that Pitt extended Murray for 3 years and nearly 12 mill.  The thought being that if Murray was exposed because Fleury won't except a trade, then what are the odds of LV grabbing two $4 mill goalies, especially with Murray being younger, a Cup winner, and slightly cheaper?  I think the odds are pretty low, when you consider that cheap and very good backups like Raanta and Grubeuer are also available and 2 starters for $8 mill are a nearly 20% of the year 1 minimum cap.  

 

That said, the idea is predicated on JBot re-signing Lehner asap (before 6/17).  However, after thinking about it some more, I doubt JBot would even try such a move.  The optics are terrible.  Robyn we are committing to you with this new contract, but we are exposing you to expansion anyway.