It’s been a long journey in the NHL for goaltender Robin Lehner, but the 30-year-old finally has the crease to himself for the foreseeable future and it’s safe to say he’s thrilled it’s with Vegas… and not Buffalo.
‘Panda’ joined the ‘Cam and Strick’ podcast to discuss his journey in the league and shared a memory from his time with the Sabres that’s pretty tough to believe. Lehner touched on the pressure of turning things around for the organization (who by the way, have not been to the playoffs since 2011) and explained how he was already on a stationary bike just one week after ‘tearing everything’ in his foot. If that wasn’t enough, the Swede was leg-pressing 300 pounds just THREE WEEKS after. It turns out this was the wrong call and Lehner eventually needed surgery as a result of it being mishandled.
Here’s what he had to say, start at 1:09:00:
Ouch.
So, why is this particularly relevant at this moment in time? Well, captain Jack Eichel is reportedly unhappy with how the team has handled an injury of his own. Eichel is seeking a surgery that has never been performed on an NHL player before to repair a herniated disc, however, the team has not given him the green light for it. Now, Eichel is hoping for a fresh start elsewhere.
Lehner hasn’t played for the Sabres since 2018 but it’s certainly surprising to hear that this is how his high ankle sprain was handled. Yikes.
(H/T Cam & Strick Podcast)
