Gary Bettman bails out the Golden Knights and fans are losing their minds

Last week, a federal bankruptcy judge ordered the freezing of assets belonging to Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner after a major creditor accused the former NHL star of recklessly spending and making improper financial transfers. The filing alleged that following their bankruptcy declaration in December 2022, Lehner and his wife spent $1.5 million on gambling, vacationing, and other extravagances.

$6 million was the salary that Robin Lehner received for the 2023-24 NHL season, but the creditors say the couple has depleted or transferred those funds to prevent the repayment of the debt. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Natalie Cox granted a request to freeze their assets and limit the couple to $25,000 a month for living and legal expenses.

The 33-year-old Robin Lehner hasn't played in the NHL since April 2022 because of injuries that necessitated surgery. He has spent two full seasons on long-term injured reserve and recently failed to report to a physical at the start of training camp, which is required of all players under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. The Golden Knights remained in discussions with the NHL and the Players' Association, with general manager Kelly McCrimmon indicating the club might terminate Lehner's contract. If so, the $5-million salary cap hit would have been erased from their payroll as Lehner enters the final season of his five-year deal worth $25 million.

This is, in fact, exactly what happened, as NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that a resolution has been reached between the Golden Knights and Gary Bettman. The team will fully erase Lehner's salary from their cap, however, the netminder will still receive his full salary for the upcoming season. This is seen as a massive win for the team, as they will not be required to place Robin Lehner on LTIR. Fans around the league have seen this move as Gary Bettman once again playing favorites with Vegas, and they have taken to social media to express how angry they truly are.

Regardless of whether Vegas got bailed out by Gary Bettman or not, the fact that this will no longer be a distraction to the team as the regular season nears is fantastic news. The Golden Knights can now focus on the season ahead and not worry about Robin Lehner eating up unnecessary payroll on the cap. It will be interesting to see if Vegas decides to add a netminder for more depth for the upcoming season.