Robin Lehner was set to become an RFA after the 2017-2018 season. The Buffalo Sabres, who held his rights, didn’t offer him a contract making him a UFA and leading to the New York Islanders landing a starting goalie for dirt cheap.
The market for Lehner was surprisingly nonexistent. He was coming off a bad year but the Islanders were able to get him on a one-year $1.5 million deal. Essentially chump change for someone who is a starting level goalie.
We would later find out why when Robin Lehner wrote a tell-all to The Athletic describing his addiction and mental health issues.