In just 10 months, Robin Lehner has picked himself up off the canvas and into the admiration of New York Islanders fans everywhere.
The 27-year-old goaltender found himself at one of the most daunting crossroads a man could find himself at in life.
Drinking a case a beer every day, addicted to pills to help him sleep, and suffering from anxiety attacks — including one on the ice while in goal for the Buffalo Sabres back in March of 2018 — thoughts of suicide crept into Lehner’s head, as he wrote in an essay for the Athletic back in September.
He checked himself into the NHL’s substance abuse recovery program where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with manic episodes.
But not before one of the biggest battles of his life, one that pales in comparison to the likes of Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin bearing down on goal:
“I was told my detox was one of the worst that they had seen,” Lehner wrote. “I had not had an honest sleep in so long, my mind was in shock. I was hallucinating, fighting demons in my mind and having extreme and vivid dreams. I was stuck in a constant state of REM sleep and the dreams kept waking me up and making things worse… I was truly living on autopilot for three weeks in a constant fog.”
Lehner emerged on the other side of the two-plus-month ordeal a new man, one looking for another chance as the Sabres decided to move on from him.
Only one team stepped up: the Islanders.
“There was some interest from five or six teams,” Lehner said. “But they weren’t so interested when they found out I was in rehab. Understandable, totally justified and I understand it.”
He inked a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the team, who was at a crossroads of their own after losing their face of the franchise in John Tavares. And with low expectations for both the netminder and his team despite bringing in Hall-of-Fame executive Lou Lamoriello and Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz, they’ve proven the hockey world wrong.
“When I met Lou here, it just felt good right away,” Lehner said. “It just could not have fit any better.”
Lehner has become one of the top goalies in the NHL this season as he’s helped build a menacing platoon with Thomas Greiss. He’s appeared in 27 of the Islanders’ first 49 games and he leads the league with a .931 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average. Last week saw him named the NHL’s first star of the week after going 3-0 with a .970 save percentage as he’s played a crucial role in New York’s recent hot streak, collecting 15 wins over the last 19 games.
It’s no coincidence that the Islanders — who were the worst defensive team in hockey last year — lead the Metropolitan Division at the All-Star break with 63 points and the NHL’s top defense.
“He’s really been great in net,” his head coach Trotz said. “Both on and off the ice, he’s battled so many things. As he’s evolved, we’ve evolved.”
The Islanders’ evolution from doormat to postseason contender is nowhere near complete with 32 games left in the regular season. Yet the league has taken notice of them and their new, thriving goaltender.
While the Pro Hockey Writer’s Association left Lehner off their top-three in their mid-season voting for the Vezina Trophy — the league’s award for its top goalie —mainly because he hasn’t played in as many games as a true No. 1, he is the leading candidate for the NHL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
And that’s something he deserves regardless of where the Islanders finish in the standings.
