Golden Knights' Robin Lehner to have season-ending shoulder surgery

If the Vegas Golden Knights are to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they will have to do so without the services of first-choice goaltender Robin Lehner.

Three days after Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer denied that Lehner was set to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a lower-body injury that he first suffered on March 8, the club announced that the 30-year-old will be having shoulder surgery. 

"Robin has done his best to battle through this injury he sustained February 9, and we were hopeful that rest and rehab would allow him to complete the season," the Golden Knights explained in their brief statement. "He initially rehabbed and was able to return to play March 1. At times rest and rehab were effective, but ultimately Robin, in consultation with team medical staff, determined that this is the best course of action." 

With Lehner out for the remainder of the campaign, Vegas will turn to 25-year-old Logan Thompson to sit atop the depth chart. This season, Thompson has gone 9-5-1 with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. 

Lehner, meanwhile, ends the season at 23-17-2 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage

Heading into Monday night, Vegas trails the Dallas Stars by three points in the race for the conference's second and final wild-card postseason berth. Both of those clubs have three games remaining on their schedules. The Golden Knights are four points back of the Nashville Predators for the other wild-card spot, and Nashville also has three contests left to play.

Vegas will be at Dallas on Tuesday.