It’s over for Lehner…

This isn’t what Robin Lehner had in mind or was planning for… 

The beloved goalie was not planning to meet with other teams to offer his services as a pending unrestricted free agent goalie, wanting to stay with the New York Islanders. 

"I've got no plans to talk to another team at this point," Lehner told Newsday's Andrew Gross on Sunday. "From my understanding, that's not (general manager) Lou (Lamoriello's) intention either. Hopefully, it works out so we can finish what we have started."

However, he might have to now… 

According to team insider Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Lenher and the Islanders are not close on a contract, with a league source adding "Lehner will almost certainly play elsewhere next season."

Staple reports that the Islanders appear to be sticking on a shorter-term deal with a cap hit under $5 million, which is believed to be a non-starter for Lehner.

The Islanders have also met with coveted free agent Sergei Bobrovsky and have enough cap space to sign both Bobrovsky and his Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Artemi Panarin. 

This - along with the fact that talks aren’t going well - spell the end of Lehner’s time in Brooklyn. 

That is quite the heartbreaking decision that affects Lehner, who recently took home the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for best exemplifying perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport. In his acceptance speech, he made sure to note that the Islanders think of the human first, but it seems like here they might have to make a hockey move above the rest… 

Many teams are active in the free-agent market to acquire the services of a top goalie, including the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames. Lehner could be exactly what they are looking for.