5 NHL players you won't believe are still under contract

1. Robin Lehner
Cap Hit: $5 million
Contract Ends: 2025

The Vegas Golden Knights had to win a Stanley Cup championship last season with a third-string goalie. The reason they were in that position was because Robin Lehner was injured, and his career is likely over. This is a wild turn of events because of what the Knights did to keep Lehner. They literally stabbed Marc-Andre Fleury in the back.

They did all this because the Knights gave Lehner, who was once a constant Vezina Trophy candidate, a five-year deal worth a total of $25 million. He's missed all of last season and this season as he recovers from hip surgery. Will he ever come back? We haven't learned about that, but we can make assumptions.

Lehner will likely do everything he can to keep his career going. He's just 32 years old. His money issues are pretty well known. This isn't like the others on the list because Lehner may one day come back. Of course, it will be incredibly hard to return after two years off, but anything is possible in the NHL.

The Knights would have to figure something out if Lehner returns. Adin Hill signed a massive contract this past offseason, and Logan Thompson is up this coming offseason. On top of that, the Knights are always a team playing salary cap gymnastics, so finding $5 million would be nearly impossible.