Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The Vegas Golden Knights obtained veteran goalie Robin Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks near the end of the NHL trade deadline Monday.
The Golden Knights traded goaltender Malcolm Subban, defenseman prospect Slava Demin and a 2020 second-round draft pick to the Blackhawks for Lehner and forward Martins Dzierkals.
Before the trade was confirmed, Lehner thanked Blackhawks fans on social media and wrote that he was "really excited to join Vegas." The former New York Islanders goalie said that he first learned of the trade through Twitter.
Lehner, 28, originally signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Blackhawks during the off-season. Before joining Chicago, he was a Vezina Trophy finalist with the Islanders in the 2018-19 campaign.
In his first season with the Blackhawks, Lehner posted a 16-10-5 record with a 3.01 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. Despite his success between the pipes, Chicago is in last place in the Central Division and close to its third consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
Lehner will pair up with Golden Knights starter Marc-Andre Fleury as the team prepares for a third straight playoff appearance. Vegas is in first place in the Pacific Division with 76 points.
Vegas also acquired forward Nick Cousins from the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. The Golden Knights sent a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft to the Canadiens in the deal.
