Former Senators goalie Lehner calls out ex-coach MacLean
It was inevitable that Ottawa would trade a goalie in the offseason, and the Senators did just that on Friday when they flipped Robin Lehner to the Buffalo Sabres. The opportunity for Lehner, a back-up in Ottawa, is wide open in Buffalo, as the team has not had a consistent goaltender in over a year.
But Lehner had some parting shots for former Ottawa coach Paul MacLean before Lehner begins his new life in Buffalo.
"I think there was something between me and Paul [MacLean] that didn't click when he was [in Ottawa]," Lehner told the Ottawa Sun via phone from his home in Sweden. "He came from a veteran team in Detroit where it takes a long time for the young guys to break through I think. It was nothing personal between us I don't think. It just seemed like when I'd start getting hot I didn't get the chance to play and that happened on several occasions."
MacLean was fired by the Senators on Dec. 8. Lehner played in 10 games under MacLean during the 2014-15 season and played 15 games under current Senators coach Dave Cameron during the year. The 23-year-old saw his season cut short, however, when he suffered a concussion in mid-February and did not play for the rest of the season as young star Andrew Hammond carried the Senators to an improbable playoff berth.
But if Sabres fans are wary of a goalie who seemed to call out a former coach about playing time concerns, Lehner did shoulder some of the responsibility for his underwhelming role in Ottawa.
"Maybe that's something I have to work on, my maturity level," Lehner told the Sun. "I don't know what happened but I wasn't happy with the way things played out. I think I came out of the gate good every season, I'd play good and then I didn't get to play anymore. That's something I've got to work on going forward. People have different opinions. I can only speak for myself, but that's my opinion."
(h/t Ottawa Sun)
