Robin Lehner wanted to make clear how much he appreciated the chance the Islanders gave him and how special his one season with the team was to him.
But the goalie also wanted to make it clear during his introductory conference call with the Blackhawks that it was the Islanders who “walked away” from negotiations toward a new deal.
“Sometimes, things don’t work out,” Lehner said. “I never walked away from anything. It not working out on Long Island had nothing to do with me.”
He agreed to a one-year, $5-million deal with Chicago on Monday after the free-agent market opened.