Stars not buying out Lehtonen

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill plans to stay the course with goaltender Kari Lehtonen.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman cited a conversation with Nill in his latest 30 Thoughts column, where Nill closed the book on the suggestion the team could buy out his contract.

"No, we’re not buying him out," Nill said, according to Friedman. "That last game is not a full reflection of the season. Nobody remembers the game before where he stood on his head. He's disappointed, and the team is disappointed. We finished second overall, and everybody is focused on the playoffs. Something went right too, you’ve got to be careful."

The 32-year-old had a questionable postseason going 6-3-0 in 11 games posting a .899 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average. He fared slightly better in the regular season a .906 save percentage and a 2.76 goals-against average.

Lehtonen has another two years remaining on his contract, with a cap hit of $5.9 million per season.