SUNRISE, Fla.

Robin Lehner walked out the door with his head held high and showed a lot of class.

Now, he's looking out for No. 1.

The Senators' goaltender was a little disappointed at being dealt away from Ottawa with winger David Legwand Friday in exchange for a first round pick but the 23-year-old Lehner told the Sun he's excited about a new challenge with the Buffalo Sabres and especially the opportunity to be a top goalie.

While he made it clear during a telephone conversation from his home in Gothenburg, Sweden Saturday he can't say enough good things about his time in Ottawa, Lehner isn't convinced he ever had a shot to beat out Craig Anderson for the top job, especially under former coach Paul MacLean.

In saying that, he noted "that's on me" and "maybe I have to deal with it better."

"It's hard to say. Not really," said Lehner about getting the chance to be a top goalie here. "They gave me a lot of things and I can't talk good enough about them. They brought me in when I was young. They gave me all the tools. They helped me become a professional and a man. They helped me with so many different things I can't thank them enough.

"But I think there was something between me and Paul (MacLean) that didn't click when he was there. 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.

"Then, I didn't play for awhile and then it was just some bad luck. Craig got injured a few years in a row when and I hadn't played in awhile. Maybe that's something I have to work on, my maturity level ... 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."

GM Bryan Murray didn't disagree with Lehner's assessment.

"That's what I said all along. Somebody asked me what Robin has to do to get better and I said, 'Just get a net to play in on a regular basis.' If you don't give them the ice time or net to play in even if they have a bad game, but we weren't in that position with Craig Anderson being the goaltender he is," Murray said after the draft. "Why did (Cam) Talbot get traded from the New York Rangers? He needs net and Henrik (Lundqvist) wasn't going to give it to him.

"In Ottawa it was easy to go back to Craig because he's a good goaltender and I think he's top 10 goaltender in the league. Robin sat and waited and waited and he only played when Craig got hurt or was tired and that's not good enough for a young guy."

Lehner is aware that situation could have changed under coach Dave Cameron but he was injured in mid-February and never got the opportunity to return. Then, it became abundantly clear to him he was going to be dealt when the club signed Andrew (The Hamburglar) Hammond to a contract extension.

"I got my concussion against Carolina and it was my first major injury. It was a tough time for me personally," he admitted. "I struggled for a long time with the concussion. Hammond came in and played fantastic and all the rewards to him and he deserved it. I wish him the best. I wish the team best.

"He took over and he deserves the shot. They felt Craig Anderson was the way to go (as the No. 1) and I totally respect that. I'm always going to have a lot of love for Ottawa."

Naturally, Lehner heard the rumours and tried to stay away from social media because he didn't need to hear or read every day where he was going.

"I stayed away from all the electronics and that stuff. You have family around you and they're always asking. I had my own issues to deal with (because of the) concussion. I spoke to my agent (Craig Oster) and it wasn't clear which way it was going to go but I had a feeling it would be me," he said.

"I'm just happy it was a good fit. I'm really looking forward to playing for the Buffalo Sabres. They have a really interesting team that they're building right now. So, it's pretty exciting for me."

Lehner is now fully recovered from the injury.

"Absolutely," he said. "I've been good now for a couple of months. I've started working out. It was tough for me because I basically sat still and didn't lift a finger for (three-to-four) months. I started feeling better after (six weeks) and then I went on the bike and I got my headaches back.

"Now, I've been working out and I've got a ways to go but I'm ready to really push it so that I'm ready for the season."

Lehner has no axe to grind with the Senators or Ottawa. He understand this is business and he appreciates what happened here.

"I can't thank Ottawa enough. I have a lot of good friends. That's the part that sucks, you make a lot good relationships and I really like my teammates but I'll get new ones here and keep the friends in Ottawa. That's the bad part of the business. You've got to pack up and leave but I'm excited where I'm going. It's a good challenge for me. I don't have to step in anyone's shoes there. I've just got to grow in my own."

SEE YOU IN OCTOBER, ROBIN!

It won't take long for Robin Lehner to get a look at his former teammates.

The former Senators' goalie will get to see his old pals on opening night, when the club visits the divisional-rival Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center in the season opener on Oct. 8.

"It's going to be fun," said Lehner. "The guy's know my buttons and they're going to try to push them. I'm excited."

Captain Erik Karlsson, a close friend, reached out to Lehner Friday after the trade and they'll remain close. He'll likely return here at some point this summer because he still has the home he bought from former captain Daniel Alfredsson and may even skate here in the summer.

"There's a lot to do," Lehner said.

Now, the attention has to turn to the Sabres and he's thankful Buffalo GM Tim Murray, a former Ottawa assistant GM, is giving him the chance.

"I'm very excited about Buffalo for a few different reasons: First, I know Tim really well. They're going to have an interesting team. You saw yesterday (Friday) they did a lot of things and I think they're ready to rebuild and rebuild fast. They have a lot of good players already and they're going to spend money to become good.

"I gotta earn it there. I'm very excited for the opportunity especially going in they have a lot belief in me. To have a good chance to compete for the No. 1 spot is something I've always wanted. It's going to be a nice challenge."

Twitter: @sungarrioch