The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders have two star netminders battling for the Vezina Trophy. But did Connor Hellebuyck's Olympic performance make up for his stats this NHL season?
After Team USA's Connor Hellebuyck put up a legendary performance against Team Canada in the Olympic gold medal game, it feels appropriate to look at the Vezina Trophy race for the best goaltender of the NHL's regular season.
If Hellebuyck played as he did at the Olympics during the NHL season to date, he'd be in the running for back-to-back Hart Trophies, let alone another Vezina Trophy.
The problem with that is, he hasn't. He missed time due to injury but has a .900 save percentage and 2.79 goals-against average in 36 games with the Winnipeg Jets.
That said, there's still time in the rest of this campaign for Hellebuyck to strengthen his case for the Vezina Trophy.
Another honorable mention goes to Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi. He hasn't had the load like the other goalies on this list, making 27 appearances. But he's won 23 of those contests, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average.
Anyhow, here's who did make my list of the top five front-runners for the Vezina Trophy, which goes to the top goaltender of the regular season. as of Feb. 24.
5. Karel Vejmelka, Utah Mammoth
It may seem like a surprising pick, but Karel Vejmelka's season thus far hasn't been short of impressive.
Though his .903 save percentage is slightly lower than the other candidates on this list, his totals in other departments should be highlighted.
For starters, he's tied for the league lead in wins and games played for a goaltender, with 27 wins in 44 games. With that workload, he leads the NHL in total ice time, has faced the second-most shots and made the second-most saves, only behind Juuse Saros.
Vejmelka, 29, is seventh in the NHL in goals-against average among goalies who have played 30 games, at 2.58.
His play has pushed the Utah Mammoth into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and they have the sixth-best goal differential in the NHL.
Somehow, he couldn't get a start in the Olympics for Czechia.
BetMGM Vezina Trophy odds: 151.00/+15000
4. Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche
Scott Wedgewood hangs onto this list of Vezina Trophy front-runners.
While the Colorado Avalanche have led the standings for most of the season, Wedgewood has been consistent between the pipes through it all. In 31 games, the 33-year-old has a .912 SP and a 2.30 GAA, which is the second-best among goalies to play 30 contests or more.
Since Jan. 1, the team has struggled a bit, going 7-7-2. Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood have started seven games each, each winning three games. Wedgewood has a .888 SP and 2.86 GAA in that span, so his play will be worth following in the Vezina discussion.
The more Colorado's tandem splits games, the less Wedgewood has a chance at the Vezina Trophy.
BetMGM Vezina Trophy odds: 101.00/+10000
3. Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
Logan Thompson returns to the Washington Capitals with an Olympic game under his belt, as well as a silver medal with Team Canada.
Although he was the backup to Jordan Binnington in Italy, he'll be back to leading the Capitals from the crease.
The 28-year-old has a 2.45 GAA and a .912 SP in 39 games. Despite having some of the better numbers in the league, Thompson has only registered 19 wins. Ultimately, his 19-16-4 record has held him back in the Vezina Trophy race.
If the Capitals' netminder can convert some losses into wins down the final stretch of the campaign, he could regain pole position in the Vezina race and drag his team into the post-season. They're four points out of a playoff spot.
BetMGM Vezina Trophy odds: 13.00/+1200
2. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
The sprint for the Vezina Trophy is panning out to be a race of two horses. One of those horses would be New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who led our January ranking.
Sorokin has had some spectacular seasons in his six-year career. His .916 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average are actually a step down from his stats in his first three seasons. However, that's not to take away the fact that he could arguably be the best goalie in the NHL at the moment.
Sorokin leads the league in shutouts with six, with the next three goaltenders having four each.
The 30-year-old also has the second-best save percentage among goalies who've played at least 30 games. His 20 wins are tied with Wedgewood for the 10th-most.
BetMGM currently lists Sorokin with the shortest odds to win the Vezina Trophy, which would be his first.
BetMGM Vezina Trophy odds: 1.83/-120
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Two-time Stanley Cup winner and 2021 Conn Smythe winner, Andrei Vasilevskiy, has just one Vezina Trophy in his career. However, he may add another this season because he's playing another fantastic season.
Vasilevskiy has a spectacular 27-7-3 record across 37 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also has a .920 SP and a league-leading 2.11 GAA among goalies who made at least 30 appearances. He also leads all netminders in goals saved above average with a 21.81, according to naturalstattrick.com.
Furthermore, the 31-year-old is on a 17-game streak without a regulation-time loss. Vasilevskiy won 16 of them and lost the other in a shootout.
It won't be part of the criteria that NHL GMs use when voting for the Vezina Trophy winner, but Vasilevskiy also has a goalie fight on his resume from Tampa Bay's Stadium Series game against the Boston Bruins. So he's certainly not out of the spotlight this year.
BetMGM Vezina Trophy odds: 2.10/+110
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