Goalies on the Washington Capitals, New York Islanders and more are the NHL's best as of mid-December.
By Gary Pearson, BetMGM
With so many NHL goaltenders performing at an elite level, we could be in for one of the best Vezina Trophy races in recent memory.
Several individuals enjoying elite seasons aren’t included in the list below, underscoring the embarrassment of riches between the pipes in the NHL right now in mid-December.
5. Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild
The magnificence of Jesper Wallstedt’s start to the 2025-26 season has facilitated his placement on this list despite the comparatively small sample size.
Wallstedt leads the league in goals-against average (1.95) and save percentage (.937) among goalies who played at least 10 games, and he has four shutouts, more than anyone else after just 12 starts.
And it's not like he’s facing inferior opponents, with four of his previous five wins coming against the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers.
If you're wondering why he made the cut, and Brandon Bussi didn't, it's due to Wallstedt's four shutouts and the fact that he's faced an additional 100 shots in the same number of games.
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
It's almost impossible to omit Andrei Vasilevskiy, even though he last played on Dec. 2 before spending some time on the injured reserve.
The gift that keeps on giving has the second-shortest NHL odds to win the Vezina Trophy (+700), tied with Ilya Sorokin.
He has the 10th-most goals saved above expected (13.7), the third-best save percentage (.917) and the fourth-best GAA (2.31) for those with at least 15 starts. Vasilevskiy was 11-3-0 in the 14 games before getting injured.
3. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Like Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck missed some time due to a lower-body ailment.
The Winnipeg Jets can't cope without their reigning Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy winner, evidenced by their recent 3-8-1 record without him. Hellebuyck has the fifth-best save percentage (.915) for those with 15 starts, just trailing the Los Angeles Kings' Darcy Kuemper.
Hellebuyck is ninth in goals saved above expected (13.9), a category he's accustomed to being on top of. His current +1200 odds for the Vezina Trophy represent exquisite value.
2. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Ilya Sorokin is a beacon of consistency, rarely allowing questionable goals. In fact, he saves more shots than he's supposed to than all but one of his counterparts.
With 22.4 goals saved above expected, Sorokin arguably gives his team the best chance to win of any NHL netminder. I shudder to think where the Islanders would be without their brick wall between the pipes.
1. Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
It might seem too good to be true for fans of the Washington Capitals and Team Canada, but Logan Thompson is enjoying a Vezina-worthy season.
Thompson stands imperiously atop the most critical statistical categories for those with at least 15 starts, including GAA (2.09), save percentage (.922) and goals saved above expected (23.4).
He's the clear front-runner to win the Vezina Trophy, with the +165 odds representing a 37.74 percent win probability. With how well Thompson is playing, Jordan Binnington's leash as Canada's presumed starting goaltender will be shorter than the Olympic ice surfaces.