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Following our rankings for the Hart Trophy and the Norris Trophy, our focus shifts to the coveted Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender of the NHL season.
Of the five Vezina Trophy favorites, only Andrei Vasilevskiy has won the award previously. Ilya Sorokin is the only one of the remaining four who has been a finalist.
They are the frontrunners to be named goaltender of the year in the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy race, with Jeremy Swayman, Filip Gustavsson, and Logan Thompson rounding out the five favorites.
So, which of the fantastic five will have his name etched on one of the most famous pieces of NHL silverware?
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5. Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
The runaway Vezina Trophy favorite until January has fallen off the pace, trading behind four other netminders.
Since Dec. 11, Thompson is 10-13-3 with a .906 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average (GAA). While still solid individual numbers, they are inferior to every other contender among the five favourites.
The Washington Capitals are also four positions out of a wild card spot, the primary reason Thompson has faded like the color on a shoddily made shirt.
I shudder to think where the Caps would be without him, though, as he has 27 goals saved above expected, according to moneyPuck.com, the most of any netminder.
4. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have arguably the best one-two punch in Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, the former of whom is in the Vezina Trophy conversation, albeit on the fringe.
He has been superb for the most part, tied for the third-most shutouts (4), the fifth-best GAA (2.52) of goaltenders with 35 starts or more, and a .911 save percentage.
My main issue with his quest to win an inaugural Vezina is his 18th-ranked goals-saved-above-expected (7.5) and the fact that he backstops one of the league’s best collective defenses.
The Wild have allowed the fourth-fewest high-danger shots against, making life comparatively straightforward for their Swedish ace.
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3. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
What a revival season for Swayman, the main force behind the Boston Bruins’ drive to secure a playoff spot. Few gave the Bruins a chance to make the dance, which is a testament to how well Swayman has acquitted himself.
While his save percentage (.906) and GAA (2.77) are the worst of the five favorites, the 27-year-old has the third–most goals saved above expected (22.8).
That correlates to the Bruins conceding the fifth-most high-danger shots, tied with the Caps. So, don’t let his slightly inferior conventional stats understate his importance to the Bruins.
Without him, they would be closer to the bottom of the conference than hanging onto a wild-card spot.
2. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Sorokin comes in at No. 2 in our rankings.
His numbers are top-notch, and he has the Islanders in a position to qualify for the dance. Sorokin is tied for the second-best save percentage (.914) and the third-best GAA (2.49) for those with at least 35 starts.
The 2022-23 runner-up is neck-and-neck with 2018-19 winner Vasilevskiy, with Sorokin sporting the second-most goals saved above expected (24.6) and the most shutouts (6). Only once in his career, in 2021-22, did he finish with more shutouts.
He’s one goose egg away from matching that career-best mark.
His strongest argument for winning the award rests on his ability to help the Islanders, who allow the second-most high-danger shots (159), take two points in games they have no business winning.
As he has never won the award, voters might be more partial to backing him if the Islanders make the playoffs.
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1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Vasilevskiy is the frontrunner to snatch his second Vezina.
He’s tied with Sorokin for the second-best save percentage (.914) and has the second-best GAA (2.30). Vasilevskiy has only two shutouts, but he ranks fourth in goals saved above expected (20.9).
The 31-year-old’s stats aren’t superior to Sorokin’s. In fact, one can argue that Sorokin has better overall numbers. Vasilevskiy also plays behind a much better collective defense than Sorokin, with the Lightning conceding the third-fewest high-danger shots (108).
However, no goaltender is more valuable to his team than Vasilevskiy. The Lightning won two of seven games when he was sidelined with an injury and is a subpar 10-9-1 without him between the pipes.
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