NHL Vezina Trophy finalists announced — what would Connor Hellebuyck's third win mean?
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning were named finalists for the NHL's Vezina Trophy on Monday, awarded 'to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position.'
Hellebuyck is the prohibitive favorite to win the award for the second straight year, and for the third time in his career. He led the NHL in nearly all major goaltending statistics this season, with the most wins (47), shutouts (eight) and goals saved above expected (49.48), and the highest save percentage (.925) among goalies who played at least 35 games.
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This is the fifth Vezina Trophy nomination of Hellebuyck's career, and winning for a third time would put him in an elite class. He would join Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek as the only goalies since the award's criteria changed in 1982 — and voting for the award began — to win three Vezinas. He would also join that trio as the only goalies to win it in consecutive years during that span.
Hellebuyck already added to his trophy case this season, winning his second-consecutive William M. Jennings trophy, which is awarded to the goalie who plays for the team that allowed the fewest goals. The Jets allowed only 190 goals this season, 13 fewer than the next-closest team. Because Winnipeg backup Eric Comrie didn't reach the 25-game threshold to receive a share of the trophy, Hellebuyck also became the first goalie in NHL history to be the sole winner of the Jennings in consecutive seasons.
Hellebuyck's victory feels like a foregone conclusion, with his odds currently at -20,000 (meaning a $20,000 wager would win only $100). Still, both Kuemper and Vasilevskiy had excellent seasons in net and were well deserving of the nomination.
Kuemper's return to Los Angeles sparked a resurgence for the 34-year-old. He went 31-11-7 with a .922 save percentage and 29.45 GSAx, backstopping the Kings to a second-place finish in the Pacific Division. He also matched a career-high with five shutouts — tied for fourth in the NHL — and got better as the season progressed. He was particularly impressive on shots close to the net, posting the highest save percentage in the league on high-danger chances (.863). Trading for Kuemper turned out to be an excellent move for Los Angeles, who took on the remaining three years of his contract by acquiring him from Washington last June.
Vasilevskiy returned to his usual form, posting a 38-20-5 record with a .921 save percentage and 28.84 GSAx. It was a nice bounce back season for the 2018-19 Vezina winner, after a down year in 2023-24 following a procedure on his back. Vasilevskiy started the season slow, but finished strong with the highest save percentage in the NHL after Dec. 1.
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The Vezina Trophy finalists are the first to be announced between now and May 5. Finalists for the Norris Trophy (best defensemen) will be revealed Tuesday, followed by the Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player) on Wednesday, the Hart Trophy (league MVP) on Thursday and the Masterston (perseverance and dedication), Selke (best defensive forward), Jack Adams (coach of the year) and Lady Byng (sportsmanship) awards on Friday.
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