Five Potential Finalists For The Vezina Trophy

If you don’t know what the Vezina Trophy Award is, it is awarded to the best goalie during the regular season in the NHL. This year, the race for it will be interesting.

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy

Let me tell you, this guy came out of no where. With a record of 42-15-3 and 7 shutouts, he is definitely going to be a finalist. Just 4 seasons ago, he was in the AHL playing with the Syracuse Crunch as a backup! Last season was kind of a bust for him as there were many trades to do with goal-tending so he didn’t get as much credit as he should have. In the playoffs in 2016, he held down the fort perfectly when Ben Bishop went down in the playoffs against the Penguins.

2. Matt Murray

Despite injuries, he has battled through for a record of 24-14-3. The Thunder Bay, ON native has faced a concussion and a leg injury this season while keeping a great record. He was recalled in 2015-16, and pretty much took over the starting role as a rookie and won the Stanley Cup. He has now won Stanley Cups in his first 2 seasons,

3. Frederick Andersen

Freddy’s stats are amazing this year with a record of 35-19-5. Last year he had a tough season, but this year he is in the running as he is with no question one of the leagues finest this year. After coming to Toronto last year, he brought his goal-tending depth to give Toronto much needed help.

4. Pekka Rinne

Talk about a stud. A record of 40-11-4. Pekka has to be a finalist and maybe even a winner. He brought his team to a Stanley Cup Final and almost won a year ago. It’s remarkable to see him come back this year with a stronger ability to make saves and get wins for the team. He has 8 shutouts this season and this is the best career season he has had with the least amount of losses as well as his most wins in a season was 43.

5. John Gibson

The tendy has proven himself, and his stats show that he can take over the starting role. After being shoved into the starting position in 2015-16, he adjusted well and his record this year is 30-17-7. The young goalie is most likely going to be a finalist and I am impressed by him as his career is sure to be bright.