Vezina Trophy Rankings for the NHL's Best Goalie So Far During the 2026-26 Season

It's now one month into the 2025-26 season, and it's a good opportunity to see which goaltenders could be considered the early favorites for the Vezina Trophy.

The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL's top goaltender as voted by the league's 32 general managers. Recent winners include Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Our early-season rankings include Hellebuyck and Shesterkin. There are several other goalies off to promising starts who could be poised for career-best performances in 2025-26. We've also included a short list of honorable mentions.

This ranking is based on NHL stats of goaltenders with at least seven starts this season as of Nov. 12. We've also taken into account previous performances.

Honorable Mention

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Jake Allen, New Jersey Devils

The 35-year-old Allen put up strong numbers (2.29 GAA, .914 SP, six wins in nine starts), filling in for a sidelined Jacob Markstrom. With the latter back in action, Allen might not see as much playing time.

Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins

Jarry got off to a good start to this season before suffering a lower-body injury that has put him on the shelf for at least three weeks. He won five of seven starts with a 2.60 GAA, a .911 SP, and one shutout.

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars

Oettinger is among the league leaders in wins with seven in 12 starts. His current stats (2.89 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage) are below his career stats (2.54 GAA, .911 SP), but those should improve as the season progresses.

Akira Schmid, Vegas Golden Knights

Taking over for the sidelined Adin Hill, the 25-year-old Schmid won six of eight starts, with a 2.51 goals-against average. With Hill out indefinitely, it'll be interesting to see how he handles the heavier workload.

Karel Vejmelka, Utah Mammoth

Vejmelka is among the league leaders in wins with eight, sporting a 2.84 GAA. He's allowed three or fewer goals in nine of his 12 starts.

10. Jakub Dobeš, Montréal Canadiens

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As this season began, Samuel Montembeault was the starting goaltender for the Montréal Canadiens, a role he'd held since 2021-22. However, his early-season struggles have resulted in backup Jakub Dobeš getting more playing time.

Dobeš is in his second NHL season, but is still considered a rookie. He leads all freshmen goalies with six wins in seven starts, along with a .920 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average. He was named the NHL's Third Star of the Month for October 2025.

It remains to be seen whether Dobeš will remain among the league leaders as the season progresses. His performance could fade with a heavier workload, or his playing time could drop if Montembeault regains his form.

For now, however, Dobeš' numbers put him into the early Vezina Trophy equation.

9. Dan Vladař, Philadelphia Flyers

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After five seasons seeing backup duty with the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames, Dan Vladař signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 1.

The 28-year-old netminder would get a chance to earn starting minutes with the rebuilding Flyers that he might have gotten elsewhere.

So far, things are working out well for Vladař. He's having a strong start with the Flyers, winning six of his nine starts with a 2.18 goals-against average ranking and a .917 save percentage, putting him among the league's top-10 goaltenders one month into this season.

His solid play has been a key factor in the Flyers' better-than-expected performance thus far. If he establishes himself as a reliable starter and helps his rebuilding team reach the playoffs, he could be in line for Vezina consideration.

8. Artūrs Šilovs, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Inconsistent goaltending has plagued the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past three seasons. To address that issue, they acquired Artūrs Šilovs from the Vancouver Canucks on July 13.

His performance through the opening month of this season merits some consideration among the early Vezina Trophy favorites.

The 24-year-old showed some promise with the Canucks, including backstopping their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford to the Calder Cup last season, but he couldn't crack their roster full-time. With the Penguins, he's getting the chance to prove himself as an NHL-worthy netminder.

Šilovs has been solid for the Penguins, helping them confound the experts with an unexpectedly strong start. His 2.49 goals-against average and .916 save percentage ranked among the top-10 goalies thus far.

7. Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings

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Acquired by the Los Angeles Kings in June 2024, Darcy Keumper enjoyed a bounce-back season after two difficult years with the Washington Capitals. He backstopped his new club into the playoffs and was named a finalist for the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy with a career-best 2.02 goals-against average.

The Kings are again in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race with Kuemper as their starter. The 35-year-old is among the league leaders with six wins in his 12 starts and a 2.40 goals-against average. He also has a shutout and a save percentage of .908.

Kuemper has so far proved his performance last season wasn't a fluke. If he can maintain that effort or improve during the season, he could be in line to become a Vezina finalist for the second straight year.

6. Lukáš Dostál, Anaheim Ducks

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After seven seasons of rebuilding, the Anaheim Ducks are off to a blazing start. They're among the top teams in the Western Conference thus far with a record of 11 wins, four losses, and one overtime loss.

Lukáš Dostál has played a significant role in their improvement. The 25-year-old has won eight of his 13 starts, sitting among the league leaders. He's given up three goals or fewer in 10 of those starts. His stats took a hit in a 7-5 win over the Dallas Stars, but he's been steady through most of this season.

Dostál could be on track for a career-best performance. He's steadily improved since taking over the starter's job last season. If he reduces his goals-against and backstops the Ducks into the playoffs, he could get serious consideration for the Vezina Trophy.

5. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

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It's been an inconsistent opening month for the New York Rangers as they sit out the Eastern Conference playoff picture with a record of eight wins, seven losses, and two overtime defeats. Still, in the tightly packed early season, they remain in the thick of the postseason race.

Igor Shesterkin is among the early bright spots for the Rangers. Despite a 6-6-2 record, he's allowed two goals or fewer in half of his 14 starts. The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner sits among this season's top-10 goaltenders with a 2.50 goals-against average and was 11th in save percentage (.909) as of Nov. 12.

The Rangers hope to regain their footing as they continue to adjust to new head coach Mike Sullivan's system. As long as Shesterkin maintains his form, his stats should improve, enabling his club to continue rising in the standings as the season progresses.

4. Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche are off to a hot start to this season, sitting atop the overall standings. One reason they're in this position is Scott Wedgewood's goaltending.

A career-long NHL backup, the 33-year-old took over for sidelined starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to start the season. He's done well in that role thus far, leading all goalies with 10 wins. He is also among the top 10 with a goals-against average of 2.37 and a .913 save percentage.

Wedgewood will likely see less playing time now Blackwood has returned to action. Nevertheless, his performance thus far merits recognition on this list. If Blackwood struggles or suffers another setback, Wedgewood's solid play could keep him in the Vezina Trophy conversation.

3. Spencer Knight, Chicago Blackhawks

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Acquired from the Florida Panthers as part of the Seth Jones trade in March, Spencer Knight wasted little time establishing himself as Chicago's starting goaltender. The move allowed him to shine after several seasons as Sergei Bobrovsky's understudy in Florida.

Knight is making the most of this chance. The 24-year-old has a record of six wins, three losses, and two overtime losses in 11 starts. He's second among starting goalies with a .923 save percentage, while his 2.46 goals-against average is among the top 10.

Chicago is off to a better-than-expected start to this season, with Knight's solid goaltending playing a key role. He's enabling this rebuilding club to be competitive in every game he starts. If he can maintain this effort and his team stays in playoff contention, he'll be in the Vezina Trophy conversation.

2. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

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Connor Hellebuyck entered this season considered the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy. He's the first goalie to take home the award in consecutive seasons (2023-24, 2024-25) since Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur in 2007-08, and the first since Brodeur to win it at least three times.

At 32, Hellebuyck is in his prime as an NHL goaltender. He's been a workhorse for the Jets since becoming their starter in 2016-17, leading all netminders during that period with 15,358 saves, 43 shutouts, and a .918 save percentage. He's also second in wins (316) and eighth in goals-against average (2.56).

Hellebuyck remains the main reason why the Jets have become one of the NHL's top teams. Through the opening month, he is again among the league's top-10 goaltending leaders with seven wins in 12 starts, with a .921 save percentage and a 2.30 goals-against average.

1. Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

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Traded by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Washington Capitals in June 2024, Logan Thompson wasted no time establishing himself as their starter. He finished last season with a career-best 31 wins and a 2.49 goals-against average, and tied his career high of two shutouts.

The Capitals finished atop the Eastern Conference standings in 2024-25 but have struggled through the opening month of this season. However, Thompson has been outstanding. He leads all NHL goaltenders with five-plus games played with a 1.56 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, winning seven of his 11 starts.

Thompson's strong goaltending puts him among the early contenders for the Vezina Trophy. If he can maintain that performance, he could become the favorite for the award. It will also ensure he earns a spot on Canada's roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.