Re-Ranking the Leading Candidates for the NHL's 2026 Vezina Trophy
Each year, the NHL awards the Vezina Trophy to the top goaltender as voted by the league's 32 general managers at the end of the regular season.
The most recent winner was Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets in 2024-25, making him the only active goalie to win it three times.
Hellebuyck took home the Vezina for the second straight year last season. However, his struggles and those of his Jets teammates have taken him out of the running this season, meaning the award will go to a different netminder for the first time since 2022-23.
Following the opening month of this season, we ranked the top candidates for this season's Vezina Trophy. With the end of the regular season less than a month away on April 16, it's time to revisit and re-rank the top goaltenders.
Our updated ranking features 2018-19 Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and 2022-23 finalist Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders. Follow along as we examine where they stand among our field of 10 candidates.
10. John Gibson, Detroit Red Wings
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After 12 seasons with a mostly rebuilding Anaheim Ducks, John Gibson was traded last summer to the Detroit Red Wings. The move was a godsend for the 32-year-old goaltender, as he's been solid for the Red Wings as they attempt to end their nine-season playoff drought.
Gibson sits fourth among netminders this season with four shutouts. He's also sixth with 26 wins and in games started with 47. He has a .907 save percentage, while his 2.54 goals-against average is 11th overall. From Dec. 2 to Jan. 24, Gibson had a record of 17-2-0.
The Red Wings are struggling lately to hang onto a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. A solid performance from Gibson the rest of the way could be crucial to their postseason hopes.
9. Brandon Bussi, Carolina Hurricanes
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Brandon Bussi spent several seasons with the Boston Bruins farm system before signing with the Florida Panthers as a free agent last summer. Claimed off waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes, the 27-year-old goaltender made a stunning NHL debut this season.
On Dec. 11, Bussi became the fastest goaltender in NHL history to record 10 career wins, doing so in 11 games played. He followed that up by becoming the fastest to reach 20 wins, doing so in 24 games. That earned him a three-year contract extension with the Hurricanes.
Bussi has struggled over his last six games, with a 3-3-0 record and a save percentage of .844. Nevertheless, he still has time to recover before the end of the season. He's seventh among starters with a goals-against average of 2.47 and ninth with 26 wins.
8. Alex Lyon, Buffalo Sabres
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The Buffalo Sabres have come a long way in three months, from last place in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 13 to jockeying for the conference lead with the Carolina Hurricanes. One reason behind their stunning rise in the standings is the play of Alex Lyon, which could put him among the contenders for the Vezina Trophy.
A backup earlier in his career, Lyon first saw starter's duties with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24. Joining the Sabres as a free agent in 2024, he had a 14-9-1 record with a 2.81 goals-against average last season.
The 33-year-old Lyon has taken his game to a higher level this season. With a record of 20-8-3 in 32 starts, he's ninth in save percentage (.912) and eighth in shutouts with three. In his previous 20 games, he had a record of 17-2-1 with a save percentage of .918.
7. Karel Vejmelka, Utah Mammoth
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Sitting in the first wild-card position in the Western Conference, the Utah Mammoth could reach the playoffs for the first time in a non-COVID season since 2011-12, when they were known as the Phoenix Coyotes.
The goaltending of 29-year-old Karel Vejmelka has been a significant reason why they're in this position. He's been a workhorse for the Mammoth, starting 58 games last season and in a league-leading 54 games this season. Since Jan. 1, he has a record of 15-8-1 in 24 starts.
Vejmelka is second in goaltending wins this season with 32. His save percentage (.900) is lower, and his goals-against average (2.67) is a little higher than others on this list. However, he's faced the second-most shots against (1,403) and made the second-most saves (1,262).
6. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
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A contentious contract negotiation with the Boston Bruins kept Jeremy Swayman out of training camp before he agreed to an eight-year deal on the eve of the 2024-25 season.
That proved costly as he struggled through the worst season of his NHL career, and the Bruins finished near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
It's a different story for Swayman and Boston this season. Both have rebounded from their disappointing 2024-25 campaigns, with the netminder sitting among the league's top starters as the Bruins jockey for a wild-card spot in the East.
With a record of 28-14-4, Swayman has the fourth-most wins among starters. He has a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
The 27-year-old has been superb throughout March, with a 6-1-1 record and a save percentage of .934.
5. Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche
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The Colorado Avalanche have been atop the NHL standings for most of this season in part because of their goaltending tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. Of the two, the 33-year-old Wedgewood has had a campaign that could put him in the running for the Vezina Trophy.
A backup netminder for most of his eight NHL seasons, Wedgewood filled the starter's role when Blackwood missed the first 10 games of this season with a lower-body injury. He's made the most of the opportunity and continues to play well as he and Blackwood split the goaltending duties.
Wedgewood hasn't had as heavy a workload as some on this ranking. Nevertheless, he leads all goaltenders with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He also sits 11th with 25 wins. He's been outstanding since the Olympic break, winning five of seven games with a .935 save percentage.
4. Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
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After finishing last season atop the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals are struggling to remain in playoff contention. However, they continue to get solid goaltending from Logan Thompson, who has proven to be a reliable starter.
Sporting a record of 24 wins, 19 losses, and six overtime losses, the 29-year-old Thompson sits third among goaltenders this season with 49 games started and in goals-against average (2.38). His .914 save percentage ranks fourth in the league.
Thompson's numbers have suffered a bit since Jan. 1, going 9-9-3 in 21 games with a .913 save percentage. Nevertheless, his efforts in keeping the Capitals in the playoff chase are worthy of Vezina consideration.
3. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
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The Minnesota Wild have ridden the solid goalie tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt to the third-best record in the Western Conference. Wallstedt's promising debut and the trade rumors that swirled around him before the recent trade deadline overshadowed Gustavsson's performance.
Wallstedt may have garnered more headlines, but the 27-year-old Gustavsson has been the Wild's undisputed starter this season. He's sixth among starting netminders with a .913 save percentage, eighth in wins with 26, and in goals-against average (2.48).
In 15 games since Jan. 17, Gustavsson is 12-2-1 with a .913 save percentage. His steady reliability will likely make him the Wild's starting goaltender for the upcoming playoffs. It could also put him in the running for the Vezina Trophy.
2. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
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The New York Islanders have rebounded from missing the playoffs in 2024-25 to jockeying for an Eastern Conference wild-card berth. One reason for their improvement has been goaltender Ilya Sorokin's performance between the pipes.
Runner-up for the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23, Sorokin had solid numbers for the struggling Islanders over the next two years, but not enough to put him back in Vezina contention. Reuniting him with goalie coach Sergei Naumovs this season has worked wonders, as he's again among the league's elite.
The 30-year-old Sorokin leads all goalies this season with seven shutouts. His .913 save percentage ranks fifth, and he's seventh in wins (26) and 10th in goals-against average (2.53). The Isles starter has a 14-7-0 record in 21 games since Jan. 6.
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
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It's been seven years since Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy. Since then, the Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender has burnished his future Hall of Fame credentials, backstopping the Lightning to two Stanley Cups and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021.
The Lightning have been among the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, with Vasilevskiy playing a significant role. The 31-year-old has put up stats that rank among this season's top goaltenders, making him our top contender to win the Vezina.
Vasilevskiy leads all goaltenders with 33 wins and sits second among his peers this season with a 2.29 goals-against average. His .915 save percentage ranks third, and he's fourth in games started with 48. Between Dec. 20 and Feb. 25, he went 17-0-1 in 18 starts.
Stats (as of March 23, 2026) via NHL.com and Hockey-Reference.com.
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