Way-Too-Early 2026 Vezina Rankings for NHL Best Goalie

As we head into the 2026-2027 season, pondering who might win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender can lead you down a rabbit hole filled with stats, past winners, and recent hopeful heirs to the throne.

As finicky and volatile as the goalie position can be, there are a few who are still active that have been consistent enough to win the Vezina multiple times (Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Connor Hellebuyck), and one of the latter two has won it in five of the past eight seasons.

Handicapping the goalies who will be in the running to win it this year takes equal parts tea leaf-reading and faith, and trust that some things refuse to change. The goalies expected to be at the front of the pack will have their familiar faces, but team success can bring some unexpected candidates to the forefront.

We'll share our thoughts on who we see in the mix for the award right now as training camp opens across the league.

11. Connor Hellebuyck, TBD

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This is awkward, eh?

The three-time Vezina winner and 2025 MVP was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets for failing to report to training camp. He wants a trade, and he's willing to stay home despite having a contract to make it happen.

He's coming off his worst season as a pro (.895 save percentage) and yet still had his greatest personal accomplishment, helping Team USA win the gold medal at the Olympics, where he played brilliant, big-time hockey. Goalies not getting time in at training camp can struggle, and although Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies we've seen in recent times, if/when he's traded, adjusting to a new team can take time.

We're not saying he's got zero chance of winning it this year, but we'd like to see who he plays for (Buffalo? New Jersey? Carolina?) and when he starts playing for them before making him one of the favorites to win another Vezina.

10. Brandon Bussi, Carolina Hurricanes

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Throughout last season, the Hurricanes steadied themselves and took control thanks to Brandon Bussi's play.

This season, Bussi is set to take charge of Carolina's net now that Frederik Andersen has headed to Edmonton. With the defending Stanley Cup champions playing dominant, winning hockey that produces great numbers for their goalies, Bussi will be in the conversation.

What we're most eager to see is how Bussi handles an increased workload. He had an .895 save percentage with two shutouts in 39 games last year and went 31-6-2. Doing all of that as a rookie goes a long way to ensuring people will pay attention moving forward.

Vezina's usually get handed out looking beyond the win-loss record, but now that the Hurricanes have everyone's attention as champions and the respect Bussi earned during the regular season and again in the playoffs for locking down the Cup going 3-1 to close out the Final, he'll have a lot of eyes on him to see what he does to follow up a great debut season.

9. Jakub Dobeš, Montréal Canadiens

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Nothing puts a goalie on the map like playing brilliantly in the playoffs, and nothing ups the ante like doing it with the Montréal Canadiens. The way Jakub Dobeš did all of that in leading the Habs to the Eastern Conference Final last season set the bar for him to be a modern legend.

Dobeš's play last season, seizing the starting job for the Canadiens and then winning two Game 7s against Tampa Bay and Buffalo, has fans in Montréal at a fever pitch to see how far he can take them this season and beyond. In 43 games last season, he went 29-10-4 with a .901 save percentage in what was his official rookie season.

Although the Canadiens have another young top prospect, Jacob Fowler, coming into his own as well, it is Dobeš who won hearts last season with his acrobatic play, big saves in big moments, and, of course, playoff success. If he can build on what he did in a sizable way, that kind of play under that kind of pressure will put the spotlight on him for the Vezina.

8. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

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Although the New York Rangers had a brutal season last year, one of the few players you couldn't blame for that was Igor Shesterkin.

Shesterkin was tied for third in the league in save percentage (.912) with Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy and Washington's Logan Thompson. The Rangers' distinct lack of success and Shesterkin having only one shutout didn't help set him apart in his case as a great performer on a losing team. He finished seventh in Vezina voting last year, with two second-place votes (NHL general managers vote on the award).

He won the Vezina in 2022 after a brilliant season in which he posted a .935 save percentage with six shutouts and a 2.07 goals-against average. Being one of a handful of former winners currently playing, he's in rare company, but if he can have a similar season with a few more shutouts, more team success, and perhaps a return to the playoffs, he's a more-than-viable contender for a second Vezina.

7. Scott Wedgewood/Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche

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When it comes to the Avalanche, you expect Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to lead the way. What we didn't expect to see last season was Scott Wedgewood becoming a Vezina contender.

It can also be said we didn't expect to see Wedgewood and goalie tandem mate Mackenzie Blackwood swap in and out so often in the playoffs, too.

The team in front of Wedgewood and Blackwood determines much of their win/loss record, but Wedgewood led the league with a .921 save percentage last season, as well as a 2.02 goals-against average and four shutouts. Blackwood's .904 save percentage and three shutouts made him one of the better goalies in the league as well, putting both of them in a position to contend for the Vezina this season should either of them take control of the net.

That's not to say that a split crease can prevent one of the goalies from winning the Vezina. Linus Ullmark won his in Boston years ago while splitting time with Jeremy Swayman nearly evenly. Wedgewood's numbers last season should've put him in better contention for the Vezina (he was fifth in voting), but he wasn't able to knock off Andrei Vasilevskiy. A repeat performance this season might be the kind of thing that puts him in the driver's seat, if Blackwood doesn't beat him to it.

6. Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

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Quietly, one of the best goalies in the league over the past few seasons has been Logan Thompson. From his time in Vegas to his past two seasons in Washington, all Thompson has done is stop a lot of shots very often.

For his career, Thompson has a .912 save percentage, and in 58 games with the Capitals last season, after taking the No. 1 job from Charlie Lindgren, he posted a .912 save percentage with four shutouts. The Caps finished just shy of the playoffs, and any hope Thompson had of winning the Vezina was outshone by others with great seasons of their own.

That said, consistency goes a long way in goaltending, and Thompson has it as long as he's healthy, and he has been with Washington. With the improvements Washington has made in the offseason, adding Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, and getting the Capitals back to the playoffs to give Alex Ovechkin one more run at a Stanley Cup, might be the equation that leads to a Vezina for Thompson.

5. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

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When the Bruins parted ways with Linus Ullmark and made Jeremy Swayman their No. 1 goalie, we all wondered how that would work out given the increased workload. Although a prolonged contract negotiation got in the way a couple of seasons ago, Swayman proved last season what he's capable of without distractions.

Swayman finished third in Vezina voting after posting a .907 save percentage, recording two shutouts, and leading the Bruins to a 100-point season and a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He went 31-18-4 in 55 games, and although the Bruins were knocked out in the first round by Buffalo in six games, reestablishing himself as one of the best goalies in the league allowed Boston to get their swagger back as a team.

If Swayman can pick up where he left off last season and lead the Bruins back to the playoffs in an even tougher Atlantic Division, it'll be difficult to overlook his efforts to make that happen. He's a known quantity, and now that he owns the net in Boston, that role comes with a lot of respect attached to it.

4. Filip Gustavsson/Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

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The Wild were one of the best teams in the NHL a year ago, and two of the biggest reasons were their goalies, Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt.

While Gustavsson was the No. 1 and played brilliantly on his own with a .903 save percentage and four shutouts in 50 games (49 starts), it was rookie Wallstedt who announced his arrival with a .915 save percentage and four shutouts in 35 games (33 starts). There are worse problems to have than two goalies playing outstanding hockey, but there's only one net to play at a time, and the Wild are already paying Gustavsson starter money to do it.

But a new season means there's a clean slate, and if Wallstedt improves upon what he did last season, it'll put pressure on Gustavsson to up his game as well. A split net doesn't necessarily hurt either goalie's chances of winning a Vezina, but should one or the other take the net and run with it while playing great, it would be hard to look past them for the award.

3. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars

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Last season wasn't a great one for Jake Oettinger. Sure, he was part of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team, but his play with the Dallas Stars was hot and cold. Even though backup Casey DeSmith played great to support him, Oettinger could've done better, and he'd even tell you as much.

What that tells us is that Oettinger is due for a big season and a return to elite form. He had an .899 save percentage over 54 games, including four shutouts. That save percentage mark was the lowest of his career, and it's hard to imagine him having two straight difficult seasons, mostly because that's yet to happen in his career. He has a career save percentage of .910, and a regression to the mean would be a huge comeback year for the 27-year-old.

Despite Oettinger having a tough year, the Stars were one of the best teams in the NHL last year. Picture that effort with improved play from the starter and perhaps an extended run in the playoffs, and you've got the recipe for a goalie who's destined to win the Vezina at some point in his career.

2. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders

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Ilya Sorokin and Matthew Schaefer

It's a shame the New York Islanders dealt with so many injuries and inconsistent play last season, which buried a great story about Ilya Sorokin returning to dominant form in goal.

Sorokin led the NHL in shutouts with seven, and while his .906 save percentage over 55 games was the lowest of his career, given all the issues the Isles had, his play made it look much better than it was. He went 29-24-2 last season and finished second in Vezina voting behind fellow countryman Andrei Vasilevskiy despite all of that.

Although Sorokin is yet to win a Vezina, he's done nothing but play outstanding hockey year in and year out for the Islanders. Now, with new coach Pete DeBoer in place on Long Island and his history of success, another great season from Sorokin could see him lead the Islanders back to the playoffs and finally take home the hardware.

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

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To be the man, you've got to beat the man, and Andrei Vasilevskiy did that last season by knocking Connor Hellebuyck off the pedestal for the Vezina. For years, Vasilevskiy has been one of the most respected and feared goalies in the league. Winning back-to-back Stanley Cups will help make that happen, but playing big in every big situation will help seal that reputation.

Last season, Vasilevskiy had a .911 save percentage, down from .921 the year before, when he finished second to Hellebuyck in the Vezina voting. But he helped reestablish the Lightning as one of the best teams in the NHL, going 39-15-4 in 58 games. His win total was the best among goalies in the league. It was his ninth straight season with 30-or-more wins, and even though he had just two shutouts, the body of work was impossible to ignore as he cruised to win his second Vezina Trophy.

With good health and an outstanding team around him, there's no reason to think Vasilevskiy can't run it back and win it again this year. If he has another great season statistically, given how tough the Atlantic Division is, he might wind up in the MVP discussion as well.