Way-Too-Early Ranking of the Top Candidates for the 2016-17 Vezina Trophy

In the long NHL season, trying to project year-end award winners during the first month is a fool's game, but it's also a lot of fun.

Remember Game 1, when Auston Matthews was on pace for a 328-goal rookie season? Rocket Richard and Calder Trophies for sure, am I right?

Matthews has come back down to earth somewhat—his pace has dropped to a mere 49.2 goals—but early-season scoring is up all around the league. Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters suggested the offensive kick is fuelled by an influx of young talents who "give up as much as they generate," per Kevin Allen of USA Today. "[The puck] is going in the net. Your net or their net.”

Somehow, the league's hottest goaltenders are simultaneously putting up incredible performances. In some cases, they're shutting the door to all challengers to generate stratospheric save percentages, and in other cases, they're doing what's needed to help their respective teams pick up wins.

Based on the first three weeks of the season, here are the early contenders for the 2016-17 Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender. Who do you think will be able to sustain his early-season excellence, and which goalies' bubbles will burst as the year wears on?

8. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators

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2016-17 Stats: 7 GP, 6-1-0, 2.24 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and 2 shutouts.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

With a 2.78 goals-against average and .916 save percentage, Craig Anderson did not receive any Vezina Trophy votes last season, according to Hockey Reference. He has previously finished fourth in Vezina voting on two occasions—with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009-10 and with the Ottawa Senators in 2012-13.

Making His Case

The Ottawa Senators ranked 26th in the NHL with 2.94 goals allowed per game last season, but the 35-year-old Craig Anderson is playing his way into the Vezina Trophy conversation in 2016-17.

Anderson became an inspiration when he pitched his second straight shutout on October 30—after having returned home from his team's western Canadian road trip earlier that week to be with his wife, Nicholle, who had just been diagnosed with cancer, per Sportsnet.

After an injury to backup goaltender Andrew Hammond, Nicholle implored her husband to rejoin his team—and he was perfect against the high-flying Edmonton Oilers. That earned him the NHL's First Star honours for the week ending October 30. 

Anderson went on to allow just one goal in Ottawa's return to the Canadian Tire Centre—a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes—and has helped put the Sens into early playoff contention. He's riding a unique wave of emotion and determination. Will it be enough to catapult him into the Vezina conversation at season's end?

7. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

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2016-17 Stats: 5 GP, 5-0-0, 1.20 goals-against average, .961 save percentage and 1 shutout.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

With a 2.56 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage in 2015-16, Tuukka Rask did not receive any Vezina votes in 2015-16, according to Hockey Reference. He is a past winner, though—a league-leading seven shutouts, a .930 save percentage and a 2.04 goals-against average earned him the trophy in 2013-14, when the Boston Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy.

Making His Case

Rask's body of work is a little smaller than most of the other goalies on this list since he missed a week of action with a lower-body injury. But when he has been in net, he has been spectacular—channeling his past Vezina form in allowing just six goals in his five starts, which have all been Boston wins.

Rask has allowed more than one goal just once so far, in the season-opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. And it's not like he's being insulated by an airtight defense—Boston has given up an average of 4.5 goals per game and is 0-4-0 this year when Rask hasn't been between the pipes.

Without a strong backup and without much offensive firepower, Boston is going to be in a dogfight for a playoff spot again this season. But if Rask can keep playing like he has been in his first few appearances, his goaltending will mask a lot of the other issues the Bruins are dealing with this year.

6. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings

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2016-17 Stats: 4 GP, 2-1-0, 0.86 goals-against average, .973 save percentage and 1 shutout.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

Jimmy Howard did not receive any Vezina votes in 2015-16, according to Hockey Reference, when he went 14-14-5 with a .906 save percentage and 2.80 goals-against average. His best-ever finish in Vezina voting was sixth, back in 2012-13.

Making His Case

Howard has the best early numbers among NHL goalies who have appeared in more than one game this season. He has given up just three goals so far in 210:06 of playing time—part of the reason why the Detroit Red Wings are off to an unexpected 6-4-1 start, good enough for second place in the Atlantic Division.

His start is especially intriguing since the Wings will only be able to protect one goaltender in next spring's expansion draft. It seemed inevitable that the 32-year-old Howard would be either traded or exposed, but as he outplays the 24-year-old Petr Mrazek, does that give the team reason to reconsider? 

He wasn't a Vezina favorite coming into the season, but Howard's strong start makes him a goalie to watch.

5. Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers

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2016-17 Stats: 10 GP, 7-2-1, 2.14 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and 2 shutouts.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

With a 2.55 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and 27 losses in 2015-16, Cam Talbot did not receive any Vezina votes last season, according to Hockey Reference. He did place seventh in Vezina voting in 2014-15, when he played 36 games and helped the New York Rangers win the Presidents' Trophy.

Making His Case

With their five Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1990, the Edmonton Oilers have a history of success in their franchise, but the team has always been known for its high-scoring ways.

Goaltending? Not so much. Grant Fuhr was the only Oilers' netminder ever to win a Vezina. That was back in 1987-88, when his team was on top of the world after winning its fourth Stanley Cup in five seasons.

After enduring a league-worst 27 losses in his first season in Edmonton, Cam Talbot backstopped Team Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in Russia last spring and has been an important part of the Oilers' early success in 2016-17.

With an improved defense in front of him and a cohesion that Edmonton hasn't enjoyed for at least a decade, Talbot has a rare opportunity to bring goaltending accolades back to the capital of Alberta.

4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

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2016-17 Stats: 8 GP, 4-3-1, 2.02 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and 2 shutouts.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

With a 2.75 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 2015-16, Sergei Bobrovsky did not receive any Vezina votes in 2015-16, according to Hockey Reference. He is a past winner, though—in his first season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, Bobrovsky won the award thanks to a 21-11-6 record, 2.00 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.

Making His Case

The Columbus Blue Jackets ranked 29th in the league last season defensively, allowing 3.02 goals per game. Hands up if you had the Jackets ranked among the 10 stingiest teams to start the new season. They're ninth, allowing an average of 2.38 goals per game.

Columbus' 4-3-1 record is a big improvement over last season, when coach Todd Richards was fired after the team's 0-7-0 start. Bobrovsky deserves a good chunk of the credit—he has been the Blue Jackets' only goaltender so far this season and is delivering at a level that's similar to his Vezina year.

The Blue Jackets tend to fly under the radar. Bobrovsky could change that if he stays healthy and keeps up his strong play all season.

3. Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild

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2016-17 Stats: 8 GP, 5-2-1, 1.51 goals-against average, .948 save percentage and 3 shutouts.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

With a 2.33 goals-against average and .918 save percentage, Devan Dubnyk did not receive any Vezina votes last season, according to Hockey Reference. One year earlier, he was a finalist but finished third in voting behind Carey Price and Pekka Rinne.

Making His Case

With Bruce Boudreau now running the show, the Minnesota Wild have displayed an early improvement in their commitment to defense—and some of that has come from Dubnyk.

Minnesota is fourth in terms of average goals allowed per game (2.10)—boosted by three straight shutouts from Dubnyk, against the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars, between October 25 and 29.

If Dubnyk can keep shutting the door as the Wild keep racking up wins, he'll be in the Vezina conversation once again at season's end.

2. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

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2016-17 Stats: 7 GP, 4-2-1, 2.13 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

Braden Holtby took home his first Vezina Trophy last season. According to Hockey Reference, he led the league with 48 wins, eight more than his closest challenger, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings. Other goalies had better personal numbers than his 2.20 goals-against average and .920 save percentage, but Holtby's goaltending was a key element of the Washington Capitals' 120-point season that earned the franchise its second Presidents' Trophy.

Making His Case

After a second-round exit in last year's playoffs, the Capitals have started the new season a bit sluggishly, but Holtby has come back better than ever. His early numbers are better than his Vezina-winning stats and well above his career 2.37 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

The Caps will shake off their early-season doldrums and re-assert themselves as one of the NHL's top teams, with Holtby serving as the anchor. He'll still be in the conversation about the NHL's top 'tenders by the end of the regular season.

1. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

2016-17 Stats: 6 GP, 6-0-0, 1.17 goals-against average, .964 save percentage and 1 shutout.

2015-16 Vezina Voting Results

Carey Price played just 12 games in 2015-16 before being sidelined through injury, so he did not receive any Vezina votes, per Hockey Reference. He took home his first Vezina award in 2014-15, his first time as a finalist. His previous best finish had been fourth in the voting in 2013-14.

Making His Case

No player has a bigger individual impact on his team's success than Price. Last season, the Montreal Canadiens were 10-2-0 with Price in net. Without him, they were 28-36-6 and finished out of the playoff picture in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.

Price also proved himself as the backbone of Team Canada, allowing just seven goals in five games while going undefeated at the World Cup of Hockey and conceding just three goals in five games on the way to the gold medal at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, per IIHF.com.

A few other goalies have better numbers early in the 2016-17, but a 42-save shutout performance on Nov. 2 against the Vancouver Canucks served noticed that Price is back at 100 percent and ready to reclaim his title as the best goalie in the world.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com, current through games completed November 2.