Vezina Trophy Power Rankings: Rinne on track for 1st of his career
In the first edition of theScore's Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, editor Josh Wegman ranks the top goaltenders around the league from this season.
5. Frederik Andersen, Maple Leafs
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 33-18-5 | 2.76 | .919 | 5 |
If there's one word to describe Frederik Andersen, it's workhorse. The Maple Leafs netminder leads the league in games started, minutes played, shots against, and saves.
They haven't exactly been low-stress minutes, either. Among playoff teams, the Leafs allow the most shots against per game, the second-most scoring chances against per 60 minutes, and the sixth-most high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes, per Natural Stat Trick.
Andersen has been able to overcome these obstacles and post a better save percentage than Tuukka Rask, for example, who isn't tested nearly as often.
4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 30-21-5 | 2.42 | .921 | 4 |
The Blue Jackets rank 25th in goals per game - lower than any other current playoff team - meaning there isn't much room for error for Bobrovsky. If he allows more than two goals in a game, chances are Columbus isn't going to win.
That puts an absurd amount of pressure on a goaltender, but last year's Vezina Trophy winner has handled it with relative ease. In fact, Bobrovsky has been able to hide some of his team's defensive flaws, as he ranks first in the NHL in high-danger save percentage among goalies with at least 30 games played, per Corsica.
3. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 40-13-3 | 2.52 | .923 | 7 |
Vasilevskiy was the front-runner for the Vezina after a blazing-hot start, posting a .939 save percentage in his first 34 games, but it appears his first season with a starter's workload has led to some fatigue, as his save percentage in the 23 games since then is just .902.
Nonetheless, the 23-year-old has cemented himself as one of the league's top goaltenders. Those who believe he's a byproduct of the team in front of him are mistaken. In fact, it's hard to believe the Lightning would sit atop the NHL's standings if it weren't for their stud netminder.
2. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 35-11-9 | 2.36 | .924 | 6 |
The Jets didn't make any major offseason moves, yet they've already surpassed their point total from last season by five with still 12 games to go. While the Jets' depth and experience has been a contributing factor to their turnaround, the single biggest reason for their improvement has been the play of Connor Hellebuyck in goal.
He's been an absolute rock between the pipes since the get-go, never posting lower than a .911 save percentage in any month, and nothing higher than a 2.63 GAA.
1. Pekka Rinne, Predators
| GP | Rec. | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 38-9-4 | 2.25 | .929 | 7 |
Rinne is first in the NHL in both GAA and save percentage among netminders with at least 40 games played. Not only has he simply stopped the puck at a better rate than any other goaltender with a full starter's workload, but he's also arguably the league's best puck handler - a wildly underrated aspect of the position.
Rinne is having one of the best season's of his career in his age-35 season, and he's primed to finally get recognized for his efforts with his first Vezina Trophy.
Honorable mentions: Tuukka Rask, Jonathan Quick, Marc-Andre Fleury, John Gibson