Vezina Trophy Rankings: Markstrom starting to shine
Welcome to the third edition of theScore's 2024-25 Vezina Trophy rankings, a monthly look at the top goaltenders across the NHL.
We have two holdovers and three newcomers in this edition. We only considered goalies who've made at least 20 starts on the campaign.
Our top two candidates appear to be set in stone for the foreseeable future, but the rest of the pack is certainly debatable. Anaheim's Lukas Dostal and Utah's Karel Vejmelka rank second and third, respectively, on the GSAx leaderboard so far but only have nine and 10 wins to their names. Wins and losses may be an outdated statistic in today's game, but poor records simply won't draw Vezina votes by year's end unless the supporting numbers are Dominik Hasek-esque. We opted for the netminders backstopping better teams in the end.
GSAA = Goals saved above average
GSAx = Goals saved above expected
5. MacKenzie Blackwood, Avalanche
Previous: Unranked
| Record | GAA | SV% | GSAA | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13-10-4 | 2.58 | .917 | 13.79 | 15.35 |
Blackwood was nowhere near our rankings before he was traded to Colorado, but a scorching hot start in the Mile High City has put the 28-year-old on our radar. The former Devils and Sharks puck-stopper is 7-1-1 since joining the Avalanche, posting a .938 save percentage and 1.69 goals-against average. Colorado with reliable, let alone elite, goaltending is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Blackwood is still undoubtedly a long shot to bring home any hardware, but he's the hottest goalie in the NHL right now and is deserving of recognition. Since our last rankings Dec. 4, he ranks third in GSAx, save percentage, and wins.
4. Jacob Markstrom, Devils
Previous: Unranked
| Record | GAA | SV% | GSAA | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-8-2 | 2.17 | .911 | 6.67 | 11 |
Markstrom's play in December was the type of goaltending that Devils fans have longed for, going 8-1-1 with a .937 save percentage and two shutouts. The strong month gave Markstrom's modest season stats a significant jolt and thrust him into the 2025 Vezina conversation for the first time.
Markstrom's now second in the league in wins and goals-against average, and he sits top 10 in GSAx. He'll need more months like his last if he's to garner real Vezina buzz, but his first dominant stretch as a Devil offered plenty of encouraging signs.
3. Logan Thompson, Capitals
Previous: Unranked
| Record | GAA | SV% | GSAA | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-2-2 | 2.39 | .916 | 7.19 | 13.08 |
Thompson hit our 20-game threshold on the nose, but his split duties with Charlie Lindgren are a detriment to his Vezina case despite impressive numbers. Workload is always a key factor for voters, and Thompson's stats aren't strong enough to outweigh a notable lack of games compared to his peers. Linus Ullmark won the Vezina with only 48 starts two years ago, but he won 40 of those and led the league in multiple categories as the Boston Bruins rewrote the history books.
It's not impossible Thompson builds a similar case by season's end, but we're not banking on it.
2. Filip Gustavsson, Wild
Previous: 2nd
| Record | GAA | SV% | GSAA | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-6-3 | 2.31 | .922 | 16.86 | 11.9 |
Gustavsson was yanked from his most recent start but is still putting together a remarkable season, helping the Wild each night as they battle for top spot in their division. Unfortunately for Gustavsson, his main competitor for the Vezina plays for the only team ahead of Minnesota in the Central standings.
There's nothing to nitpick about Gustavsson's season so far. He's sustained a surprisingly hot start up to the halfway point and ranks top five in each of our key criteria. That said, his resume this season is second best at his position, and it will take something drastic in the standings or on the stats page for Minnesota's top netminder to make his way into our top spot.
1. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
Previous: 1st
| Record | GAA | SV% | GSAA | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-6-2 | 2.09 | .926 | 23.32 | 31.09 |
Part of it might come with his preexisting reputation as the world's top goalie, but Hellebuyck is still the overwhelming favorite to repeat as the Vezina Trophy recipient after winning 10 of 13 starts - including two shutouts - since he was the clear-cut No. 1 in our previous rankings.
For the season, Hellebuyck leads all goalies in wins, save percentage, shutouts, GSAx, and Evolving-Hockey's standings points above replacement. The top spot on everybody's Vezina list should be a no-brainer, even if the rest of the ballot is murky.
Keep an eye on:
- Karel Vejmelka, Utah
- Lukas Dostal, Ducks
- Joseph Woll, Maple Leafs
- Anthony Stolarz, Maple Leafs
- Jake Oettinger, Stars
(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)