Vezina Trophy Rankings: Vasilevskiy turning back the clock

Welcome to the fifth edition of theScore's 2024-25 Vezina Trophy Rankings, a monthly look at the top goaltenders across the NHL.

With the season coming to a close, the list of realistic Vezina candidates is getting shorter. This edition includes four of the same five goalies from last month, each of whom is likely to remain in the mix until the very end.

GSAA = Goals saved above average
GSAx = Goals saved above expected

5. Lukas Dostal, Ducks

Previous: Unranked

Dostal is back on our list after a few months off, but he's limited to a fringe position as the Ducks are set to miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. It's frightening to imagine where Anaheim might be without Dostal, who's maintained solid numbers all year despite playing on a lottery team.

Dostal's otherworldly numbers from the first two months of the campaign were never going to be sustainable, but the 24-year-old is second in the league in GSAx, seventh in GSAA, and ninth in save percentage. Dostal's also won five of seven starts with a .925 clip since our previous rankings. There aren't many positives to take out of Orange County this season, but the Ducks' young netminder certainly tops the list.

4. Dustin Wolf, Flames

Previous: 3rd

Wolf dropped a spot on our list this month, but the fall comes through no fault of his own - he's chasing three goalies that are locks for the playoffs. If he can lead Calgary to the dance, he's going to get serious consideration for a Vezina nomination in his first year. The 23-year-old, who recently set a Flames franchise record with three shutouts as a rookie, will also be at the forefront of the Calder Trophy conversation for his brilliant debut campaign.

Wolf's play has gotten stronger as the season's gone on, and he ranks top five among his peers in save percentage, GSAA, and GSAx. He's also the second most valuable netminder in the league this season in Evolving-Hockey's standing points above replacement (SPAR), a metric that attempts to evaluate a player's contributions to his team's success.

3. Logan Thompson, Capitals

Previous: 2nd

Thompson's hit a rut since our last list, going 3-2-1 with an .886 save percentage. However, his overall body of work this season is strong enough to keep him on the podium. He ranks no worse than sixth in all the statistics above and is backstopping a team in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

Thompson's put himself on the map with an outstanding campaign, and one blip shouldn't be enough to take him out of the running - as long as he gets back on track soon.

2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning

Previous: 5th

After making his debut on our list last month, Vasilevskiy has surged into the runner-up position by posting a .932 clip over an insanely impressive 8-2-0 stretch. He's second among all goalies this season in wins, goals against average, save percentage, and GSAA while sitting eighth in GSAx. Tampa Bay looks like a threat in the Eastern Conference, and Vasilevskiy returning to the dominant form the hockey world grew accustomed to during back-to-back Stanley Cup runs is a big reason why.

In the three seasons after winning the Conn Smythe in 2021, Vasilevskiy mustered a .911 save percentage - well below his .917 career average. He's trending upward after a few years below his standards and, while he's a long shot to win the award thanks to the brilliance of our No. 1 candidate, Vasilevskiy is in great shape to be a finalist for the fifth time in his career.

1. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets

Previous: 1st

There's just over a month left in the regular season, and it's fair to say Hellebuyck has his third career Vezina Trophy - and second in a row - all but wrapped up. No netminder has won the award consecutively since Martin Brodeur did it in 2007 and 2008.

Hellebuyck still leads the league in all our criteria, holding a remarkable 12.53 GSAx advantage over second place. The 31-year-old has been one of the NHL's top netminders for nearly a decade, but he's entering rarefied air in league history as he nears more hardware. His legacy may ultimately hinge on what he achieves in the playoffs, but there's no denying that Winnipeg has one of the best goalies of the modern era - perhaps even of all time - if he maintains this performance for a few more years.

Keep an eye on:

• Adin Hill, Golden Knights
• Karel Vejmelka, Utah
• Mackenzie Blackwood, Avalanche

(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)