The 2020-21 NHL season will be wrapping up in the next couple of weeks, which means that players are working hard to make their case to win some of the individual awards. One of the iconic pieces of hardware is none other than the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s top goaltender.
Goalies can be the backbone of an NHL team. If a goaltender is off his game, it could spell disaster for his team regardless of how good they’re playing. However, when a goalie is on their game, they can steal important points and victories.
BetOnline has put out their annual odds on who’ll be this seasons Vezina Trophy recipient. This season, the online sportsbook is leaning towards Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy at -145 odds. If he’s victorious, it’ll be the second time that the 26-year-old Russian has received this honor in the last three seasons.
Vasilevskiy is one of the main reasons why the Lightning have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season. As of May 4, he holds a 30-8-1 record, 2.10 goals against average (GAA), .929 save percentage (SV%) and 5 shutouts (SHO). He also has a 9.3 point share, which ranks third in the league. With the historic season that he’s having, it’s tough imagining any goaltender dethroning Vasilevskiy as the Vezina favorite.
NHL News: Odds to Win 2020-21 Vezina Trophy
Odds via BetOnline as of Tuesday, May 4
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (-145)
- Marc-Andre Fleury (+275)
- Philipp Grubauer (+375)
- Connor Hellebuyck (+750)
- Semyon Varlamov (+1400)
Can Fleury Be the League’s Top Goaltender?
Out of all the goaltenders in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury has the second-best odds (+275) to win the Vezina for the first time. It’s pretty astounding that the 36-year-old can play at this high of a level this late in his career. For reference, he’s logging a 23-10-0 recording with a 2.08 GAA, .926 SV% and 5 SHO through 33 games. When you compare his stats to Vasilevskiy’s, Fleury isn’t that far off.
When it comes to his goals against, save percentage and shutouts, Fleury is right there with Vasilevskiy. The main difference is that the Lightning goaltender has won 76.9% of his games while Fleury has won 69.7%. Even if it doesn’t look like a huge difference, it’ll still play a role in the voting process. Still, Fleury’s performing better than most NHL goalies younger than him and could gain some ground over the next few weeks. Don’t be surprised if this race ends up being closer than it appears.
NHL Odds: Grubauer Chasing First Vezina
With a 27-8-1 recording, 2.00 GAA, .920 SV% and 6 SHO, Philipp Grubauer has the third-best odds to be the 2020-21 NHL season’s Vezina Trophy winner. The 29-year-old German netminder has been impressive this season as he’s helped backstop the Colorado Avalanche to second in the West Division.
Grubauer only trails Vasilevskiy when it comes to goaltending wins across the league. His six shutouts are the second-most and he has the best goals against average out of any starter. If he has some strong starts down the stretch, it’s not unlikely that Grubauer can catch Vasilevskiy in whichever statistics he’s trailing in. Of course, that would likely mean the Lightning would have to play some poor hockey as well, which probably won’t happen because of how dominant they’ve been.
Still, stranger things have happened, so don’t count Grubauer out just yet.
