Within the Atlantic Division, there’s a clear-cut high tier of goalies who’re very important to their staff’s success. Consequently, there are additionally goalies within the division who will in all probability find yourself contending for the Vezina Trophy on the finish of the 2025-26 season.
Whereas the Atlantic is probably not the house of the top-tier goalie expertise within the league, the Central Division in all probability takes that title. There are nonetheless some goalies who’ve an attention-grabbing season forward of them within the division.
With that in thoughts, right here’s a take a look at the three goalies with the shortest odds at successful the Vezina Trophy within the Atlantic Division as of September 15.
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning (+750)
Earlier than it grew to become clear that reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was going to steamroll the competitors as soon as once more, it regarded like Andrei Vasilevskiy may have a shot on the award.
Vasilevskiy posted a 2.18 GAA and a .921 save share final season after beginning 63 video games for Tampa Bay. He additionally had a 38-20 win-loss document.
That efficiency was adequate to earn him second place within the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy voting. He did handle to safe one first-place vote from the 32 NHL normal managers, denying Hellebuyck a unanimous win.
The 31-year-old two-time Stanley Cup champion solely has one Vezina Trophy in his profession regardless of being one of many league’s greatest all through his 11-year profession.
Whereas there’s an opportunity that Vasilevskiy can unseat Hellebuyck, I don’t assume it’s an enormous one. Bearing in mind that the Lightning are on the opposite aspect of rivalry at this level, it’s unlikely that his staff could be related sufficient to propel him to victory except his numbers are undeniably superior to Hellebuyck’s.
Past contending for the Vezina Trophy, Vasilevskiy stays a, or perhaps even the, essential piece on a Tampa staff that’s making an attempt to carry on in a division which will have handed them by.
In the event that they’re going to delay that window of rivalry for one more yr — they at present have +1400 to win the Stanley Cup — it’ll come all the way down to how good Vasilevskiy is.
2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers (+3000)
I’ve written earlier than about Sergei Bobrovsky’s evolution from playoff choker and high bad-contract-guy to a beloved legend of the sport and a possible Corridor of Famer.
Final yr was one other season spent cementing his legacy inside the NHL. He posted a 2.44 GAA and a .905 save share by way of 54 video games began in an age-35 season.
Whereas he has an opportunity to win the Vezina Trophy for the third time in his profession this season, what Bobrovsky is extra more likely to accomplish has extra to do with the document books.
He’s at present twenty fourth on the All-Time leaderboard for many video games performed as a goalie. Assuming we see one other 50-start season for Bobrovsky, he may bounce up nearer to a different energetic all-timer, Jonathan Fast, who at present has 804 video games performed and is sixteenth on the listing.
Bobrovsky at present ranks tenth on the listing of goalies with probably the most profession wins, with 429. Assuming he maintains his tempo of the previous couple of seasons in Florida, the place he’s had roughly 30 wins annually, he may transfer as much as seventh place behind Henrik Lundqvist, who has 459 profession wins.
There’s loads of intrigue already surrounding Bobrovsky, given his place on a Panthers staff that’s vying for a third-straight Stanley Cup victory. Nonetheless, he may make issues much more attention-grabbing over the following few years by chasing after the highest 5 in profession wins and most video games began.
3. Jeremy Swayman, Bruins (+3500)
The Bruins desperately want a superb season out of Jeremy Swayman this yr after he could have single-handedly damaged up their core final yr.
Swayman started final season in a dispute with possession over his contract whereas he vied to grow to be the highest-paid goaltender within the league. That combat carried over into the common season, inflicting him to overlook coaching camp, the preseason, and Boston’s first sport of the yr.
He struggled for the rest of the yr, posting a 3.11 GAA and a .892 save share, the worst of his profession in each classes, and incomes a 22-29 document on the season.
Twenty video games into the season, the Bruins fired their head coach after which, on the commerce deadline, dealt their captain to a division rival. If Boston’s entrance workplace and Swayman had come to a contract decision extra shortly final yr, one may argue that the goalie would have had a stronger begin, and neither of these two issues would have occurred.
N, coming off a stellar efficiency at this summer time’s World Cup of Hockey because the beginning goalie for the gold-medal-winning Workforce USA, Swayman has a possibility to construct on that efficiency with a bounce-back yr with the Bruins.
If he can return to his profession averages from seasons prior, which have been a 2.58 GAA and a .910 save share, he’ll actually be within the Vezina conversations.
There’s, additionally, a concern that Swayman could also be traded to a extra contending staff in some unspecified time in the future this yr. Boston in all probability received’t do the unthinkable after one other poor season and commerce David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy, so Swayman could also be the obvious commerce piece on the roster.
Hopefully, for Swayman’s sake, his play can provide the Bruins a purpose to maintain him out of commerce discussions.
