Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets, Tuukka Rask of the Bruins and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning have been named the three finalists for the 2019-20 Vezina Trophy. The award, which is voted on by the NHL’s 31 general managers, is given to the goaltender “adjudged to be the best at this position.”
Vasilevskiy was a first-time winner last season.
The winner will be announced during the conference finals.
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The case for Connor Hellebuyck: The Jets netminder was a workhorse this season leading all goalies in games played (58), shots faced (1,796), saves (1,656), and was second in minutes played (3,268:33). His .929 5-on-5 save percentage was fifth-best in the NHL and his six shutouts were tops in the league. How valuable was he for Winnipeg? He helped his team win 31 of their 37 games during the regular season and he faced 37-or-more shots in 13 games, posting a .948 save percentage over that span. A win would make him the first in franchise history to capture the Vezina.
The case for Tuukka Rask: No goalie in the NHL had a better 5-on-5 save percentage (.941) or goals saved above average (19.69) than the Bruins netminder. He was right behind Hellebuyck in shutouts with five. Along with Jaroslav Halak, the Boston tandem won the William Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders on the team allowing the fewest regular-season goals. Rask won the award back in 2013-14.
The case for Andrei Vasilevskiy: He led all goaltenders in wins (35), was third in overall ice time (3,121:54), was fourth in goals saved above average (9.77), and was sixth in even strength save percentage (.927) among netminders with at least 40 starts. One of Vasilevskiy’s highlights was leading the Lightning on a 21-game point streak (19-0-2) and helping them win 21 of his final 27 regular season starts. This is the third straight season he’s been a finalist and he would become the first back-to-back winner of the award since Martin Brodeur in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
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NHL AWARD FINALISTS
• Ted Lindsay Award: Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Artemi Panarin
• Calder Trophy: Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Dominik Kubalik
• Jack Adams Award: Bruce Cassidy, John Tortorella, Alain Vigneault
• Lady Byng: Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, Ryan O’Reilly
• Masterton Trophy: Stephen Johns, Oskar Lindblom, Bobby Ryan
• Selke Trophy: Patrice Bergeron, Sean Couturier, Ryan O’Reilly
• Norris Trophy: John Carlson, Victor Hedman, Roman Josi
• Hart Trophy: Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Artemi Panarin
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.