NHL Vezina Trophy 2022 Predictions
The Vezina Trophy is one of the highest rewards a goalie in the NHL can receive; and this year, the race is as close as ever. Current players in the running for this award include Igor Shesterkin, Frederik Andersen, Jacob Markstrom and Ilya Sorokin.
Let’s start with Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin has played 35 games, with 26 wins, 6 losses and 3 overtime losses. Shesterkin has also registered 1,125 shots against and has saved 1,057, allowing 68 goals and a save percentage of .940. Shesterkin’s goals against average is 1.98, meaning he allows 1.98 goals per game. He has also registered 3 shutouts and has played 2056 minutes. Considering these statistics, Shesterkin has played incredibly well and is ranked 1st for save percentage and 2nd for goals against average.
Next is Frederik Andersen. Andersen has played 38 games, and has 29 wins, 27 losses and 2 overtime losses. Andersen has faced 1,079 shots and has saved 1,003 of them, allowing 76 goals and having a save percentage of .930. Andersen’s goals against average is 2.03 and has registered 3 shutouts during his 2244 minutes on ice. Andersen is ranked 3rd for goals against average and save percentage. Compared to Shesterkin, Andersen’s numbers look worse, yet Andersen has been on the ice for 200 more minutes and played 3 more games than Shesterkin. These numbers are still incredibly good and on the same level as Shesterkin.
Jacob Markstrom has been an amazing goalie who is still underrated. Markstrom has played 42 games, won 25, lost 11 and lost 5 in overtime. Markstrom has faced 1,187 shots, has saved 1,100 and allowed 87 goals to compile a save percentage of .927 and a goals against average at 2.10. Markstrom has played 2485 minutes and has has 8 shutouts. In rankings, Markstrom is 4th in goals against average, 5th in save percentage and 1st in shutouts. Although, like Andersen, Markstrom’s numbers don’t look amazing, his minutes played and shutouts have to be taken into account. Markstrom has 3 more shutouts behind the second place goalie, Ilya Sorokin and 5 more than any of the players being compared.
Lastly, Ilya Sorokin has had an amazing season despite a falling New York Islanders team, unable to produce offensively. Sorokin has played 36 games, winning 17, losing 12, and having 7 overtime losses. Sorokin has faced 1,102 shots and saved 1,016 of them, creating a save percentage of .922 and a goals against average of 2.42. Sorokin has played 2134 minutes and has registered 5 shutouts. Although all of Sorokin’s numbers are worse than the other candidates, the team they are playing for has to be taken into account. The New York Islanders have had incredible trouble both offensively and defensively creating a much harder job for Sorokin. Keeping these factors in mind, his numbers are extremely good and deserve to be recognized.
Through all of these statistics, I think that Markstrom and Shesterkin’s numbers are most favorable to win the Vezina Trophy. Markstrom’s shutouts and games played lift him up above Andersen in my opinion and put him incredibly close to Shesterkin’s statistics and rankings. Sorokin is not favorable to win, yet taking the Islander’s struggles into consideration, his numbers are equally as good. Lastly, Andersen has amazing statistics, but his team is just as good, which I think pushes him and that is not a bad thing, yet looking at goalie ability, Markstrom and Shesterkin are just simply better right now.
