The NHL put the 2021-22 season on pause for a minute so that teams can get back to full strength after a heavy dose of COVID ripped through the league.
Teams are also getting a heavy dose of great goaltending this season. Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck, the last two winners of the Vezina Trophy, are among them.
Here’s a look at the top contenders to win the 2022 Vezina Trophy.
The Favorite
In 2019, the Vezina winner was Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. He’s back in 2022. The Lightning netminder leads the NHL in wins with 17 and he’s got respectable numbers – a .928 save percentage and a 2.14 goals against average.
If Tampa Bay finds its way back to the Stanley Cup Finals and manages to win a third straight Stanley Cup, there is no question – Vasilevskiy, who is currently listed at +450, is the winner.
The Contenders
The top contenders to Vasilevskiy are Jack Campbell of Toronto and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.
This is the first full season as a starter for Campbell who is 15-5-2 thus far. Campbell is listed at +750 and his numbers make him a candidate to consider. He has a 1.94 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. The Maple Leafs are 7-2-1 in their last ten games and trail only Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division.
The Rangers are 19-7-4 overall and Shesterkin is a big reason why. He is 13-3-2 himself with a 2.05 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. Like Campbell, Shesterkin is listed at +750. Both goalies will need their respective teams to go deep in the postseason.
Toronto probably has the better shot at challenging the Lightning in the Eastern Conference. That makes Campbell at +750 a better bet than Shesterkin.
The Longshot
His odds have shortened to +1800, but Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry is having himself a year. Jarry leads the NHL with a 1.93 goals against average. His save percentage of .932 ranks fifth and he’s tied for third in wins with 15.
Jarry is the reason why the Penguins are still relevant at 17-8-5 for the season. Pittsburgh has had its share of injuries to skaters, but Jarry has kept them in games. If he can help the Pens go deep into the postseason, Jarry is the best longshot candidate to win the 2022 NHL Vezina Trophy.
Odds to Win 2022 NHL Vezina Trophy
Andrei Vasilevskiy +450
Igor Shesterkin +750
Jack Campbell +750
Jacob Markstrom +800
Frederik Andersen +1200
Connor Hellebuyck +1400
Sergei Bobrovsky +1400
Juuse Saros +1400
Robin Lehner +1600
Darcy Kuemper +1800
Tristan Jarry +1800
Jordan Binnington +2500
Ilya Samsonov +2500
Dan Vladar +2500
Marc-Andre Fleury +2800
Semyon Varlamov +2800
Thatcher Demko +2800
Elvis Merzlikins +2800
Cam Talbot +3300
John Gibson +3300
Carter Hart +3000
Petr Mrazek +4000
Alex Nedeljkovic +4000
Vitek Vanecek +4000
Antti Raanta +5000
Read our NHL grand salami betting guide.