The NHL has officially announced the field for the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, naming Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders), Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) as the three finalists. Voted on by the league’s general managers, the award recognizes the goaltender deemed most valuable to his team at the position.
This year’s group features a mix of powerhouse names and rising stars who have carried their respective clubs through an 82-game season.
Sorokin returns to the finalist circle for the second time in his career after a season where he was arguably the league’s busiest and most reliable netminder. Despite the Islanders’ inconsistent defensive metrics, Sorokin was a human highlight reel, leading the NHL with seven shutouts across 55 games played. He posted a 29-24-2 record with a 2.68 GAA and .906 SV%, but his case for the award is notably from his league-leading 452 high-danger saves.
Swayman has taken the reins in Boston and proved he is a bona fide elite starting goaltender. The 27-year-old recorded a career-high 31 wins and led all goaltenders with 38 starts with a SV% of .900 or better. Finishing the year with a 31-18-4 record, a 2.71 GAA, and a .907 SV%, Swayman’s ability to handle a heavy workload while maintaining elite performances night after night helped a transitional Bruins roster secure the top Wild Card spot in the East.
Vasilevskiy reminded the world why he remains the gold standard for modern goaltending, leading the NHL in wins for the sixth time in his career. Across 58 appearances, he posted a 39-15-4 record, with an historic 17-0-1 record during the middle of the season. He finished the campaign ranked second in the league in GAA at 2.31 and tied for fourth in save percentage at .912, making his sixth time as a Vezina finalist as he seeks to capture the trophy for the first time since 2019.
While Vasilevskiy holds the advantage in traditional win-loss metrics and goals against average, Sorokin’s case is built on the immense degree of difficulty he faced in New York. Swayman, on the other hand, represents a newer guard, showing that he can maintain elite efficiency over a full season’s workload. The winner will be revealed during the NHL Awards ceremony later this summer.
The Bruins without Swayman are a far more mediocre team.
Vasi is still great, but Tampa wins without him.
I might give it to Sorokin.
Weird that Logan Thompson didn’t make the finalist trio (lacking name recognition perhaps.)
This was ranked really as a 2 man race between Sorokin and Vasilevskiy in the last half of the season. NHL writers on NHL.com did their season end vote and predicted Vasilevskiy to garner his second Vezina Trophy. The NHL writers voting tends to be more accurate than not, historically speaking.
I felt if Sorokin got his team in the playoffs, he would probably end up getting it. But the Islanders didn’t make it and I think Vasilevskiy gets the win here as he’s very vital to Tampa’s success. Also, it’s a bit ridiculous how he only has one Vezina Trophy when he’s claimed in many regards, as the best goalie of his generation. It’s overdue for him, if we’re being fair.
Vasilevskiy wins hands down.
Logan Thompson robbed like a shooter on Logan Thompson.
2.44GAA, .912%, #1 in Goals Saved Above Expected (literally the most value-added goaltender)
Hello NHL Scott Wedgewood has better numbers which I guess doesn’t matter?!