Vasilevskiy Named 2026 Vezina Trophy Finalist, Joins Three-Goalie Race

Andrei vasilevskiy is a 2026 Vezina Trophy finalist, putting the Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender back in the league-wide race for the NHL’s top goalie honor. He is the only finalist in this group who has won it before, and the vote now sits with the NHL’s 32 general managers.

Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Swayman

The three finalists released Wednesday are Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders and Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins. That gives the award a clear three-man field, with Vasilevskiy’s 2019 win separating him from the other two finalists.

Vasilevskiy’s season line gives him a strong case. He went 39-15-4 with a.912 save percentage and a 2.31 goals against average, numbers that put him among the most efficient starters in the field. Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy last year and also took the Hart Trophy.

Tampa Bay’s Vasilevskiy case

The Lightning reached the finalist stage while dealing with frequent injuries to their defense, and they are in a 2-2 tie in their first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens. That leaves Vasilevskiy’s individual season standing on its own in the award discussion, separate from the team issues around him.

The Vezina Trophy has been handed out since 1926-27 and has used a voting system since the 1981-82 campaign. This year’s decision comes down to the 32 general managers, with Vasilevskiy carrying the added edge of already having won the award once.