Post to Post: Three Contenders for the NHL 2021-22 Vezina Trophy

Photo courtesy of Brian Compton/ NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

With a quarter of the 2021-22 NHL season behind us, there are a handful of goaltenders who have made their case to hoist the Vezina Trophy at the season’s conclusion.

Last season, former Las Vegas Golden Knights netminder Marc-Andre Fleury edged out Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer and Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy as the 2021 Vezina Trophy winner. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion and future Hall of Famer boasted a 26-10 record along with career bests in save percentage (.928) and goals-against average (1.98). Fleury was a first-time winner of the Vezina Trophy. His previous best finish for the Vezina was fourth in the 2018-19 season.

While Vasilevskiy is a frontrunner for the Vezina for the third consecutive season, Fleury and Grubauer aren’t at this point in the season due to inconsistent play. Right now, I can confidently say there are three goaltenders that are a lock for Vezina Trophy contendership.

1. Jack Campbell (TOR):

Before the season began, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a significant question mark at the goaltender position due to Frederik Andersen departing in free agency and whether or not Jack Campbell was the long-term answer in net. It turns out that Jack Campbell is the answer.

With backup netminder Petr Mrázek dealing with a nagging injury, Campbell has started 17 of 21 contests for the Maple Leafs. Campbell is the first goaltender in the entire league to reach 17 games played this season, guiding his team to a 10-4-1 record in games with him in the crease despite inconsistent play from the defense.

Campbell holds the best goals-against average (1.68) and the best save percentage (.943) amongst his peer netminders due to his durability, covering up loose pucks, his quick reflexes and his improved ability to see through traffic.

While the 29-year-old has taken time to thoroughly establish himself as a starting-caliber netminder in the NHL, Campbell has shown the NHL world he can live up to lofty expectations and take Toronto to the promised land.

The Leafs have not had a netminder win the Vezina Trophy since Johnny Bower and Terry Sawchuk both shared the award during the 1964-1965 season campaign.

2. Frederik Andersen (CAR):

During the past offseason, the Hurricanes opted to move forward without their trio of goalkeepers from last season in Petr Mrazek, Alex Nedeljkovic and James Reimer and begin a new chapter by signing Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta.

The addition of Andersen was a significant risk because of his durability and slippage in play in the past two seasons with Toronto.

Fast forward to today, and Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell’s gamble paid off. Andersen has been prolific, posting an 11-3 record while posting the third-best goals-against average (1.90) in the league, and currently sitting in fourth with a .936 save percentage. Despite Carolina’s offensive prowess, Andersen has stepped up to the plate when he’s been needed most.

Not only was Andersen’s health a concern coming into the season, but the workload that he encountered during his time with the Maple Leafs. During his tenure with the Leafs, Andersen was in the top five in the NHL for most starts by a goaltender for four consecutive seasons, which led me to wonder if he’s been worn out. Currently, there’s no evidence proving that to be a valid claim.

Currently, the Hurricanes lead the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand. One could argue Andersen is the closest thing the Hurricanes have had to a true number-one reliable netminder since Cam Ward.

3. Jacob Markstrom (CGY):

The Jacob Markstrom that Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving signed during the 2020 offseason was nonexistent last season. But this season, vintage Markstrom has arrived in Calgary.

After inking a six-year, $36 million contract during the 2020 offseason, the Swedish goalkeeper’s inaugural season in the Stampede city was far from elite. Markstrom posted a 2.68 goals-against average along with a subpar .904 save percentage. As a result, the Flames missed the postseason leading to skepticism if Markstrom can return to his elite Vancouver old self.

Through 15 starts this season, Markstrom has lit the world on fire between the pipes for the Flames. The 31-year-old owns a 1.73 goals-against average, second amongst all NHL netminders, and his .940 save percentage is tied with the Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky for second.

While the Flames’ top scorers like Johnny Gaudreau and Andrew Mangiapane can find the back of the net on any given night, they’ve suffered a power outage in recent games. However, Markstrom’s stellar performance continues as he leads the league with five shutouts. Not only has Markstrom already set a career-high for shutouts in a season, but he’s also on a mission to shatter the NHL’s single-season shutout record, which is currently held by Tony Esposito, who recorded 15 during the 1969-70 season.

While there’s a lot of hockey left to be played this season, all three candidates have competed at a level to be considered legitimate finalists for the Vezina Trophy, given their overall contribution to their respective teams’ success.

*Disclaimer: statistics are as of Nov. 26, 2021