In hockey circles, we often hear people refer to goaltending as “voodoo” and lament how difficult it is to predict the goaltending position in this day and age. Gone are the days when elite goalies like Martin Brodeur, Dominik Hasek, and Patrick Roy put up gaudy numbers while playing 70+ games.
In the modern NHL, you can essentially count on one hand the number of goalies you can be confident of producing at a Vezina level, but even then, it's a bit of a risk.
Consider the case of Ilya Sorokin: The Russian goaltender was the Vezina Trophy frontrunner entering last season, but had a mediocre season and was eventually outplayed by backup Semyon Varlamov.
The award went to another favorite, Connor Hellebuyck, further evidence of how difficult it is to predict how a goaltender will play from season to season.
So we’ll avoid the top of the board, where Igor Shesterkin, Jeremy Swayman (still in contract dispute) and Connor Hellebuyck are essentially co-favorites, and look for a higher price to keep up in this market.
2024-25 Vezina Trophy odds
| player | Odds | player | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Shesterkin | +550 | Jacob Markstrom | +1200 |
| Jeremy Swayman | +600 | Jake Ettinger | +1200 |
| Connor Hellebueck | +700 | Jose Saros | +1400 |
| Ilya Sorokin | +800 | Sergey Bobrovsky | +1600 |
| Thatcher Demko | +800 | Linus Ullmark | +1600 |
| Andrey Vasilevsky | +1200 | Ading Hill | +2500 |
Best bets for the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy
Darcy Kuemper, Kings (+15000, FanDuel)
Things didn't go well for Kuemper in Washington last season, but it wasn't that long ago that the former Stanley Cup champion was considered a top-10 starting goaltender in the league.
Kuemper posted a +29.1 goals saved above expectation over the past two seasons while appearing in 114 games with the Avalanche and Capitals.
If he can get that form back, and he has a good chance of doing so behind a great defense, he has a chance to overcome these obstacles.
Joonas Korpisalo, Bruins (+30000, FanDuel)
This is truly shocking, but there is a slight path to success here, and that's all you're looking for when getting your hands on these prices.
After a dismal season in Ottawa, Korpisalo was brought in as Swayman's backup when the Bruins traded for Linus Ullmark.
However, Swayman has yet to report to training camp and reports of contract negotiations suggest it may be some time before the restricted free agent joins the team, which could open the door for Korpisalo to take control in front of the goal as the No. 1 goalie to open the season.
Korpisalo was a disaster last year, but his strong showing last season earned him a big contract from Ottawa, he has a promising future, and the Bruins are one of the best teams in the NHL at protecting goalies — just ask Ullmark, who defied the odds to win the Vezina Trophy two seasons ago.
Justus Annunen, Avalanche (+30,000, DraftKings)
Like Korpisalo, the chances of Anunen winning are slim, but there is a chance the Avalanche goaltender could make the game more interesting.
Alexander Georgiev is Colorado's No. 1 goaltender, but he's as temperamental as any goaltender in the league and the team doesn't intend to sign him beyond 2024-25, so a defensive replacement wouldn't be an issue if Annunen outplays the Bulgarian.
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And it's not impossible: Anunen doesn't have an NHL track record (he's only played 18 games in his career), but he was impressive in 14 games in 2023-24, posting a .928 save percentage and a saves-above-expectation +13.4.
Colorado is one of the best teams in the NHL, so if Annunen performs well enough to take over the captaincy, he'll start racking up wins and turning heads quickly.
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Michael Lebov handicaps every sport except the Premier League, NHL, golf, NFL and NBA for the New York Post. He bets 49.73 units on the Premier League with an ROI of 7.17%.
