Andrei Vasilevskiy Vezina Trophy win from the 2025-26 season is a tremendous accomplishment. He knocked off the likes of Ilya Sorokin and Jeremy Swayman, who each joined Vasilevskiy in the top three of voting for this year’s award. Let’s discuss the significance of Vasilevskiy’s honour from this past season.
Credit Image: © Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
Andrei Vasilevskiy Vezina Trophy in 2025-26 Builds Legacy
Andrei Vasilevskiy has won the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his career. Here is the full voting table, as selected by the league’s general managers. #GoBoltspic.twitter.com/uhqdpVLQTB
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) June 6, 2026
It is starting to get to the point that Vasilevskiy will go as one of the best goaltenders of his generation. Perhaps Sergei Bobrovsky is a bit of a comparison, in that he has sustained a high level of play, for a long stretch of time. Bobrovsky won his first of two Vezinas, way back in 2013, and didn’t add Stanley Cups to his hardware case until 2024. Vasilevskiy has the two Lord Stanley Cup championships to his credit.
If we go back to the 2017-18 season, that is the span of nine NHL seasons now, Vasilevskiy has led the NHL in wins an incredible six times. Even with the shortened seasons of the COVID-impacted years, he has managed a string of nine consecutive, 30-win campaigns during the stretch is he currently on. Those nine seasons of 30 wins, tie him with Ed Belfour and Marc-Andre Fleury for the fourth-most, 30-win seasons by an NHL goalie, ever. In 2025-26, his 39 wins did lead the NHL in that category.
The 30-win-consecutive season streak is a bit complicated, as Patrick Roy won 31-or-more games in every season from 1991-92, through to his last year in 2002-03, save for the lockout shortened 1994-95. Furthermore, King Henrik Lundqvist won 30-or-more games from his rookie year 2005-06 until 2016-17, except for the reduced schedule of 2012-13. However, that season he actually led the NHL in wins with 24.
Martin Brodeur holds the record, with 12 consecutive seasons of 30-or-more wins, with an incredible six of those being with 41-or-more victories.
Let’s Talk Numbers, Vasy and his Competition in 2025-26
But this is the Andrei Vasilevskiy Vezina Trophy win celebration, not a summary of NHL goaltending greatness, although heck, what’s the matter with that? He has sustained the Tampa Bay Lightning for a long period of time. The club continues to find itself entrenched in the conversation for the class of the NHL’s Atlantic Division.
Over his career, Vasilevskiy has lived up to the reputation of being among the elite goaltenders in the game. This is his second Vezina Trophy victory, and four other times he has found himself within the top three of voter points. With the growing list of multiple Vezina winners, only Connor Hellebuyck and Bobrovsky are active.
Before we dig into the specific numbers, keep something in mind. It is interesting that league-wide save percentage went down in 2025-26. In contrast, it was caused by a systematic error process, in that the technology for shot tracking currently applied greatly improves our confidence that shots would’ve went in, if not for a goaltenders’ influence. The league-wide save percentage was around .896 in 2025-26, and had never been that low since the 90s (1993-94 it was .895).
It Was a Good Year for Some Goalies in 2025-26
Still, as the Andrei Vasilevskiy Vezina-season review goes, he posted a solid .911 save percentage this season. Although we should add, that four times in his career, he has been at .920 or above (and each of those seasons having played at least 42 games).
Ilya Sorokin had a terrific season for a weaker New York Islanders team. He posted a 2.68 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage in 55 games, with a remarkable seven shutouts. Meanwhile, Swayman posted a 2.71 GAA and .907 save percentage. He was 31-18-4 for the Boston Bruins with two shutouts. In addition, Sorokin was 29-24-2 for the New York Islanders. However, Vasilevskiy outpaced them at 39-15-4, but only two blank sheets.
Logan Thompson’s numbers were right there, too. He went 31-21-6, with four shutouts, a 2.44 GAA, and a .912 save percentage. Expect him to be in the running for years to come.
Graphic Credit: https://moneypuck.com/goalies.htm
Main Photo Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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