Vezina Contenders Rising: Thompson, Sorokin, Knight Lead the Race

Injuries to top goalies open the door for new stars to emerge in the race for the NHL's top goaltender award.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 10:43pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting hockey goaltenders in action, with sharp, overlapping planes of vibrant blue, red, and yellow colors, capturing the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the Vezina Trophy race.A cubist interpretation of the NHL's top goaltenders battling for the Vezina Trophy in a season marked by injuries and new contenders.Chicago Today

The NHL's Vezina Trophy race is wide open this season, with injuries sidelining several top contenders. However, new stars like Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, and Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks have seized the opportunity and are making strong cases to be named the league's best goaltender.

Why it matters

The Vezina Trophy race is always closely watched, as it recognizes the NHL's top goaltender. With several high-profile goalies dealing with injuries, this season's competition is more wide open than usual, providing a chance for lesser-known netminders to step up and make a name for themselves.

The details

Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets is out with a knee injury, while Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy and Colorado's Scott Wedgewood have also missed time due to injuries. This has opened the door for Thompson, Sorokin, and Knight to emerge as the new frontrunners. Thompson has been a high-danger save specialist for the Capitals, ranking second in the NHL with an .880 high-danger save percentage. Sorokin has continued his strong play for the Islanders, leading the league in high-danger saves and posting a .916 save percentage over the past six seasons. Meanwhile, Knight has been a revelation for the Blackhawks, improving his save percentage from .904 in his first 95 career games to .916 this season, which ranks third among goalies with at least 20 games played.

  • On November 22nd, Connor Hellebuyck underwent knee surgery, sidelining the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.
  • Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche have also missed time due to injuries this season.

The players

Logan Thompson

A 28-year-old goaltender for the Washington Capitals who is a high-danger save specialist, ranking second in the NHL with an .880 high-danger save percentage.

Ilya Sorokin

The starting goaltender for the New York Islanders, who has a .916 save percentage over the past six seasons, second only to Connor Hellebuyck, and leads the league in high-danger saves this season.

Spencer Knight

The young goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks, who has improved his save percentage from .904 in his first 95 career games to .916 this season, ranking third among goalies with at least 20 games played.

Connor Hellebuyck

The reigning Vezina Trophy winner and last season's Hart Trophy recipient, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The starting goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has also missed time due to injury this season.

Scott Wedgewood

The starting goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche, who is currently in concussion protocol.

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What’s next

It remains to be seen if any of the current Vezina Trophy contenders can maintain their strong play and lead their teams to the playoffs. Voters will likely consider both individual performance and team success when determining the winner.

The takeaway

This season's Vezina Trophy race is shaping up to be one of the most wide-open and unpredictable in recent memory, with several new faces emerging as potential winners. The ability of these goalies to excel despite injuries to top contenders could be the deciding factor in who ultimately claims the league's top goaltending award.