Hellebuyck, Rinne, Vasilevskiy named Vezina finalists
Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators, and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been named finalists for the 2017-18 Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender, the league announced Tuesday.
Here's a look at the numbers put forth by each All-Star netminder this season:
| Player | Record | SV% | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellebuyck | 44-11-9 | .924 | 2.36 | 6 |
| Rinne | 42-13-4 | .927 | 2.31 | 8 |
| Vasilevskiy | 44-17-3 | .920 | 2.62 | 8 |
Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy tied for the league-lead in wins, while Rinne led the NHL in save percentage among all goalies to play 50 games. This marks the first time both Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy have been up for the award, and the fourth time Rinne has been recognized as a finalist, though he's never won.
Based on their bodies of work, it's no surprise these three were recognized as the top candidates, and it doesn't hurt that the Predators, Jets, and Lightning were the top three teams in the league at the end of the regular season.