Vasilevskiy, Andersen (+550) Favored to Win 2020 Vezina; Bishop Next at +750
- Andrei Vasilevskiy won the 2019 Vezina Trophy with a 39-10-4 record, 2.44 GAA, and .925 save percentage
- Frederik Andersen has never had a save percentage better than .918 in his three-year Leafs tenure
- Ben Bishop led the NHL with a .934 save percentage and was second in GAA at 1.98
The NHL season kicks off on October 2nd and the early odds for the Vezina trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender see the reigning champion enter as a co-favorite.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (+550) of the Lightning joins the Maple Leafs’ Frederik Andersen (+550) at the top of the preseason 2020 Vezina odds, and there’s a sizable drop off after the top pair.
Odds to Win 2020 Vezina Trophy
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) | +550 |
| Frederik Andersen (Leafs) | +550 |
| Ben Bishop (Stars) | +750 |
| Marc-Andre Fleury (Golden Knights) | +1100 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers) | +1100 |
| Braden Holtby (Capitals) | +2000 |
| Carey Price (Canadiens) | +2000 |
| Carter Hart (Flyers) | +2000 |
| Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) | +2000 |
| Devan Dubnyk (Wild) | +2000 |
| John Gibson (Ducks) | +2000 |
| Jordan Binnington (Blues) | +2000 |
| Martin Jones (Sharks) | +2000 |
| Pekka Rinne (Predators) | +2000 |
| Tuukka Rask (Bruins) | +2000 |
*Odds taken 09/16/19.
Vasilevskiy a Good Bet to Repeat as Vezina Winner
Vasilevskiy should have another great season. Tampa Bay is eager rebound from the sting of a playoff sweep against Columbus and prove that their +700 odds to win the Stanley Cup are justified. Vasilevskiy is a big part of that.
He was 39-10-4 with a 2.44 GAA, 6 shutouts, and a .925 save percentage in 2018-19. Prior to the Vezina win, Vasilevskiy had a monster 2017-18 season with a 44-17 record, 2.62 GAA, .920 save percentage, 8 shutouts. He would have won the Vezina that season, as well, if not for a monster year from Nashville’s Pekka Rinne.
Andersen Has Been Consistent for Toronto, But Not Spectacular
Frederik Andersen is in a bit of a different situation than Vasilevskiy as the Leafs defense and personnel is not as strong as Tampa Bay’s.
The Leafs have ranked in the bottom 10 in shots against in each of Andersen’s three seasons with the club. Their goals against last season was 249 versus Tampa Bay’s 221.
Andersen played 66 games last season, posting a 2.77 GAA, .917 save percentage and one shutout. He is a workhorse to be sure and, without him, the Leafs would not have made the postseason so comfortably.
The Leafs shored up their defense by adding Tyson Barrie and Codi Ceci, who are better than outgoing Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev. Jake Muzzin, acquired from the Kings last season, also helped to bolster Toronto’s blueline.
But Andersen’s career numbers just don’t paint the picture of a Vezina winner.
Stars Ben Bishop also offers good value
Ben Bishop (+750) led the NHL with a .934 save percentage and was second with a 1.98 goals-against average.
Bishop finished with a 27-15-2 record and had a shutout streak of 233:04 from March 2-19, winning six straight games over that span, a Dallas record. He led all goalies who played at least 15 games in save percentage at even strength (.938). He was also a Vezina Finalist last year.
We’re back. ?#GoStars pic.twitter.com/uctJ8k9gRd
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) September 17, 2019
He is a key part of the Stars’ success last season as Dallas made it to the playoffs and knocked off Nashville in the first round. The Stars took the Stanley Cup champion Blues to the seventh game in the second round.
The Best Bet
With two straight phenomenal seasons and one Vezina trophy under his belt, Vasilevskiy has the numbers and the consistency to win another Vezina again this season. He battled injuries this past season and still came out on top when the voting was done.
Pick Andrei Vasilevskiy (+550)
Ben has been an avid sports fan since the 1980s. Specializing in hockey, baseball, and tech, Ben has contributed to CKNW via his tech blog Vancouver Gadgets and currently writes for SBD, as well as other online publications.
