Before the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, the preseason favorites for the Vezina Trophy were two-time reigning winner Dominik Hasek, perennial contenders (and past winners) Patrick Roy and Ed Belfour. Other widely recognized contenders included Mike Richter, a rising young New Jersey Devils star named Martin Brodeur and Vancouver starter Kirk MacLean. Toronto's Felix Potvin was considered a potential dark horse.
No one had Washington Capitals rookie goaltender Jim Carey on their Vezina radar screen before the season. But the 21-year-old netminder had a career year (which he was never able to duplicate, and found himself relegated to backup status within two seasons and out of the NHL before the decade ended) and took home the coveted goaltending award ahead of all the illustrious names.
Something similar could happen this year. Reigning winner Henrik Lundqvist, perennial contender Pekka Rinne and LA Kings starter Jonathan Quick were the consensus favorites to lead the Vezina pack again this year with the likes of Carey Price and perhaps former winner Ryan Miller all getting mention as players capable of taking home the trophy at the NHL Awards Ceremony.
Raise your hand if you had Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on your list of contenders back in January.
Bobrovsky, an inconsistent backup prone to soft goals during his two seasons in Philadelphia, has had an incredible year in the lockout shortened season. He hardly plays behind a fearsome team defense, yet he is among the league leaders in both save percentage and goals against average.
The 24-year-old Bobrovsky had little trouble seizing the Blue Jackets' starting job away from since-traded former Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason, and has played an incalculable role in keeping unheralded Columbus within four points of a playoff spot this late in the season.
But has he had a season worthy of winning the Vezina Trophy ahead of all the big names? Is he more deserving than Lundqvist, Tuukka Rask, Rinne as the rest of the pack?
While it remains to be seen if Bobrovsky can follow up that level of performance in 82-game seasons to come, it seems unlikely that he's destined to become a Vezina anomaly the same way that Carey did after winning the award 18 years ago. Bobrovsky has shown flashes of brilliance and stretches of outstanding play throughout his still-young NHL career. Consistency was elusive until this year, but the talent and work ethic have always been there.
Whom would YOU pick as your Vezina winner this season? Vote below.
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