3 Darkhorse Candidates for the 2027 Vezina Trophy

With individual offensive numbers on the rise in recent seasons, it has become tougher for goaltenders to stand out. We hear constantly about how platoons have become the norm in the NHL, but there are still more than a few elite netminders plying their craft.

Going into the 2026-27 season, there are a handful of goalies who could be primed to not only take a step forward, but to cement themselves as a real candidate for the Vezina Trophy as the game’s best netminder.

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

Wallstedt may have been on the radar for a few, though he played in just 35 games last season while sharing the crease with Filip Gustavsson. When he did play, Wallstedt was largely excellent and many feel that 2026-27 will see him take control of the Minnesota net.

Among all starters with at least 20 games played, Wallstedt stood out: .916 save percentage (second), 2.61 goals against average (16^th), and had an impressive 6.2 goals saved above expected.

By the end of the season, Wallstedt had claimed the starting job and did an admirable job in the playoffs. Given that he is still just 23 years old, it feels like the future is incredibly bright. With the Wild looking to make a Cup run, a superlative season from Wallstedt could have him knocking on the door of Vezina Trophy contention.

Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets

The youth movement in Columbus has reached a tipping point. It is now time for the young core to put everything together and get the team back into the playoffs. A big factor in that will be Greaves, who was rewarded for an excellent 2025-26 season with a new contract.

At times, Greaves looked like a bona fide stud. He finished the season with a 26-19-9 record, firmly in charge of the Columbus crease. His numbers among starters with at least 20 games played are even more encouraging: .908 save percentage (12^th), 2.60 goals against average (14^th), and 16.5 goals saved above expected (ninth).

Greaves has an elite glove hand and lateral movement, does well in his reads, and has been on a consistent upward trajectory the past few seasons. If the Blue Jackets can come together in front of him, it could be the recipe needed to get them into the playoffs and Greaves a spot as a Vezina Trophy finalist.

Spencer Knight, Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have a lot of work to do if they want to get out of the basement and back into the playoffs. Part of that will fall on Knight, who took a big step forward in 2025-26, and looks poised to become a top 10 goalie in the league.

He finished 14^th in the league in goals saved above expected (10.9) and fourth in both shots against and shots saved. Given that he was facing the second-most shots per night (30/game) behind a porous defense, and it’s clear that things could have been way worse for the Blackhawks.

With a ton of young talent ready to emerge and a few key additions to the lineup, the Blackhawks should be better in 2026-27. If Knight can continue to build on his already strong performance from a season ago, it would be hard to ignore his candidacy for the Vezina Trophy.

Will the Russian Dominance Continue?

Though Connor Hellebuyck won back-to-back Vezina’s in 2024 and 2025, there has been a noticeable trend: a Russian netminder has either won the award or finished as a finalist in each of the past five seasons. Igor Shesterkin won the award in 2022. Ilya Sorokin has been a finalist twice. Sergei Bobrovsky is a multiple-time winner of the award and was a finalist in 2024. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Andrei Vaslievskiy, had previously won the award and was the runner-up in 2025.

With Hellebucyck and Bobrovsky taking clear steps backward, the door could be open for someone new to challenge. A strong performance – and a playoff appearance the Blue Jackets or Blackhawks – could be enough to get them real movement in the ballot box.