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Saros got off to a bit of a rough start this season. However, he has been steadily improving as the campaign has gone on, despite the struggles of the team around him, particularly on defence. The Finnish native has faced the second most shots this season and the Predators are bottom five in both Corsi and Fenwick ratings. Saros regularly keeps the Preds in games, sitting third in quality starts (17), fifth in goalie point shares (5.4) and seventh in goals saved above expected (11.8).

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To put it simply the Flyers are bad, but they would be much worse if not for the steady play of Hart between the pipes. Philly is bottom five in multiple important metrics, not to mention that many of their best players are either out or struggling with injuries. Hart has faced the second most shots (840), third most high danger attempts (298) and is tied for the second most games started so far (27), despite all this he is fifth in goals saved above expected. Hart has unfortunately been placed on IR with an upper body injury, making him likely to fall out of these rankings before the next edition.

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Hellebuyck has looked a lot more like the dominant goalie that won the 2020 Vezina, than the goalie who did not play at an elite standard the two years following. Hellebuyck is first in goalie point shares (6.7) and tied for first in shutouts (3) despite facing the most shots in the league so far this season. The Michigan native is second in goals saved above average (18), third in save % (.927) and wins (16). Hellebuyck is the main reason the Jets find themselves firmly back in playoff position after missing the dance last year.

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Sorokin has been masterful for much of this season, before December would have been first in these rankings, but he has struggled a bit this month against his lofty standards. In 11 starts in November Sorokin picked up seven wins, while putting up a stellar .933 save % and a 2.16 GAA. In 10 December games he only has three wins and those numbers have fallen to a .912 save % and a 2.42 GAA. Despite this December swoon Sorokin still sits second in GAA (2.26) third in save % (.926) and goalie point shares (6.0) on the season, among goaltender with at least 15 starts. Sorokin also sits second in goals saved above expected (18.1) and wins above replacement (3.01), even with the Islanders giving up the most high danger scoring chances in the league.

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Boston has been having a stellar season so far and one of the main catalysts is the play of Ullmark. The Swedish native is surely benefiting from the play of the team in front of him, but he leads goaltenders in most traditional and advanced stats. Ullmark is currently first in wins (20), save % (.938) GAA (1.90) and quality starts (20) among goaltenders with at least five games. In advanced stats he fairs similarly well leading in goals saved above expected (20.4), goals saved above average (22.61), wins above replacement (3.41) and second in goalie point shares (6.3). Perhaps even more impressively Ullmark has only lost two games this season, only one of those was in regulation. He is also one of two starting goaltenders (Logan Thompson is the other) yet to register a RBS (really bad start). At this point in the season despite the stellar play of multiple netminders, namely the two we covered above him, Ullmark is the Vezina frontrunner.

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Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers)
Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars)
Andrej Vasilevkiy (Tampa Bay Lighting)

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