Bobrovsky, Demko, Hellebuyck unveiled as 2023-24 Vezina Trophy finalists

We know the three netminders who have the chance to be named the best goaltender in the NHL.

On Monday, the league announced that Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets), Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers) and Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks) are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Vezina Trophy.

Hellebuyck is no stranger to winning this award. The Commerce, Michigan native won the Vezina in 2020, and was the questionable MVP for the Jets. While the team has vastly improved over the last four years, Hellebuyck has been the backbone in Winnipeg for the last number of seasons and was one of the key reasons the team finished second in the Central Division.

The 30-year-old posted a 37-19-4 record, second in wins only to Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche. His .921 save percentage was the best among goaltenders who made over 20 starts, and his 2.37 goals-against average was third behind Pyotr Kochetkov of the Carolina Hurricanes and Bobrovsky.

Speaking of Bob, the Panthers netminder has ridden the momentum he built from an incredible run in last year’s playoffs into the 2023-24 season. The Russian netminder started 58 games this season, fourth-most in the league, just two less than Hellebuyck. Bobrovsky posted a 36-17-4 record during the the regular season, with a .915 save percentage and finished tied for the most shutouts in the NHL (6).

His 36 wins are the third-most he has posted in a single season, a few off from his 41-win campaign during the 2016-17 season, which saw Bobrovsky win his first Vezina while with the Columbus Blue Jackets. A big reason the Panthers won the Atlantic Division for the second time in three seasons, the 35-year-old has the chance to become the first goaltender in franchise history to win the award.

The last finalist is a goaltender who has quietly been on the rise and really burst out of his shell this year. You could argue Demko’s play was the reason the Canucks won the Pacific Division title this season, marking the team’s first playoff berth in 2020, the same year the San Diego native made his playoff debut. Demko might have missed some time late this past regular season due to injury–and the playoffs–but the impact he has made in Vancouver can’t be overstated.

Demko had career-best numbers, going 35-14-2, registering a 2.45 GAA, a .918 SV% and five shutouts, tied for fifth in the league. The Boston College product ended the regular season tied for sixth in wins and save percentage. Like Bobrovsky, Demko can become the first goaltender in the Canucks’ history to win the Vezina.

Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark won the Vezina last year, becoming the sixth Bruins goaltender to receive the accomplishment.