NHL Power Rankings: Vezina Trophy Rankings (January Update)

January 29, 2026

Andy's NHL power rankings for the top-10 Vezina Trophy candidates for the 2025-26 season. His top Norris Trophy candidates of January 2026 include Ilya Sorokin, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brandon Bussi, more.

With the NHL season past the halfway point and the Olympic break just a few weeks away, it's time to update our Vezina Trophy power rankings. Last week, we updated our James Norris Trophy rankings, and the week prior, the Hart Memorial Trophy MVP rankings. Now, it's time to shift our focus to the top netminders in the sport.

While the top netminders have begun to separate themselves from the pack, there is serious debate on who should occupy the spots in the bottom half of our rankings.

Let's dive into the current top-10 favorites to win the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy. All statistics and records mentioned are updated as of Wednesday, January 28.

No. 10 - Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets

After opening the season as the team's clear No. 2 option, Jet Greaves has taken over the Columbus crease. Over his first 16 games, he held a .901% SV% with a 2.81 GAA. However, since December 7, Greaves has appeared in 19 games and posted a 9-8-1 record. During this stretch, he has posted a strong .914 SV% with a 2.57 GAA.

Over his last four games entering Wednesday, Greaves has picked up four victories and allowed only 11 total goals.

When looking at his underlying metrics, Greaves proves he deserves to be on this list despite having only 16 wins during the season. The 24-year-old has posted an elite 13.1 Goals Above Expected, the sixth-highest mark in the sport, among goalies who have played in at least 25 games, per MoneyPuck.com. He also sits sixth in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at the position.

No. 9 - Karel Vejmelka, Utah Mammoth

The current leader in wins will occupy the next spot on our list. Karel Vejmelka has taken on a massive workload in Utah and has been a major reason why it remains in the West playoff picture. Through 40 total games, Vejmelka posted a .901% SV% with a 2.56 GAA. His overall numbers do not seem overly impressive and worthy of a spot on our rankings, but his recent play pushes him into the top 10.

Since January 1 (11 games), the former fifth-round pick has posted a near-perfect 9-2 record with a 2.18 GAA and a .918% SV%. Since the start of the New Year, Vejmelka's GAA and SV% place him eighth among netminders who have played in at least six games.

Per MoneyPuck.com, he sits 12th in Save% Above Expected and 10th in WAR. If he continues this level of play, Vejmelka could be much higher on this list next month.

No. 8  - Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers

Even though Igor Shesterkin has been on injured reserve for almost the entire month of January, his effort before the holiday break pushes him onto this list. Through his first 34 games, Shesterkin posted an outstanding 2.45 GAA with a .913% SV%. He posted a 17-12-4 record with one shutout.

Despite playing on an underperforming Rangers team, Shesterkin was on track to make a strong push for the Vezina. While he still will be under consideration if he can return to his level of play post-injury, he will have a much tougher path to reach the top half of the list, given the missed volume.

Per MoneyPuck.com, Shesterkin sits fourth in WAR (among netminders) and third in GAA Better Than Expected (0.47).

No. 7 - Brandon Bussi, Carolina Hurricanes

The most surprising name on this list is 27-year-old rookie Brandon Bussi. Bussi has not only taken over the starter's crease in Carolina but has played at an elite level and has put himself in serious consideration for the Vezina.

Bussi was promoted to the NHL roster in October after Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body) was placed on IR. He was actually claimed off waivers from the Panthers shortly before this transaction. Since joining the Hurricanes, Bussi has been one of the sport's top netminders.

Throughout his first 23 games, Bussi has posted an impressive .909% SV% with a 2.15 GAA. Playing on a competing Carolina roster, Bussi has posted a 19-3-1 record. However, since the New Year, Bussi has taken full control of the Carolina crease, overtaking veteran Frederik Andersen. Since January 1, Bussi has started eight games while Andersen has appeared in only five.

Among goalies who have appeared in at least 23 games, the Sound Beach native sits fourth with a 15.38% Expected Goals Saved Above Average, trailing only Shesterkin and the top-2 names on our list.

BRANDON BUSSI! 😱

Save of the year candidate. pic.twitter.com/cU9YX5GaHn

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) January 19, 2026

No. 6 - Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

Following an underwhelming 2024 season, Jeremy Swayman has put together a major bounce-back season and has been a major reason why the Bruins have remained competitive in a formidable Atlantic Division. Through 36 games, Swayman has held a solid 2.86 GAA with a.903% SV%. Swayman has posted a 21-12-2 record.

This is a major improvement compared to the 3.11 GAA and .892% SV% he posted during the 2024 campaign.

However, the 27-year-old could enjoy an even more dominant second half given his stellar underlying metrics. According to MoneyPuck.com, the former 111th overall pick from the 2017 NHL Draft sits fifth among all goaltenders in Goals Saved Above Expected, with 15.2. He is also one of just six goalies in the league who have a WAR higher than 2.00.

No. 5 - John Gibson, Detroit Red Wings

After posting a 4-7-1 record with a 3.59 GAA and a .865% SV% over his first 13 games in Detroit, many would not have expected Gibson to enter the second half sitting within the top five in Vezina voting. However, since December 1, Gibson has completely flipped the script and emerged as one of the sport's top netminders.

Since December 1, Gibson has posted an incredible 17-3 record (over 20 games) with a .930% SV% and a 2.00 GAA. During this incredible stretch, Gibson's SV% trails only one goalie in the entire sport (our No. 1 on the list). His three shutouts also place him second among goalies, trailing the same goalie for the lead as well.

Despite his rough start, Gibson has saved the ninth-most Goals Above Expected (10.1), per MoneyPuck.com, and has made the sixth-most saves on unblocked shot attempts.

No. 4 - Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

While Thompson has hit a bit of a skid since his dominant start of the season, he still deserves a spot within the top five. Through the first 28 games, where he posted a stellar .915% SV% with a 2.33 GAA, Thompson appeared to be a clear front-runner for the Vezina, but has fallen just outside the top tier in this recent update.

Since January 1, the 28-year-old has won just three of his 10 starts and carried a modest .902% SV% with a 2.81 GAA over this stretch.

However, under the hood, Thompson still boasts incredible metrics that suggest he should be poised for a massive bounce-back and help Washington get back into the playoff race. The netminder currently sits third in Goals Saved Above Expected (16.7) and third in WAR, according to MoneyPuck.com.

Additionally, Thompson has generated the third-highest xHigh Danger Unblocked Shot Attempts Save% at the position, according to MoneyPuck.com, placing him behind only two names who are just above him on our list.

Logan Thompson recovers for a HUGE save! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/zJanSwelXO

— NHL (@NHL) January 14, 2026

No. 3 - Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche

The leader of the Colorado crease will take the next spot on our list. While he and Mackenzie Blackwood have shared the starter's crease when both have been healthy, Wedgewood has not only been the more productive option (and has a higher share of games played) but is also one of the best in the league.

Through 30 games, Wedgewood has posted an incredible 20-3-5 record with a .918% SV% and a 2.14 GAA. He has posted two shutouts, which have already matched a career-high. His current save percentage places him fourth among all goalies.

Per MoneyPuck.com, the 33-year-old has generated the highest xHigh Danger Unblocked Shot Attempt Save% in the sport and currently sits fifth at the position in terms of  %Expected Goals Saved Above Average. Additionally, Wedgewood has generated a league-leading 2.49 xGAA, per MoneyPuck.com.

No. 2 - Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

The top two are in a class of their own. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a rough start to the season but has quickly returned to MVP-level play. Over his first five starts, the two-time Stanley Cup champion posted a 0-3-2 record with a rough .885% SV%. However, since then, Vasilevskiy has won 23 of his 28 games while dropping only four in regulation.

During this dominant stretch, Vasilevskiy has posted an incredible 1.83 GAA with a .927% SV%.

He and our No. 1 goalie are the only two netminders in the entire league with more than 20.0 Goals Saved Above Expected (according to MoneyPuck.com). Vasilevskiy sits second with a 3.62 WAR and third with a 2.73 xGAA.

No. 1 - Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders

Without a doubt, New York's Ilya Sorokin enters February as the clear favorite to take home the Vezina Trophy. Sorokin has put together an incredible first half as one of the major reasons the Islanders have exceeded expectations this season.

Through 31 games played, Sorokin has posted an impressive .916% SV% with a 2.43 GAA. Sorokin has tallied an incredible six shutouts, which is two more than Jesper Wallstedt and Joel Hofer, who sit second on the leaderboard with four each. Since January 1, Sorokin has been even more dominant, posting a .935% SV% with a 2.02 GAA.

As noted when discussing Vasilevskiy, Sorokin is the top (and only) goalie in the sport (according to MoneyPuck.com) with a WAR greater than 4.00 (4.12). Sorokin also sits atop all goaltenders in Goals Saved Above Expected (24.7). Sorokin is the backbone of the Islanders and can lead them on a deep playoff run on his own.

Ilya Sorokin (NYI30) was incredible last night with a 36-save performance. He was 5.31 Goals Saved Above Expected and ended Connor McDavid's 20-game point streak.

Here is his masterclass. #NHL #IslesNation #Isles pic.twitter.com/vVXXPZVb1x

— Romain Louis (@x_skils64201) January 16, 2026

On the Outside Looking In

• Spencer Knight, CHI
• Jesper Wallstedt, MIN
• Filip Gustavsson, MIN
• Jake Oettinger, DAL
• Darcy Kuemper, LAK
• Mackenzie Blackwood, COL

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