NHL Vezina Trophy Odds Update: Hellebuyck, Rask and Bishop Favored

• BetOnline has the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck (+350) as the slight favorite to win the Vezina Trophy 
  
• Tuukka Rask (+400) and Ben Bishop (+450) are top contenders for the award
  
• Andrei Vasilevskiy (+600) is looking to become the first back-to-back Vezina winner since Martin Brodeur in 2007 and 2008

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Connor Hellebuyck’s outstanding play is the only thing keeping the Jets in the Wild Card race, but the viability of his Vezina candidacy almost certainly depends on Winnipeg making the postseason.

A netminder on a non-playoff team hasn’t won the award since Sergei Bobrovsky captured the first of his two trophies in the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season, and before that, well it hadn’t happened since 1931 when the Vezina was a team award.

Considering the Jets currently sit two points out of a playoff spot after losing six of their past seven contests, it’s hard to justify Hellebuyck as a +350 favorite.

Let’s check the latest odds at BetOnline and find a smarter bet in the nets.

TUUKKA RASK

Tuukka Rask collected his third shutout of the season in a 4-0 victory over the Canucks on Tuesday night, further boosting his league-leading 2.15 goals-against-average and .929 save percentage, which is also tied for tops in the NHL.

The Finnish netminder’s numbers are on par with his 2013-14 campaign, where he posted a 2.04 GAA and .930 Sv% to win the first Vezina award of his career. In that season, however, Rask went 36-15-6. This year, he’s 19-4-6 in 30 starts, which is already 12 less games than Hellebuyck’s started in.

Tuukka Rask of the @NHLBruins has yet to lose in regulation at TD Garden in 2019-20 (11-0-6).

Only nine other goaltenders in NHL history have recorded at least one point in each of their first 17+ home appearances from the start of a season. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/p5MAG9j1tI

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 5, 2020

The Bruins are using their 32-year-old goaltender sparingly after last year’s successful load-management approach (45 starts) led to Rask playing the best hockey of his career in a majestic Stanley Cup run.

The question is whether voters will penalize Tuukka for playing a light schedule in front of a dominant team or belatedly award him for last spring’s Conn Smythe-worthy play.

OTHER CONTENDERS

Recommended before the season at +750, Ben Bishop is now at +450 to win the Vezina. While the 33-year-old has a higher goals-against-average (2.36) and save percentage (.925) than Rask, his team arguably needs him more.

The Stars rank 28th in goals for per game (the worst mark among all clubs in a playoff spot) and the 6-foot-7 backstop has surrendered more than three goals on just three occasions through 33 starts.

Andrei Vasilevskiy improved to 14-0-2 in his last 16 appearances to match the longest point streak by a @TBLightning goaltender, a mark set by Nikolai Khabibulin in 2002-03 (12-0-4). #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/ueQjEAFzMF

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 5, 2020

Andrei Vasilevskiy (+600) is back in the race with 17 wins in his last 20 starts. After not allowing more than three goals in a game since the start of December, the 25-year-old Russian has a league-leading 27 victories with a respectable 2.53 GAA and .917 save percentage. Just keep in mind that there hasn’t been a back-to-back Vezina winner since Martin Brodeur in 2007 and 2008.

Jordan Binnington (+600) was our other big recommendation at +2000 before the season. While his 2.64 GAA and .910 save percentage are down from last season’s incredible second-half debut (1.89 GAA, .927 Sv%), the 26-year-old continues to prove his doubters wrong while racking up wins for the Western Conference-leading St. Louis Blues.

Best Bet: Ben Bishop (+450)