NHL Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Vezina Trophy race

1. Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks

Finally, Thatcher Demko looks like he has been on a mission since the season began, posting a 7-2-0 record, and serving as a major reason the Vancouver Canucks are among the NHL’s best teams one full month into the 2023-24 season. 

Demko has seen 523 minutes of ice time, and in that span, he has allowed 14 goals in 270 shots against, giving him a 0.948 save percentage. With a GAA of 1.61 and a QS% of 0.889, Demko is neck-and-neck with Swayman in both categories. The only difference is that he’s seeing much more ice time, which is one reason he’s ranked Number 1 at the moment. 

As of Thursday morning, Demko is one of just four goaltenders to have recorded multiple shutouts this season, and he leads the NHL with an 11.93 GSAA. Numbers-wise, Demko has been the NHL’s best goaltender in the early stages of the 2023-24 season. 

The only real question is whether Demko will keep up this legendary pace, as he has never played at this level in the past. To date, Demko’s best season came in 2021-22 when he recorded 61 starts, a 33-22-7 record, a 0.915 save percentage, and a 2.72 GAA. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)