NHL Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Vezina Trophy race
By Sion Fawkes
2. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
It seems like years ago there was talk about Connor Hellebuyck potentially getting traded as the Winnipeg Jets may have been exploring a rebuild, even if those rumors swirled this past summer. That talk is long in the rearview, and Hellebuyck has once again shown us why he’s one of the NHL’s premier goaltenders.
The former Vezina winner has a 3-0-2 record in his last five games for Winnipeg, and he’s never once allowed over three goals in that stretch. Hellebuyck’s best win lately came during a 5-1 thrashing of the Boston Bruins, when he saved 24 of 25 shots on goal for a 0.960 save percentage.
Hellebuyck is once again showing off his durability with 25 appearances so far in 2023-24. He’s not having his strongest season, with a 0.918 save percentage, a 2.35 GAA, one shutout, and a 16-6-3 record, but that doesn’t mean he’s not enjoying an outstanding campaign by NHL standards.
Overall, Conner Hellebuyck has been arguably the NHL’s most consistent goaltender since he broke out in 2017-18, and it would take a major meltdown from himself or the team to prevent him from enjoying yet another strong outing. Look for Hellebuyck’s numbers to at least stay consistent, if not improve, as the second half of the season approaches.