NHL Vezina Trophy Odds: A Five-Way Tie Among Preseason Favorites

The 2023-24 NHL season is right around the corner as training camp is set to begin.

Let's check out the Vezina Trophy odds on FanDuel Sportsbook ahead of the upcoming 82-game season.

Here's a look at the top 10 favorites before the campaign gets underway.

Vezina Trophy Odds

Juuse Saros

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

Juuse Saros has been in the Vezina Trophy conversation for three straight seasons but has yet to take home the hardware.

Perhaps the 2023-24 season will be his time to finally do so.

Saros has been as strong a netminder as there is in the NHL. The Nashville Predators rely on him more than any team relies on a goalie, which, in some ways, may be his downfall by the end of the year with his numbers.

In each of the last two seasons, he's played the most minutes of any player. Saros has also made a combined 130 starts (131 games) in that time -- the most games of any starter in back-to-back years. The Predators lean on Saros -- a lot. That makes him as valuable as any goalie in the NHL, but when his numbers could probably be better with a little extra rest, you have to wonder what they'd look like.

Over his 64 games, Saros finished with a .919 save percentage (SV%) and 2.69 goals-against average (GAA). Those are nearly identical to the 2021-22 season when he finished with a .918 SV% and a 2.64 GAA.

If he's going to walk away with the Vezina Trophy, it may come down to simply playing less to be all the more effective. He's only 28 years old, meaning we're in the midst of his prime performance. If Nashville wants to make the playoffs, it'll come on the back of Saros, but making sure he doesn't break down by year's end will be their best bet for a run when they get there.

Saros has the talent, but he just needs to be handled the right way to get there.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

Known as the best goalie in the world during the Tampa Bay Lightning's reign atop the NHL, Andrei Vasilevskiy is still one of the very best to do it in the league today.

Gone are the days of the goalie discussion being Vasilevskiy followed by everyone else. Somehow, the two-time Stanley Cup winner and 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner is just 29 years old. With the playoff runs not being as deep this past year, it should mean that this upcoming season is the freshest Vasilevskiy has been since the 2019-20 season -- when he helped lead Tampa Bay to their first of two back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Last season, Vasilevskiy put together another strong statline. He went 34-22-4 (his first time not leading in wins since 2016-17) with a .915 SV% and 2.65 GAA. The save percentage was his lowest clip since 2015-16 when he was a backup to Ben Bishop. The same goes for his 2.65 GAA, which was the highest since 2016-17.

This isn't to say we're in the midst of a full-on Vasilevskiy decline because he still did finish sixth in the Vezina Trophy voting. However, it's time to be aware that when betting on Vasilevskiy, his best of the best days are likely behind us. Some of that has to do with the play in front of him, as well. The Lightning aren't the best team in hockey anymore. They're one of the best because they have who they have in goal, though.

At +600 alongside three others in the top five, it's a bet you're making if you believe in both Vasilevskiy and the Lightning this season. If you do, this may be the best odds we see for him all season.

Connor Hellebuyck

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

With no clear favorite heading into the 2022-23 season, Connor Hellebuyck is another betting option with the résumé to back it up.

Hellebuyck has been one of the best in the league for a number of years now. He won the 2019-20 Vezina Trophy with a .922 SV% and 2.57 GAA. He finished second for the trophy back in 2017-18, fourth in 2020-21, and third this past season. Furthermore, Hellebuyck has been as solid as they come, and based on his numbers last year, he should share the top odds with the other five we're discussing.

Last season, Hellebuyck finished with a .920 SV% and 2.49 GAA. These numbers are almost identical to his Vezina Trophy-winning year in 2019-20, saying more about his continued top level of play than anything else.

The Winnipeg Jets are going to only go as far as Hellebuyck can bring them. In Hellebuyck's case, he probably has the weakest team in front of him compared to the other netminders featured. That will hurt his case -- even with the track record.

Ilya Sorokin

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

If Ilya Sorokin isn't the best goalie in the world right now, he's pretty close to it.

Sorokin is coming off a career year for the New York Islanders in 2022-23. The 28-year-old finished second behind Linus Ullmark in the Vezina Trophy voting after finishing 31-22-7 with a .924 SV%, 2.34 GAA, and a league-best 6 shutouts.

Considering that the goalie he lost to was part of the record-setting Boston Bruins team, it really doesn't hurt Sorokin's case in being the league's best.

During the offseason, Sorokin signed to an 8-year, $66 million contract to be the Islanders' guy for the foreseeable future. It's hard to believe he won't get at least one Vezina Trophy in his career after displaying that his skill wasn't just a fluke in 2021-22. He had a .925 SV% and 2.40 GAA then.

He also sits at +600 odds but is perhaps the most intriguing of these top puck-stoppers. The Islanders are built to be a defense-first team, and that makeup should only help Sorokin's case in the regular season to take home the trophy.

Igor Shesterkin

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +600

The New York Rangers went all-in last year and were handed a first-round exit by the New Jersey Devils. That's not exactly what they were looking for as they continue to hunt for their first Stanley Cup since the 1993-94 season.

New York didn't have an amazing offseason by any stretch since they're up against the cap, but they do have the team in front of them to go the distance as long as Igor Shesterkin can return to form.

Shesterkin entered the 2022-23 campaign as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and was coming off a great run in the playoffs where he powered the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals. The 27-year-old finished his 2021-22 Vezina season with a .935 SV% and 2.07 GAA. Those numbers were not at all repeated in 2022-23.

Shesterkin finished the year 36-13-4 but had a .916 SV% and a 2.48 GAA. These are quality numbers for the average goaltender, but much better was expected from Shesterkin.

The good news for the Rangers goalie heading into the new season is that he's the youngest player on this list and has the past accolades to back himself up as one of the elite. In his seven playoff starts where the Rangers dropped Game 7 to the Devils, he finished with a .931 SV% and 1.96 GAA. He showed up on the biggest stage. Expect more of that this year as New York looks to contend again.

Looking for more NHL betting opportunities? Check out all of the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.