🏒 Vezina Trophy Odds 2026: Sorokin Favored Over Vasilevskiy in Tight Race

I'm diving into the latest Vezina Trophy odds following the Olympic break, led by the Islanders' Ilya Sorokin and the Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy. Which of the Russian netminders has built a better case to be named the NHL's top goaltender, and who is more likely to take home the honor?

📊 Vezina Trophy odds

Our Vezina Trophy odds update in real time from our best sports betting sites. See the NHL odds for the best odds on each game during the 2025-26 season.

🏆 Who is the Vezina Trophy favorite?

Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin (-120) is the Vezina Trophy favorite entering the final third of the regular season.

The 30-year-old is looking for his first career Vezina. He is trailed by Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (+130), who won the award in 2018-19.

Both goalies have built solid cases and who wins the award will come down to which statistical categories award voters prioritize, as I'll explore below.

🔍 Sorokin or Vasilevskiy: traditional stats vs. analytics

Vasilevskiy outpaces Sorokin in every traditional goaltending measure (GAA, save %, wins), leading the league in all three categories (min. 20 starts). This would undoubtedly be the Lightning goalie's award to lose 10 years ago before the mass popularization of analytics in hockey.

But in 2026, underlying metrics grant us a clearer picture of a player's individual impact. And popping the hood on both goaltenders' respective seasons favors Sorokin. That's likely why he's the favorite in the Vezina Trophy betting market.

Sorokin leads the NHL in wins above replacement and goals saved above expected. He has a nearly seven goal lead in the latter category over Vasilevskiy, per MoneyPuck.

🤔 Can any other goalie win the Vezina?

Rounding out the top five on the oddsboard are the Capitals' Logan Thompson (+1200), Red Wings' John Gibson (+3500), and Hurricanes' Brandon Bussi (+6000).

Thompson is a clear No. 3 behind Vasilevskiy and Sorokin as far as the analytics are concerned, while the veteran Gibson is having his best season in years after joining Detroit.

Bussi is the most interesting challenger here, however. The 27-year-old rookie is 23-3-1 with a sparkling 2.16 GAA and .906 save percentage. His Hurricanes are pushing for the NHL's best record, and his shocking success between the pipes is a significant reason why.

While his underlying metrics aren't quite as impressive as other goalies around the league, he could easily finish with the most wins in the NHL this year. That's why I've placed a small wager on Bussi's current +6000 odds at DraftKings, which are far too high. Those translate to an implied probability of 1.64%, per our odds converter. Bussi certainly has a better chance to win the Vezina than that.

🔮 Vezina Trophy prediction

Both Sorokin and Vasilevskiy have posted incredible seasons thus far, but I'm backing the goaltender whose success I view as more sustainable. It's Sorokin's higher-variance play that is more likely to fall off over the final 30 or so games of the campaign. I also think oddsmakers may be giving too much credence to how much voters value analytics. If Vasilevskiy finishes the season ranked No. 1 in GAA and save percentage, he will win the Vezina Trophy.

That's why I'm much more comfortable backing the future Hall of Famer on one of the NHL's most talented teams. Getting plus-money odds on Vasilevskiy is a bonus here.

Prediction and best bet: Andrei Vasilevskiy to win the Vezina Trophy (+130 via DraftKings)

❓ Vezina Trophy FAQs

Who is the 2026 Vezina Trophy favorite?

Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders is the Vezina Trophy odds favorite.

Who won the Vezina Trophy last season?

The Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck won his second straight Vezina.

When will the Vezina Trophy be decided?

The 2025 winner was announced on June 12, 2025, so expect a similar timeline. 

Who has won the most Vezina Trophy awards? 

Jacques Plante has won the most Vezina Trophies (7), six of which he won with the Montreal Canadiens. 

Which active goaltender has won the most Vezina Trophy awards? 

Connor Hellebuyck has the most Vezinas (3) of active netminders.