Spurs must forget Eze humiliation, Isak will be all the talk on Tyneside and Everton begin a new era at Hill Dickinson
Enzo Maresca’s request for Chelsea to replace the injured Levi Colwill with a new centre-back remains unanswered. The club’s position is straightforward: there are no suitable defenders on the market and, in any case, it is up to Maresca to find internal solutions. The Italian can call upon Josh Acheampong, who performed well against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend. The 19-year-old started with Colwill’s long-term absence complicated by Tosin Adarabioyo’s minor injury. Adarabioyo may return for Friday night at West Ham but there is a case to give Acheampong another chance next to Trevoh Chalobah. Acheampong, who counts Manchester City as one of his many suitors, stood up to Jean-Phillipe Mateta in the goalless draw with Palace. It is worth having another look at whether he can cope as the central centre-back when Chelsea morph into a back three in possession. Replacing Colwill’s line-breaking passes will not be easy but Maresca has options. Jacob Steinberg
The Kingston Frontenacs have officially recruited both of their first-round draft picks from the 2025 OHL Priority Selection, even though one of them took a little longer to get over the finish line.
“Aleks has the size and skill to impact the game in all situations,” said Kingston Frontenacs GM Kory Cooper. “We see him as a modern-day, two-way forward with a high ceiling. With his size and high hockey IQ, he has the framework to be a pro in the future.”
Kingston selected the towering 6-foot-3 centerman with the ninth overall pick back in April. Due to their 2024 first-rounder, Caleb Malhotra, not reporting to training camp last season (later had his rights traded to Brantford), the organization received the ninth overall pick as compensatory. Frontenacs' 17th overall pick from 2025, Matthew Henderson, signed back in late June.
If you’re a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and recognize the last name Kulemin, yes, Aleks is the son of former Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin, who played six seasons in Toronto before signing with the New York Islanders in 2014.
His son Aleks played for the Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA team in the GTHL last season. The Flyers won the U16 AAA GTHL Championship and were runner-ups in the OHL Cup to North Bay’s Camryn Warren’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Despite not taking the crown at the OHL Cup, Kulemin, along with his Don Mills squad, won the Toronto Titans Early Bird tournament, the Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic, and the Oakville Rangers Winter Classic.
With all games combined, regular season, playoffs, and tournaments, the Flyers finished with a record of 67-9-2. Kulemin recorded 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) in 69 games last year.
Kulemin not signing his OHL contract until now probably has to do with a similar situation the Peterborough Petes experienced with their first-overall pick, Kaden McGregor, who didn’t sign his SPA until today as well.
Both McGregor and Kulemin are represented by Newport Sports Management. Newport wasn’t happy about the OHL’s modification of their standard player contracts, which we assume is why the two took so long to sign.
Kingston’s training camp opens up next week at Slushi Puppie Place, where Kulemin will be in attendance.
Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Mookie Betts, left, congratulates Freddie Freeman as he crosses home plate after hitting a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Dodgers the lead Thursday. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
When the Dodgers arrived in Colorado on Sunday night they had a golden opportunity to pad their narrow division lead against with the worst team in the majors. Unfortunately, even with Thursday’s 9-5 win over the Rockies, the Dodgers only managed a split of the four-game series.
They now head to San Diego for a crucial three-game-series against the San Diego Padres with the division lead once again up for grabs.
“I wish we had won all four, but it just didn't happen,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That's just the way baseball is. So we’ve got to go out there and regardless of the standings, we’ve got to beat those guys.”
The standings, however, loom large. On July 7, the Dodgers led the division by six games. The margin is now just a game.
The Padres, who have won 12 of 19 games in August, are the third-hottest team in the National League this month. The Dodgers are a game over .500.
“It is what it is,” Roberts said. “It's where we're at right now and I can't change it. I feel good about our club going into San Diego.”
His club will have a bit of momentum on its side after scoring 20 runs on 30 hits in the two wins at Coors Field. Thursday’s matinee saw four players finish with multiple hits, including third baseman Alex Freeland, who was a career-best three for five with a run scored and another driven in. Freeland had six hits in the final three games in Denver.
“It's just like I'm building confidence now,” said Freeland, who entered Thursday hitting .180 since his call-up from triple-A Oklahoma City three weeks ago. “I've kind of spent a little time here now and I'm getting comfortable.”
The Dodgers also got a fourth straight strong effort from starter Clayton Kershaw (8-2), who gave up three runs in 5⅔ innings. Kershaw has allowed just five runs over 23 2/3 innings this month, dropping his season ERA nearly 50 points to 3.13.
That was also good enough to keep his team in first, something he noted afterward.
Fans applaud as Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw heads to the dugout after being pulled from the mound in the sixth inning Thursday. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
“You can't take anything for granted in Colorado, obviously,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we're [one] up going in [to San Diego]. So we feel good about it.”
Freeland agreed.
“We definitely could have produced more. But you know what? We're going to take this one today and take this momentum and bring it into San Diego,” he said.
After Kershaw won the opener of a three-game series with the Padres at Dodger Stadium a week ago, the teams were even atop the N.L. The Dodgers wound up sweeping that series and have won eight of 10 with the Padres overall this year.
“We've played well against those guys this year,” Roberts said. “They're going to give us everything they have this weekend.”
The Dodgers got started early Thursday with Mookie Betts, who reached base four times, opening the game by walking on five pitches. Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run home run, his 16th of the season, to center field.
The Rockies cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on a popup that got lost in the sun, a sacrifice bunt, a balk and an RBI groundout. But they would get no closer, with the Dodgers scoring in each of the first five innings to take an 8-2 lead.
Freeland had his first career triple along with a double and single, falling a homer shy of the cycle. He had six hits in the final three games in Denver. Betts finished two for three with two walks and two runs scoring while Freeman, who was two for five, raised his season average to .304 and is hitting .328 for August.
Shohei Ohtani feeling fine
Roberts said pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is fine after taking a line drive off his right thigh in Wednesday’s game. Ohtani was scheduled to have Thursday off and Roberts said he’ll be back in the lineup Friday.
Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates set to return
The Dodgers will activate reliever Tanner Scott before Friday’s game in San Diego and reliever Kirby Yates on Saturday. Scott has been out a month with inflammation in his left elbow while Yates has missed three weeks with lower back pain.
Roki Sasaki making progress
Right-hander Roki Sasaki made progress in his second rehab start Wednesday, going 3⅓ innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked three and struck out two before leaving after 60 pitches. He will make another rehab start next week before the Dodgers make any decision on his role in September. The team had talked about using Sasaki in a relief role.
As the Yankees get closer to the end of the regular season, they are hoping to return two essential arms to the fold.
Before the start of a crucial four-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, manager Aaron Boone delivered updates on Fernando Cruz and Ryan Yarbrough, who have pitched in rehab starts the last couple of weeks, and both are heading in the right direction.
The Yankees skipper said Cruz will have at least one more rehab appearance, which is set for Friday. And although that will keep him from this weekend's series, the hard-throwing right-hander should be ready by next week.
"We want him to go two ups, a four-out scenario just to have that built in with missing enough time," Boone explained. "The temptation will be to lean on him with how good he’s been all year. I want to have a little bit of volume built so when he gets here, he’s able to jump into any role we need him. We’ll give him one more. That’ll put him in play for the start of the Washington series, hopefully."
After the four-game set with the Red Sox, the Yankees will host the Nationals for a three-game series starting Monday.
Cruz has made three minor league starts over the last week. His last appearance came on Aug. 19 with Double-A, where he struck out three batters and allowed one hit in his one inning of work. In his three minor league starts, he's allowed four runs on five hits and one walk across 2.1 innings while striking out four batters.
In 32 major league appearances this year, Cruz pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 54 strikeouts across 33 innings pitched in his first season in pinstripes. He also closed two games.
As for Yarbrough, the southpaw made his second rehab start on Wednesday, throwing 50 pitches in 3.1 innings with Triple-A. He allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three batters.
"We want him to go another one to continue to build up a little bit," Boone said. "With the lack of starting depth down the stretch, it’s important to build it out if we can a little bit. It’ll be at least one more for him and then we’ll see from there."
In 16 games (eight starts), Yarbrough has pitched to a 3.90 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP this year with the Yankees.
Police say officers were called to the 1500 block of South Buffalo Drive in Las Vegas at 5.42pm on Tuesday, where they found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds.Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
The father of Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is facing an attempted murder charge in Las Vegas after police say he stabbed another man during a parking lot confrontation.
According to authorities, officers were called to the 1500 block of South Buffalo Drive at 5.42pm Tuesday, where they found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds. The victim was taken to a local hospital and remained in critical condition.
In a statement, a Las Vegas metropolitan police department spokesperson said the suspect, 57-year-old Quenton Marcelles Brown, was stopped a short distance from the scene and taken into custody. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a charge of attempted murder.
TMZ first reported that the altercation began when Brown allegedly dinged the victim’s car door with his Lincoln Navigator. A heated argument followed, during which Brown allegedly stabbed the man in the back and stomach.
Court records reviewed Wednesday listed Brown as an inmate at the Clark County facility. A person with knowledge of the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it, confirmed that the man arrested is Jaylen Brown’s father.
Before becoming known as the parent of one of the NBA’s brightest stars, Marselles Brown carved out a lengthy career as a professional boxer. Listed at 7ft tall with an 86in reach, he fought professionally from 1989 through 2008, then again from 2014 through 2016 following a six-year retirement, compiling a 33-18-1 record with 25 knockouts. He also served on the board of the Hawaii state boxing commission.
He was a formative influence on Jaylen’s independence as a young athlete, encouraging him to enter the 2016 NBA draft without an agent so he could negotiate his own first contract. “My main motivation for coming out of retirement was to show my kids that I never gave up on my dreams,” he said in a 2016 interview, adding that he wanted them to take the same approach.
The Boston Celtics' ownership change is officially completed with Bill Chisholm as the owner and governor — after purchasing the majority of the team at a $6.1 billion valuation — and Wyc Grousbeck serving as the alternate governor. While ownership has changed, the goals or expectations in Boston have not, Chisholm told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
"We're not playing for second, we're playing for championships and banners," Chisholm said. "We're playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we're also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can't do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league."
This offseason, the Celtics have shed the salaries of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, saving the team more than $300 million in salary and luxury tax. All their moves combined got them below the dreaded second apron of the luxury tax, but they are still in the tax. While the sense around the league has been Boston may treat this as a "gap year" due to Jayson Tatum's torn Achilles keeping him out most or all of next season — and some think they may not be done looking for moves to save money — Chisholm said he thought a team based around Jaylen Brown and Derrick White could surprise some people.
He also discussed Grousbeck's role with the team. The plan had been to have Grousbeck stay on as the team's governor, but the league requires the governor to have a 15% stake in the team, and after the sale, the Grousbecks fell slightly below that threshold. That doesn't really change anything, Grousbeck said.
"When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, 'Well, then we're just not going to use that word around the office.' So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn't care," Grousbeck said. "He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We're shoulder to shoulder."
The real test of ownership and the creativity of management will come next summer as they try to fill out a championship roster around a returned Tatum, plus Brown and company. That's when the spending will matter more.
For now though, Chisholm is singing a song that Celtics fans will like to hear.
The 21-year-old center’s new contract will kick in for the 2026-27 season as he finishes his entry-level contract. He will overtake Andre Burakovsky and Tyler Bertuzzi on the payroll list, as they both earn an average annual value of $5.5 million.
Defenseman Shea Weber, who has been inactive since 2021, technically has Chicago's highest cap hit at $7.857 million, but among those playing games for the Hawks, Nazar's is currently the highest in 2026-27.
The value of Nazar's contract extension is remarkable after only playing 56 NHL games and scoring 13 goals and 27 points. That contract and cap hit could factor into what leading scorer Connor Bedard gets next.
Like Bedard, who won gold at the world juniors twice, Nazar has drawn plenty of attention to himself outside of club hockey.
He was a key contributor to Team USA claiming the gold medal at the 2025 men's World Championship. In 10 games, Nazar recorded six goals and six helpers for 12 points, which where tied with Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley for the most on the squad.
“Frank elevated his game last season and has proven himself to be one of the top young talents in the league,” Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said in a press release.
“He drives play using his elite speed and playmaking abilities, creating problems for opponents and opportunities for teammates every night. Frank is an integral piece of our team, and we’re thrilled to have him with us for the next eight seasons.”
Nazar and Connor Bedard enter the final year of their entry-level contracts, but Nazar received a contract extension before the 2023 first overall pick.
Bedard has played 150 games in the NHL across two seasons, recording 45 goals and 128 points. He was the 2023-24 Calder Trophy winner for being the NHL's rookie of the year, and he's led Chicago in scoring in both seasons.
"We are talking," he said. "I think that's an indicator of an openness to discuss. He made his thoughts very clear at the end of the season and then subsequently in interviews about (how) he's committed to Chicago and wants to be here long-term. We obviously want him long term, so there is mutual agreement there."
The 20-year-old center has been eligible for a contract extension since July 1. Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem a deal is imminent, insider Frank Seravalli reported in late July.
The increase in the NHL's salary cap from $88 million to $95.5 million this season and potentially to $113.5 million by 2027-28 likely plays a role in Bedard’s contract negotiations.
"If we're able to get something done, that would be fantastic," Chicago’s GM said on July 1.
"If we don't, I think it's probably more so out of the uncertainty around how the league and the system is going to be growing or impacted moving forward than anything player/team related."
Bedard will almost certainly earn a higher cap hit than Nazar. Leading the team in scoring in back-to-back seasons gives more leverage than playing part of one season, like Nazar did.
Ferrari predicted that if Bedard signed a max-term deal off his entry-level contract, he could negotiate for a larger cap hit than what he could get on a short-term deal, but it could look like a bargain for the team later on. If he signs a bridge deal right now, he could negotiate a much higher cap hit on the following contract and earn more money overall.
Detroit native Frank Nazar inks landmark deal with the Chicago Blackhawks after a solid rookie campaign.
Frank Nazar has always carried the grit and determination instilled in him as a native of Mount Clemens. Now, the dynamic forward has signed a landmark seven-year contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks, with an annual cap hit of $6.59 million.
The new deal is the largest ever given to an NHL forward with so little professional experience at 56 career games. The previous benchmark was set by Kirill Kaprizov’s five-year, $45 million deal after 55 games in 2021.
The deal, which begins in 2026-27, marks a major commitment from the team to a player who's quickly become a cornerstone of their rebuild. The 21-year-old is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, but the Blackhawks wasted no time ensuring he’d be part of their long-term plans.
"Frank elevated his game last season and has proven himself to be one of the top young talents in the league," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement "Frank is an integral piece of our team, and we're thrilled to have him with us for the next eight seasons."
His journey to this point traces back to Michigan as Nazar starred at the University of Michigan for two seasons. He began with seven points in 13 games through his freshman season, but it was his sophomore year that turned heads across the hockey world. Nazar averaged a point-per-game through 41 apperances as he turned into a must-watch prospect that made the Blackhawks draft him 13th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft
As a rookie in the 2024-25 season, Nazar lived up to the hype, putting up 12 goals and 14 assists across 53 games. His end-to-end speed, relentless motor, and ability to create chaos in the offensive zone made him one of the team's few bright spots after finishing with a 25-46-11 record for second-worst in the NHL.
Internationally, Nazar’s talent was also evident on the global stage as he helped lead Team USA to gold at both the 2024 World Junior Championship (eight points in seven games) and the 2025 World Championship (12 points in 10 games).
Five years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks defeated the St. Louis Blues 6–2 to advance to the Pacific Division Finals for the first time since their fateful 2011 Stanley Cup Finals trip. This 2020 Bubble Playoff run was the current core’s first time playing in the postseason, as Vancouver’s last postseason venture was back in 2015.
Prior to Game 6 of their first-round series against the Blues, Vancouver had taken down the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their playoff qualifier series. The task of taking on St. Louis, the defending Stanley Cup champion, was daunting — especially for a young team in their first official playoff series. However, Vancouver proved that they deserved to be in the postseason by snagging an early 2–0 series lead.
Despite the jubilation of Vancouver’s early series lead, which included a close 4–3 overtime win capped off by a highlight-reel goal by former Canucks captain Bo Horvat, St. Louis proved why they were the defending champions. The Blues came back with a 3–2 overtime win in Game 3 and a 3–1 win in Game 4 to even the series up. For a young Vancouver team, this adversity was something that would help propel them to wins in a later round — but that’s a topic for another day.
Game 5 was a big one for both Vancouver and St. Louis. For the Canucks, this was the opportunity to regain their lead, pushing the Blues to the brink of elimination. For St. Louis, this was a defining match that would give them the advantage after a strong comeback. Tyler Motte got the Canucks off to a good start by scoring the game’s opening goal while shorthanded. The Blues forced their way back, scoring three unanswered to carry a 3–1 lead into the halfway mark of the game.
With three more goals needed to steal a win away, Vancouver put their heads down and got to work. J.T. Miller scored the Canucks’ second goal of the game a little less than two minutes after the game’s halfway mark. Jake Virtanen tied the score up around five minutes after, sending the Cancuks towards the end of the period with the chance to steal the game in the third period. However, Motte potted his second of the game with less than two minutes in the second frame to give Vancouver a 4–3 lead. In a gutsy effort, the Canucks took Game 5, putting St. Louis on the cusp of elimination.
Nerves were high heading into Game 6. Fans weren’t sure what to expect from Vancouver in this series-clinching game, as time and time again, the Blues proved themselves as a force capable of stealing a game when they needed it most. Even so, it was Vancouver who impressed the most in this match, with the Canucks scoring four unanswered before St. Louis tallied their first of the game. Motte had yet another two-goal game, while Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Troy Stetcher, and Brock Boeser also added to Vancouver’s final score of six goals.
This first-round for the Canucks was meaningful in more ways than one. The young core of Boeser, Quinn Hughes, and Elias Pettersson gained valuable playoff experience. Jacob Markström showcased his skills with a series-saving stop, making fans more comfortable with him in net (more on that in another article). Most importantly, despite it not occurring in front of fans, it gave Vancouver’s fanbase something to cheer about in a particularly isolated time.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of their core forwards locked in for a long time now that Frank Nazar has agreed to terms on a seven-year extension.
This deal for Nazar, which kicks in during the 2026-27 season, is worth $6.59 million per year against the cap. This deal was earned with his impressive play down the stretch last season.
Nazar's deal makes NHL history as it is the largest contract given to a forward with his level of experience. His extension comes at a time when he has only 56 career games.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet detailed it on social media, explaining how it broke the record set by Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild.
It's a gamble in a lot of ways, but Nazar's skill, speed, attitude, and tenacity make him worth the risk. Young players with his level of production, especially towards the end of 2024-25, get paid handsomely nowadays.
Now that Nazar is paid and has some stability with his hockey home, he can focus on playing the game and getting better with each passing day. It may not be long before this contract is considered to be extremely "team-friendly".
The Yankees have signed right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn, who was released last week by the Mets after being designated for assignment and clearing waivers.
Blackburn, 31, will work out of the bullpen for the Yanks.
In a corresponding move, right-hander Allan Winans was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
"Some depth, some length, our pen right now is not filled with a lot of guys who can give us a lot of length," manager Aaron Boone said before Thursday's game. "Obviously, a track record of success in the big leagues. A guy that’s built up who can give us some coverage if we get in a situation where we need some real length."
Blackburn had a 6.85 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 23.2 innings in seven games (four starts) for the Mets this season.
His stint in Queens stretched from the second half of last season to a few days ago, and was marred by injuries (including a cerebrospinal fluid leak that required surgery this past October) and ineffectiveness.
In 24.1 innings for the Mets in 2024, Blackburn had a 5.18 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
The name that has been circling the internet all summer has officially made an appearance on an NHL Network list. The Top 20 Centers Right Now countdown features Golden Knights star Jack Eichel at No. 6.
The 28-year-old center has truly made his mark in this organization, proving consistent improvement every season. Though not one of the “Original Misfits”, he continues to be a fan favorite in the community.
Playing a total of 241 games during four regular seasons in Vegas, Eichel put up some impressive numbers showing his reliability on the ice. After his departure from the Buffalo Sabres back in 2021, Eichel had 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) at the end of the regular season.
He played a significant role in the historic championship run for the Knights the following year. He posted 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in the regular season and led the team in postseason scoring with 26 points in 22 playoff games.
This past season marked a breakout year—his best yet. Over 77 games he racked up a career-high 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists).
Eichel continues to be an invaluable asset to the Vegas community. He’s a regular presence at youth hockey camps and actively participates in the annual Battle for Vegas charity event. The buzz around him certainly isn’t just hype; it’s earned.
The goaltender is arguably the most important position in hockey. Across the NHL, there are several elite netminders, guiding their respective teams to victory.
At the end of every season, the best goaltender is awarded the Vezina Trophy. The winner is decided by a vote consisting of all 32 GMs in the NHL.
While it may be too early for anyone to confidently predict the winner of the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy, BetMGM has the futures odds. The goalies with the top five odds are on another tier from the rest.
Here’s why these five candidates could and couldn’t be crowned goaltender of the year.
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
It should surprise no one that the 2024-25 Hart Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, is the odds-on favorite on BetMGM to win the Vezina Trophy next season, at 4.10 odds (+310).
Why he could win: The Winnipeg Jets goaltender has proved to be the best in the NHL over the last two seasons. He’s won the Vezina Trophy in both seasons, and he will go for his third straight and fourth total.
Among goaltenders who have played at least 25 games last season, Hellebuyck led the NHL in goals-against average (2.00) and was second best in save percentage (.925 percent).
Why he couldn’t win: Winning the Vezina as many times as he did forces Hellebuyck to continuously outperform his peers between the pipes. The 32-year-old has put himself on a pedestal, and the moment he can’t play up to his standards, even if it is above-average in comparison to the rest of the NHL, he could lose his title. Other top-tier goalies can put up an excellent season as well.
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Igor Shesterkin is entering his seventh season with the New York Rangers and his first under his new contract extension, which is worth a goalie-high $11.5 million per year. His odds of winning the Vezina this upcoming season are 7.75 (+675).
Why he could win: Shesterkin has won the Vezina Trophy before. It was in the 2021-22 season when he recorded a 2.07 GAA and a .935 SP. Since that campaign, Shesterkin has had two top-10 Vezina finishes. He ranked seventh in the NHL in goals saved above expected last season, with 21.6, according to moneypuck.com, even though he had somewhat of a down year by his standard.
Why he couldn’t win: Shesterkin's goals against average and save percentage have regressed since winning the Vezina in 2022. Last season, he ended with a .905 SP and 2.86 GAA, the worst of his career so far. Those numbers aren't respectable for a Vezina candidate.
Following his fellow Russian, BetMGM lists Andrei Vasilevskiy with 8.50 odds (+750) to win the Vezina.
Why he could win: Vasilevskiy has been in the Vezina Trophy conversation for nearly his entire career. Besides winning it in 2018-19, the Tampa Bay Lightning netminder has had six other top-10 finishes for the award, four of them in the top three.
To win this trophy, goalies need help from teammates, and it’s no secret that the Lightning are a top team. Since Vasilevskiy’s NHL debut, Tampa Bay has only missed the playoffs once.
Why he couldn’t win: While the 31-year-old has been an elite goaltender for years, the Lightning have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for three straight years now, which could be a sign of the team getting weaker. That could ultimately affect Vasilevskiy’s numbers and chances at earning his second career Vezina.
Why he could win: For the last few years, the Stars have been one of the best teams in the league, making the Western Conference final for three straight seasons. With Oettinger being just as impressive as Dallas’ D-corpsand the rest of his team, it’s a great recipe for him to stand out in the list of top goaltenders in the NHL.
Why he couldn’t win: Even though the 26-year-old has been consistently solid for the Stars, he needs to reach the next level and be consistently elite. All the winners of the Vezina Trophy in the last five years have recorded a .920 SP or better. Oettinger has not been able to reach that level just yet. Last year's 2.59 GAA and .909 SP aren't strong enough.
Coming off an impressive rookie campaign, Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames has 19.00 odds (+1800) of winning the Vezina in his sophomore season.
Why he could win: Wolf will have to use his underdog title to his advantage in the race to win the 2025-26 Vezina Trophy. While it may feel like a long shot, he could be considered for the award with a stellar season. He was tied for the 10th-best save percentage (.910) last season, so if he continues to trend upward, he can reach another level.
Why he couldn’t win: The 24-year-old is going into his sophomore season. It’ll be a tremendous challenge for him to enter the conversation of the Vezina Trophy, never mind winning the award outright, especially considering opponents scouted him in his rookie year.
