Ullmark wins Vezina Trophy as NHL's top goaltender

Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark is the 2023 winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender.

New York Islanders star Ilya Sorokin and Winnipeg Jets veteran Connor Hellebuyck were the other finalists. The general managers of all 32 NHL teams vote on the honor at the end of the regular season.

Ullmark won by a significant margin, earning 22 first-place votes.

Ullmark backstopped the Bruins to their record-breaking Presidents' Trophy-winning season, posting a dazzling 40-6-1 record. The 29-year-old topped all goaltenders to make at least three starts in save percentage (.938) and goals against average (1.89).

A first-time finalist and winner of the Vezina Trophy, Ullmark also led all netminders in goals saved above average (46.69) while ranking third in goals saved above expected (38.21), goals above replacement (45.4), and wins above replacement (7.7).

Ullmark took the league by storm in February when he became the first goalie to score a goal since Pekka Rinne in 2020.

Sorokin led all goaltenders with six shutouts and was one of seven netminders to make over 60 appearances this season, emerging with a 31-22-7 record. The 27-year-old was key to the Islanders' playoff push, backstopping the squad with a .924 save percentage while ranking first in goals saved above expected (51.36) and second in goals saved above average (36.23), wins above replacement (8.4), and goals above replacement (49.4).

Hellebuyck started a league-leading 64 contests and registered a .920 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average while facing the third-most shots (1,964). The 30-year-old placed fourth in goals saved above average (30.11) and goals saved above expected (33.62) and posted a 37-25-2 record.

New York Rangers stud Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy last season.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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