2020 Vezina Trophy Odds: Should You Bet a Few Bucks on Hellebuyck?
By: Ryan Gilbert
The 2020 Vezina Trophy Odds still lack a clear favorite as there are a handful of goalies with decent odds vying for the trophy.
Jordan Binnington (+250) of the St. Louis Blues, Connor Hellebuyck (+300) of the Winnipeg Jets and Ben Bishop (+400) of the Dallas Stars are the top three favorites for the Vezina at the All-Star break.
Here is why each of the top favorites will or won’t win the Vezina.
Best SportBook 2020
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Jordan Binnington (Vezina Trophy Odds: +250)
23-8-5, 1 SO, .911 SV%, 2.62 GAA
Jordan Binnington is looking to add a Vezina Trophy to his hardware case after winning the Stanley Cup last season. He is third in the league with 23 wins and has fewer regulation losses than any of the 11 goalies with at least 18 wins. His save percentage is in the middle of the road, but among the most-used goalies, it’s above average. Of the 11 goalies with 18 or more wins, Binnington’s save percentage ranks fifth.
Verdict: Binnington has the name recognition and notoriety after winning the Cup, but his numbers this year haven’t lived up to the hype. Stay away from the odds-on favorite.
Connor Hellebuyck (Vezina Trophy Odds: +300)
21-16-4, 4 SO, .917 SV%, 2.74 GAA
Connor Hellebuyck is one of the most-used goalies in the league with 42 games played this season, tying him with Carey Price for the most in the league. 40 of those 42 games are starts, good for third-most in the league. The good news for Hellebuyck is that he hasn’t worn down. Even with bad defense in front of him, Hellebuyck has a very good save percentage (16th in the NHL and 2nd among goalies with 18+ wins).
Verdict: Hellebuyck being a workhorse for the Winnipeg Jets, especially with the lackluster defense in front of him, should help him out in the voters’ eyes. He also leads the league with four shutouts, a great point in his favor. Hellebuyck is worth your buck to bet on.
Ben Bishop (Vezina Trophy Odds: +400)
17-11-3, 2 SO, .925 SV%, 2.33 GAA
Ben Bishop has the best stateline of the three favorites. His .925 save percentage is eighth-best in the league, with every goalie in front of him starting 28 or less games while Bishop has started 33 games. He is a true No. 1 goalie to Anton Khudobin (17 starts) as the 1B. Bishop also has the seventh-best goals against average in the league, and once again it’s the best among No. 1 goalies.
Verdict: Stay away from Binnington, bet a buck on Hellebuyck, and keep an eye on Bishop. If his odds go up, definitely jump on them, and it may be worth a flier at +400 right now anyway.
