Frederik Andersen (+6500) or Pyotr Kochetkov (+16000) To Win The Vezina Trophy
A $10 wager would win $650 if Frederik Andersen wins the Vezina Trophy
A $10 wager would win $1,610 if Pyotr Kochetkov wins the Vezina Trophy
Anyone who has followed the Canes during the Rod Brind’Amour era knows that the team doesn’t give up a ton of chances. In fact, over the last seven seasons, no team has given up fewer shots per night (27.2).
In Andersen’s case, when healthy, he’s been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL during his time with the Canes. His .915 save percentage over the last four seasons ranks sixth among all backstops (min. 100 GP). Motivated by the opportunity to represent his country of Denmark at this year’s Winter Olympics, plus, on a one-year contract loaded with performance incentives, it’s an incredibly important year for “Freddie”. If he can stay injury-free, he could definitely find himself in the conversation for this award at season’s end.
On the other hand, Kochetkov’s road would likely involve him having to shoulder the load in the crease again this season. His game continues to grow year-over-year, and one of the biggest areas of growth he can have for this upcoming season is avoiding mental errors or mistakes. If he can cut down on them and keep his superb high-danger save percentage, which ranked in the 92nd percentile among NHL netminders, he could be a surprise candidate.