Tampa Bay Lightning star goalie received some big-time praise in a recent goalie rankings.
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had a down year for his standards in 2023-24. In 52 appearances, the 2013 first-round pick recorded a 30-20-2 record, a 2.90 goals-against average (GAA), and a .900 save percentage (SV%). While his numbers were down compared to previous years, it is essential to note that he started the campaign late due to offseason surgery.
When Vasilevskiy is fully healthy and playing at his best, he is one of the most dominant goalies in the sport. This is evidenced by the 30-year-old helping lead the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. He also added a Conn Smythe Trophy to his resume for his outstanding playoff performance in 2021.
Thus, despite a rough year for standards, Vasilevskiy is still regarded as one of the top NHL goalies heading into the 2024-25 campaign. In the NHL Network’s latest top 10 goalies list, Vasilevskiy is at the No. 3 spot.
Vasilevskiy is ahead of several star goalies on the NHL Network’s list, which include Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders), Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks), Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers), Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars), Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators), and Linus Ullmark (Ottawa Senators). The only two goalies ahead of Vasilevskiy on the list are Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) and Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets).
The NHL Network gave Vasilevsky some big-time praise, placing him ahead of several of the NHL’s best goalies right now. It is certainly deserved, as Vasilevskiy is a superstar and has had a marvelous career. With a bounce-back season, he would have a real shot of shooting up to the No. 1 spot.
Vasilevskiy will now look to have a big year for the Lightning in 2024-25. He undoubtedly has the potential to.