With the 2024 NHL draft complete, most of the top free agents signed and several key trades made, all 32 rosters across the league are starting to take shape.
We have at least some idea as to what everybody is going to look like and which teams might be contenders.
Andrei Vasilevskiy Is a Vezina Finalist
Vasilevkiy used to be a regular among the top three of the Vezina voting, but has not been a finalist since the 2020-21 season. He is also coming off one of his worst seasons as a starter, managing only a .900 save percentage during the 2023-24 season.
That will all change this season.
A big part of his down year this past season was the fact he was never fully healthy early in the year and was trying to work his way back from offseason surgery. He has also played a ton of hockey over the past five years as the Lightning kept going on deep playoff runs into the Eastern Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final.
That will all eventually catch up to even the best goalies.
But with him entering the season fully healthy and having a longer offseason to rest and recover, he should return to being the elite goalie the Lightning have been accustomed to him being. He may not win the Vezina, but he will be in the top-three of the voting.
