Rask, Hellebuyck and Vasilevsky nominated for Vezina Trophy

This just in, the NHL has announced its three nominees for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender. Early nods are the Boston Bruins' Tuukka Rask, the Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevsky.

Check it out:

Three deserving candidates, even if it's clear that Hellebuyck is going to run away with the award when the winner is announced during the Conference Finals or before the Stanley Cup Final. Still... was anyone here robbed of a nomination? Ben Bishop? Jacob Markstrom? Jordan Binnington?

In any case read below for the full press release from the NHL including the case for each of Rask, Hellebuyck and Vasilevsky:

Hellebuyck played more than 50 games for the Winnipeg Jets for the fourth straight season and led the League with six shutouts. He also finished second in wins (31) and was seventh in save percentage (.922) among goalies to play at least 20 games. He was 31-21-5 with a 2.57 goals-against average when the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The runner-up for the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18, Hellebuyck would be the first goalie in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history to win the award.

Rask finished the season 26-8-6 and, along with Jaroslav Halak, helped the Boston Bruins win the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals (167) in the NHL. He led the League with a 2.12 GAA, tied for second with five shutouts and was second in save percentage (.929) among goalies who played at least 20 games. He allowed two or fewer goals in 27 of 41 games and began the season with a 20-game point streak on home ice (14-0-6). Rask won the Vezina Trophy in 2013-14.

Vasilevskiy (35-14-3) led the NHL in wins for the third straight season and had a 21-game point streak (19-0-2) from Dec. 17 to Feb. 15. He had a 2.56 GAA, .917 save percentage and three shutouts for the Lightning (43-21-6), who won at least 10 games in a row twice this season. Vasilevskiy won the Vezina last season and is a finalist for the third straight year. He could become the first to win it in consecutive seasons since Martin Brodeur did so with the New Jersey Devils in 2006-07 and 2007-08.