Player Discussion: 2024 Vezina Winner Connor Hellebuyck

[DRW204]

Still has a higher playoff SV% than Pavelec’s career SV%.

oh wow, Pavelec is the bar for greatness

 

[Duke749]

oh wow, Pavelec is the bar for greatness

Dam, a bit late to the party there lol Been on hiatus?

 

[DRW204]

Dam, a bit late to the party there lol Been on hiatus?

had you on ignore.

 

[Duke749]

had you on ignore.

 

[AlaskaJet]

For me it's not even the numbers. It's the way he's looked in the playoffs.

Bad rebounds poor reads bad positioning. Of course some of that is a result of breakdowns in front of him but players notice when their goalie is struggling, or in the zone, and it can affect their play as well.

Uh-oh…Maybe he needs readers, trifocals or progressives?

 

[gojetsgo]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1845873173096763779

 

[snowkiddin]

The Hockey News’s goalie issue is out. Jets ranked number 8 in their goalie power rankings.

So nice to have a top 10 netminder

 

[KingBogo]

The Hockey News’s goalie issue is out. Jets ranked number 8 in their goalie power rankings.

So nice to have a top 10 netminder

ESPN also just came out goalie tandem rankings and had the Jets 2nd behind NYR. Basically saying it is all about Helly and Comrie should be more comfortable in Winnipeg and give competent backup duty.

 

[gojetsgo]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846969905884942618

 

[snowkiddin]

ESPN also just came out goalie tandem rankings and had the Jets 2nd behind NYR. Basically saying it is all about Helly and Comrie should be more comfortable in Winnipeg and give competent backup duty.

Yeah, man. I think #8 for the Jets is bait. I know Comrie is not all that and a bag of chips, but come on. They had the Oilers at #12 for Pete’s sake.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846969905884942618

Jesus, if I was Steve Nash I would have taken credit for that as Cordwainer Bird.

 

[DRW204]

Helle 1st star of the week

I will manifest Helle for Hart

 

[White Out 902]

This is the last time and the only time I'll say this this season. All of this doesn't matter unless he can continue it in the playoffs.

 

[Guardian17]

Helle 1st star of the week

I will manifest Helle for Hart

 

[bumblebeeman]

This is the last time and the only time I'll say this this season. All of this doesn't matter unless he can continue it in the playoffs.

I couldn't disagree more. Helle keeps up this season and wins his 3rd Vezina he basically locks up getting into the HHOF and being considered one of the best goalies of all time. Playoff success would be great for him too of course, but if the team falls apart again it doesn't diminish his regular season successes, at least for me.

 

[KingBogo]

I couldn't disagree more. Helle keeps up this season and wins his 3rd Vezina he basically locks up getting into the HHOF and being considered one of the best goalies of all time. Playoff success would be great for him too of course, but if the team falls apart again it doesn't diminish his regular season successes, at least for me.

Agreed. A 3rd Vezina would likely put him in the Hall of Fame despite team success. But you have to think/hope/pray that for at least 1 postseason it all comes together for him and the team.

 

[surixon]

I couldn't disagree more. Helle keeps up this season and wins his 3rd Vezina he basically locks up getting into the HHOF and being considered one of the best goalies of all time. Playoff success would be great for him too of course, but if the team falls apart again it doesn't diminish his regular season successes, at least for me.

He's already in imo. Goalies like Loungo are in and he never one a cup or a Vezina.

 

[DRW204]

I couldn't disagree more. Helle keeps up this season and wins his 3rd Vezina he basically locks up getting into the HHOF and being considered one of the best goalies of all time. Playoff success would be great for him too of course, but if the team falls apart again it doesn't diminish his regular season successes, at least for me.

he's a generational player/goalie. his consistency is stupid ridiculous, and sporting the sv% he is in the midst of one of the higher scoring eras. he's easily a HOF player however, imo if he doesn't win a cup it will be a knock on his resume given the tier of regular season player he is just like it would be for any other generational player w/o one.

 

[Daximus]

Agreed. A 3rd Vezina would likely put him in the Hall of Fame despite team success. But you have to think/hope/pray that for at least 1 postseason it all comes together for him and the team.

Even 2 puts him in a pretty rarefied company. But it is interesting because now that Bobrovsky has won a cup. Helle is now one of 2 goalies with at least 2 Vezina's that has not won a Cup.

The only other one is Tony Esposito who played nearly his entire 16 year career with Chicago through the 70's to early 80's and never won a Cup. Tony had really only 1 solid playoff outing in his career when he lead the Hull/Makita Hawks to the Cup finals in 1971 on the back of a pretty amazing performance but they ultimately lost to Montreal in 7 games. They made it back in 1973 and again lost to the Habs in 6 games but his performance was pretty ho-hum that time around.
But he was still inducted into the HHOF in 1988, 4 years after he retired from the game.

Tony Esposito
3x Vezina
1x Calder
3x First Team All Star
2x Second Team All Star
1x Top 3 Hart Vote (no win)
886 GP - 423 Wins - 76 Shutouts

Connor Hellebuyck
2x Vezina
1x Jennings
2x First Team All Star
1x Second Team All Star
2x Top 3 Vezina Vote (no win)
518 GP - 287 Wins - 40 Shutouts

Esposito won most of his Vezinas before turning 30. After that he had some decent seasons but never really had the same level of play in his post 30 years old career.

Of the other goalies with at least 2 Vezina's that aren't in the Hall are;

Bobrosvky who is pretty much a lock to get in now with his Cup win and longevity as an elite goalie.

Tim Thomas who has a pretty amazing but very short resume and is also polarizing now. Going on 10 years now post retirement with no real word that he'll ever get in.

Charlie Hodge is the only other one but at the time he won his 2 Vezina's the award had very different criteria, it was more like the Jennings and so he split both of his with Gump Wrosley on the Habs. He never really had the individual play to get himself into the Hall unlike his platoon partner.

All this to say that even though Esposito never won a Cup he still landed in the Hall so I think if Helle wins another Vezina this year he's pretty much a lock. But only winning 2 with little playoff success to date could make him the only goalie with at least 2 Vezina's and No Cups and likely not a lock long term to make it in.

 

[DRW204]

comparing him vs Hasek level dominance, sv% above league average:

ie: 93-94 hasek had a +3.5% (hasek sv% 0.93 vs nhl sv% 0.895) or 24-25 helle is 3.4% (0.934 vs 0.9)

note:
hasek didn't play 02-03
Season's skip from 05-06 to 15-16