The 2026-27 Vezina Trophy race remains tightly contested among multiple goaltenders because key established contenders face major disruptions while several others post strong early results. Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending lower-body injury has removed a perennial favorite from consideration, and Connor Hellebuyck’s ongoing holdout and trade request have sharply reduced his playing time and market standing. In their absence, Logan Thompson leads early betting lists after a solid start with the Capitals, Linus Ullmark sits at 6-0 with elite save percentages for Ottawa, and Jeremy Swayman has anchored Boston’s strong opening. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin, and Jake Oettinger also receive support as proven options with favorable workloads and team contexts. General managers’ late-season voting will ultimately decide the award, leaving room for form, workload, and team success to shift the field over the long regular season.