Saros, Shesterkin, Markstrom finalists for Vezina Trophy

Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers and Jacob Markström of the Calgary Flames are the finalists for the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie, the NHL announced on Tuesday. 

The 27-year-old Saros posted a 2.64 goals-against average with a .918 save percentage and four shutouts over 67 games with the Predators this season, his seventh year in Nashville. The native of Finland suffered a lower-body injury late in the regular season on April 26 and was sidelined for the entirety of Nashville's first-round series lost to the Colorado Avalanche in four games. Pekka Rinne is the only Predators goalie who has won the award, earning the Vezina in 2018.

Shesterkin, 26, led the NHL in both GAA at 2.07 and SV at .935 alongside six shutouts over 53 games. This was the Russian's third season in the NHL after being selected in the fourth round by the Rangers in the 2014 NHL Draft. Former Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist won the Vezina in 2012 while John Vanbiesbrouck did so in 1986 under the current selection criteria.

Markström, a 32-year-old Swede, had a career best 2.22 GAA in 2021-22 with a .922 SV and a league-leading nine shutouts for the first-place Flames. Miikka Kiprusoff won the Venzina in 2006, the only member of the Flames to accomplish the feat.