Vegas oddsmakers have just released their opening odds for the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy winner. According to SBD, a sports betting site that tracks odds from multiple sportsbooks, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck, and Tuukka Rask are co-favourites to win the 2021 Vezina at +500 odds.

In other words, a successful $100 bet would win $500. The three goaltenders were the finalists for the 2020 Vezina, with Hellebuyck taking home the prize with 19 of 31 first-place votes.

Washington Capitals Ilya Samsonov and former Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby are tied with the 9th best odds at +1500, meaning a $100 bet would win you $1,500, or both netminders are 15 to 1 to odds win the Vezina.

Samsonov was 16-6-2 with a 2.55 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 26 games played last season. Holtby was 25-14-6 with a 3.11 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 48 games played last season.

Possible reasoning for Samsonov and Holtby to be tied in odds is speculative, but could be related to several issues. Samsonov is coming off of a significant injury that caused him to miss all of the 2020 playoffs. In addition, Samsonov has also never been the number one netminder and never played in more than 37 games in a regular season.

However, with the reduced schedule anticipated for the 2020-21 season and the arrival of veteran Henrik Lundqvist, conditioning should be less of an issue this season compared to a normal 82-game schedule.

By Jon Sorensen