Does Devan Dubnyk have a Shot at the Vezina?

This was supposed to be a case for Devan Dubnyk to be named the 2015 Vezina trophy winner.

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But there’s this whole “Carey Price” thing stymieing my argument a bit. He has put up numbers that are flat-out phenomenal for Montreal, and he’s done it all year. (.937 SV% & 1.88 GAA)

However, at this point Dubnyk, who has gone from a feel good story to the real deal, is second in the running. Does he have a shot at winning the prestigious award for the first time in Wild history?

First things first, here is the criteria for the Vezina trophy winner:

The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League’s goaltender who is “adjudged to be the best at this position”. At the end of each season, the thirty NHL general managers vote to determine the winner.

So in order for Dubnyk to get the award, he’s got to be proven better than Price. The numbers over the entirety of the year go Price’s way, but since his acquisition by the Wild, Devan has kept pace. Not only that, Price has gotten several nights off while Dubnyk has had to suit up every single night, all back-to-backs included.

Here are their numbers since Dubnyk came to the Wild on January 15th:

Devan Dubnyk: 32 games played — 1.71 goals against average — .938 save %

Carey Price: 25 games played — 1.48 goals against average — .950 save %

(Okay, I’ll admit I did not see that coming.)

Price’s numbers are incredible, but has he meant as much to the Habs as Dubnyk has to the Wild?

Dubnyk took a team that was in complete shambles and made it one no one wants to see in the first round of the playoffs. Before he came to town, the Wild were getting awful goaltending from Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom, and by awful I mean dead last in the entire league.

With playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Chuck Fletcher made a call to Arizona and brought the Wild’s catalyst into town. Since that fateful day, which included a 7-0 victory over the Sabres, the Wild are getting top-2 goaltending.

What Price has done this year can’t be overstated. It’s phenomenal, and in all likelihood he’s going to win the top-goalie award for it. But for taking something that looked irreparable and turning it into what it is today, Dubnyk gets my vote. And I am only a little biased.

Next: Poll: Which team would be best playoff match-up for Wild?

Mar 19, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) shoots on Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) during the third period at Xcel Energy Center. The Capitals defeated the Wild 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

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