Trophy Tracker: Thompson of Capitals choice for Vezina as top goalie

To mark the halfway point of the 2025-26 regular season, NHL.com is running its third installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the top goalie in the NHL as selected NHL general managers.

Logan Thompson hit a career milestone Dec. 31, when he was named to Team Canada for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

The Washington Capitals goalie could be on the path to another major career moment when the Vezina Trophy is awarded. Thompson is the choice to win it at the halfway point of the season, according to NHL.com. He received seven first-place votes and 63 voting points from the 16-person panel.

Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche was second with 57 points (seven first-place votes). Rounding out the top five were Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars with 33 points (one first-place vote), Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (22) and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers (20, one first-place vote).

Thompson is 15-12-4 with a 2.40 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and two shutouts in 31 games. He is tied for second in save percentage, fifth in GAA, and tied for second in even-strength save percentage (.915) among goalies to play at least 20 games.

Those numbers are what helped earn him a trip to Italy for the Olympics next month.

"It's the thing you dream about, wearing the (maple) leaf on your jersey as a kid," Thompson said after the team was announced. "I watched the Olympics growing up. ... Being able to get that call today, it's a privilege and I'm really thankful for the opportunity.

"This is the biggest stage in the world and just really looking forward and excited to be there and a part of that team, especially Team Canada with how many superstars are in that room."

The Olympics is the next step in a career that has seen him ascend from playing Canadian college hockey at Brock University, to two seasons in the ECHL and then two seasons in the American Hockey League before becoming a full-time NHL player with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23.

After two full seasons with Vegas, Thompson was traded to Washington on June 29, 2024. His play has taken another jump since joining the Capitals, and his 46 wins the past two seasons through Wednesday are the most among Canada-born goalies.

"I think Logan, statistically, has been maybe the top [Canadian] goaltender over the last couple of years," Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong said. "He was very close last year in the 4 Nations (Face-Off). All he's done since then is play exemplary hockey."

Charlie Lindgren, Thompson's goaltending partner with the Capitals, had no doubt Thompson would be part of Team Canada.

"To me he deserves it 100 percent," Lindgren said. "There's not a single doubt in my mind that he should be on that team. You look at the body of work he's delivered the last year and a half that I've seen him play, I certainly think that he's been the best goalie in the League."

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said what's impressed him is how Thompson knew the Olympics was a possibility if he played well but never saw the 28-year-old put too much pressure on himself.

"What I'm so impressed [about] and so proud of 'LT' is … whatever happened, arguably could have been on the [4 Nations Face-Off] team last year, wasn't, he comes in this year knowing it's an Olympic year and knowing he had a really good year and had an argument to be on the 4 Nations Canadian team. So you've got one thing that you can do to make that Canadian Olympic team and that's play lights out; essentially, go in and every time you get a chance to play a hockey game, play lights out and that's literally what he's done.

"So to play as well as he had with that in the back of your mind is really impressive. The mental fortitude to completely zero in on that next start and then do it again and again and again and let the extracurriculars take care of itself with his play, has been impressive."

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals, 63 points (7 first-place votes); Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche, 57 (7); Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars, 33 (1); Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning, 22; Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers, 20 (1); Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings, 11; Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild, 8; Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, 8; Spencer Knight, Chicago Blackhawks, 5; Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders, 4; Karel Vejmelka, Utah Mammoth, 4; Brandon Bussi, Carolina Hurricanes, 3; Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins, 2

NHL.com independent correspondent Harvey Valentine contributed to this report