Ranking the top 5 worst Vezina Trophy winners in NHL history

3. Ed Belfour (1992-93)

Ed Belfour had one heck of a run from 1990 to 1995. During that five year span, he won two Vezina Trophies, had a second place finish in the Vezina race, and led the league in shutouts for four consecutive seasons.

Belfour won his second Vezina Trophy during the 1992-93 season. He played in a league-high 71 games, which is insane for a goalie. Belfour also had the most shutouts (7). He deserved to be a Vezina finalist, but he shouldn’t have won. And sadly, the guy who should have won, Curtis Joseph, really need that Vezina win.

Joseph appeared in 68 games, just three behind Belfour. Also, Curtis Joseph faced the most shots against of any goalie in the league and also made the most saves. Granted, this was due to playing in so many games, but it’s clearly meaningful. He also led the league in GSAA and goaltending point shares.

So why didn’t he win? Well, Joseph only had 27 wins because the St. Louis Blues weren’t a very good team. They finished just outside the bottom five in goals scored and barely even managed a .500% point percentage. If Joseph and Belfour swapped places, Joseph would have won in a landslide. He was the better goalie, no question about it.

With a Vezina Trophy, Curtis Joseph might be in the Hall of Fame. Remember, there are no goalies in the Hall of Fame without a Vezina. He’s one of the most underrated goalies of all-time, so maybe it’s appropriate that he can’t get into the Hall of Fame.