Sergei Bobrovsky joined a rather elite list of names in history Wednesday evening.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was selected as the 2017 Vezina Trophy winner Wednesday. With his second Vezina, he became just the 22nd player in NHL history to win multiple Vezinas.
Legend netminders such as Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur, and Patrick Roy are among the list of multi-Vezina winners. On the other hand, players such as Henrik Lundqvist, Grant Fuhr, and Billy Smith hold just one.
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Is Bob the Best?
Bobrovsky also became the only active player to hold two Vezinas. In addition to Bob, there are currently five players in the league that have won one. That list unsurprisingly includes fellow 2017 finalists Braden Holtby and Carey Price. Tuukka Rask, Ryan Miller, and the aforementioned Henrik Lundqvist also are active former winners of the award.
With those incredible players only having one, is Bobrovsky the best in the league because he has two? I wouldn’t argue against it but it is a tough question.
Bob’s postseason woes are troublesome and is definitely a point that can’t be ignored. If/when Bobrovsky and the Jackets get it together in the playoffs, there will be no argument. But until then, Bob is simply just one of the best, not the best.
Will Bob be a HOFer?
Of the 21 multi-Vezina winning netminders that preceded Bob, 17 have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. That number will increase to 18 when Martin Brodeur becomes eligible.
The only goaltenders that have won at least two that are not currently in the HOF besides Brodeur and Bobrovsky is Michel Larocque, Charlie Hodge, and Tim Thomas.
With a vast majority of multi-Vezina winners in the hall, it makes you wonder if Bob will be inducted when his career is over.
Currently, he looks a lot like Thomas. Both can be considered good, but not consistently great. If Bobrovsky can continue to find success in the net and grab another Vezina, I think he’s a pretty sure Hall of Famer. If he puts together some average or subpar seasons, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him be inducted.
Will #72 be Retired?
Almost definitely. Unless Bob pulls a Rick Nash and spurns the Jackets, No. 72 will be the first retired number in Columbus Blue Jackets history. His impact on the franchise has been immense. He will break numerous goaltender franchise records this season (barring injury). Games played, shots against, saves, shutouts, and minutes are just a few on the table. He already owns several records and is undoubtedly the best goalie in franchise history by a country mile.
Whether Sergei Bobrovsky is the best or a HOFer, we should not take him for granted. He is a legend in every meaning of the word for the Columbus Blue Jackets.