For most NHL teams, the season only has a dozen or so games left. But come June, which goalie will the league announce as the Vezina Trophy winner?

J.S. Giguere (Anaheim) — A lot of critics picked him as a possible Vezina winner during the preseason. After a somewhat “slow” start, Giggy has really picked up his game and has gone 10-2-1 in his last 13 games. He also has a .948 save percentage with two shutouts in those 13 games. End of the season heroics are highly looked upon by the league, giving Giguere an edge over most of the competition. On the season Giguere is 31-17-5 with a 2.14 goals against average and a .921 save percentage, both good for fourth in the league.

Pascal Leclaire (Columbus) — Here is a name that has become very familiar in the NHL this season. At the beginning of the year, Leclaire had started only 54 games while posting a 17-32-2 record; possibly a reason why no one in their right mind would have considered him to be a Vezina candidate entering this season. However, Leclaire has turned his game around and might give the Blue Jackets their first winning season in franchise history. Leclaire has a 24-15-6 record this year, with a 2.17 GAA and a .921 save percentage. He also leads the league in shutouts with nine. However, if Columbus fails to make the playoffs, Leclaire will have less of a chance of taking home the award.

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver) — Surprise, surprise! He seems to be the only reason why Vancouver is still alive for a playoff birth. It looked like Luongo and his Canucks were going to fall out of the race for a while, but in his last 13 games he is 8-2-3 and in prime playoff form. He has a 31-20-9 record this season to go along with a 2.21 GAA and a .922 save percentage. He also has six shutouts, good for third in the league. If the Canucks make the playoffs, Luongo should be a first-class candidate for the Vezina trophy.

Martin Brodeur (New Jersey) — For the typical Brodeur standards, it was a bit of a slow start. Critics began to think Brodeur was out of gas after starting the season 2-6-0. Tisk, tisk, all you non-believers. Brodeur has been in fine form since the “horrific” start. Midway through the season he went on a 10-0-1 tear, letting up a mere 16 goals in those 11 games. He currently has a 12-3-3 record in his last 18 games, boosting his team to the top of the Eastern Conference in the process. He is second in the NHL with 38 wins and a .922 save percentage, and third with a 2.12 GAA. With the Devils in first place, Brodeur has a much better shot at the Vezina.

The Winner: Even though, as of late, Giguere has been god-like in net, he hasn’t played like that all season, and the winner has to be in Vezina form for all 82 games, or at least a good portion of them. Leclaire’s team, although having its best season to date, will most likely not make the playoffs. Therefore, Giguere and Leclaire will not be receiving the Vezina. That leaves Luongo and Brodeur. Who would have thought that these two would be in this debate? (That’s sarcasm.) They have both quietly put up some great numbers this season. Luongo seems to have less of a supporting cast than Brodeur and has single-handedly won games for the Canucks this season. However, the fact cannot be ignored that Brodeur’s Devils sit atop the Eastern Conference while Luongo’s Canucks are struggling to make the playoffs; with that in mind, Brodeur will take home this year’s Vezina trophy.