Now comes the time of the year in which writers/bloggers and fans alike start talking about what players will be doing this upcoming year. Prognostication is one of the hallmarks of writing about sports, so with that I will present some of my outside the box Vezina candidates who could surprise this upcoming year.
Robin Lehner
This is the most out of the box candidate on the list and has to do more about the Sabres potential than it really does as him as a player. Lehner hasn’t played a full season yet in his career. Lehner has posted a .905 save percentage last year but none of that may matter. After splitting starts his entire career he is going to be given the opportunity to be the man this year. He has shown spurts of brilliance in the AHL and has shown at times in the NHL why he could have the goods to be a starter. The opportunity is now for the young swede.
The Sabres this year are set to have the biggest improvement in the standings this year by adding players like Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane, Jack Eichel and Cody Franson. Those names could have them hovering around the 80-point mark, but the rest is up to Lehner who could provide one of the best storylines of the upcoming season.
To continue reading this article by Sam Blazer at Bloguin, click here.
