Sergei Bobrovsky is the runaway favorite in the NHL's goalie of the year race

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner. So it’s time to ignore them completely and look ahead to the 2016-17 NHL awards ceremony in a few months.

We’ll start our predictions with the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the best goaltender in the NHL. Also known as “Award For The Goalie Who Should Be The MVP But Isn’t A Forward So Here’s A Vezina And A Gift Bag.”

The league’s general managers vote on this, so the award will be fair, just, and totally justifiable. At any rate, here’s who we think should be in the conversation and who will be nominated.

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Frontrunners

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Columbus will reap rewards and awards by the dozens for its out-of-nowhere season. Bobrovsky will be the recipient of one of them, barring some upset.

Bobrovsky leads the NHL in save percentage (.933), goals-against average (2.02), even-strength save percentage (.939) and quality start percentage (.661). Do the Blue Jackets go on that historic 16-game win streak without him? No. And they probably don’t make the playoffs as easily, either. Bobrovsky might be a Vezina lock at this point.

Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild

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Dubnyk’s season is a tale of two halves.

• Pre All-Star break: .935 SV%, 1.88 GAA
• Post All-Star break: .904 SV%, 2.82 GAA

Dubnyk will probably get a nomination based on that gaudy first half alone, but he’s as much of a reason for Minnesota’s decline down the stretch as anyone.

Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens

As up-and-down a year as Price has ever had. And yet here he is, with a .623 quality start percentage bested only by Bobrovsky. Montreal fell from grace midseason, and Price wasn’t immune to it. But for such an imperfect, chaotic team, the Canadiens still made the playoffs easily.

Price gets credit for that. Montreal owns the sixth-best win percentage (.808) when leading after one period, a testament to Price’s ability to hold a lead even in the face of franchise shake-up.

Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

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Back again. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner provided quite the sequel in 2016-17, leading the Capitals to their second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy.

The only thing going against him is history. Repeat Vezina winners are common in NHL history, but the last back-to-back claim was Martin Brodeur a decade ago. With such a crowded field this season, it might not be surprising if Holtby doesn’t even get a nomination.

Dark Horses

Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers

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In another, less-crowded, year Talbot would be a front-runner. Connor McDavid (rightly) gets a lot of credit for the Oilers’ return to playoff contention, but the truth is they wouldn’t have mounted such a run without Talbot’s play in net. His .927 SV% while shorthanded helped Edmonton’s weak penalty kill turn into an asset down the stretch. His 42 quality starts lead the NHL.

Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Yes, Andersen is the darkest of dark horses. But I figured he deserves a shout-out for his part in bringing the Maple Leafs to the (brink of) the playoffs. Andersen’s 38 quality starts on an inexperienced Leafs team are the fifth-most in the league.

And the nominees should be...

Bobrovsky, Dubnyk, and Talbot. The first is obvious. The second is dubious. (Or, Dubyous. Thank you.) The third would be a surprise, but a worthy one. The man started 72 games. Give Talbot the love he deserves and then a long nap.

But the nominees will be...

Bobrovsky, Dubnyk, and Holtby. Because Capitals. And remember, you can’t argue with it. The general managers watch the games. Some of them have even played the game.