Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy (; born 25 July 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, by the Lightning at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Nicknamed the "Big Cat" and "Vasy", he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender in the 2018–19 season, and has led the league in wins for five consecutive seasons (2017–18 to 2021–22). He also backstopped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2021 playoffs while also holding the NHL record for most wins in single postseason (18 in 2020).
Playing career
Junior
He was originally selected by Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2011 KHL Junior Draft.
Vasilevskiy was selected 19th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. On 6 May 2014, he was signed by the Lightning to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Professional
Early years in Tampa Bay (2014–2016) On 27 September 2014, Vasilevskiy was assigned to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL), the top minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning. On 15 December 2014, Vasilevskiy was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week. In the previous week, he allowed just one goal on 56 shots faced in two games, which was good for a 0.50 goals against average (GAA) and a .982 save percentage. Vasilevskiy had a 29-save shutout against the Springfield Falcons, which snapped their franchise-record 11-game winning streak. In the next game, he made 29 saves in a 4–1 victory over the Hershey Bears. Vasilevskiy had compiled a record of 8–3–3 in 14 appearances with Syracuse that season, with a 2.34 GAA, .918 save percentage and two shutouts. On 2 January 2015, he was named CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for December, posting a 4–0–1 record with a 1.17 GAA and a .962 save percentage. He was the first Syracuse goaltender to win the award since Karl Goehring was honored in March 2008.
On 16 December 2014, Vasilevskiy was recalled to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He then started that night in his NHL debut, a 3–1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He also accomplished another feat that night by becoming the first NHL goaltender to ever wear the number 88. He recorded his first NHL shutout on 3 March 2015, over the Buffalo Sabres in a 28-save performance. Vasilevskiy's first playoff win came on 6 June 2015, when he replaced starting goaltender Ben Bishop twice during the third period of Game 2 of the Finals; he thus became the first goalie in 24 years to win a playoff Final in relief and the first to earn his first career playoff win in relief in the Final since Lester Patrick in 1928. The Lightning would go on to lose the finals against the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games.
On 3 September 2015, Vasilevskiy had successful surgery to remove a blood clot from near his left collarbone and to treat a type of Vascular Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Vasilevskiy was expected to return to the ice in 2–3 months. On 21 October 2015, Vasilevskiy was cleared to come off of his blood thinner medication, allowing him to return to practice. On 1 November 2015, the Lightning recalled Vasilevskiy from his conditioning stint with the Crunch, where he made 56 of 58 saves in two wins. Vasilevskiy made his return to the NHL that same night, in a 4–3 Lightning victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Vasilevskiy once again filled in for Ben Bishop in round 3 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins after Bishop got injured and despite a strong performance, the Lightning lost in 7 games, just 1 win short from back to back Stanley Cup Finals.
Emergence, Vezina Trophy, back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, Conn Smythe Trophy (2016–present) On 1 July 2016, the Lightning announced the re-signing of Vasilevskiy to a three-year contract extension. Vasilevskiy appeared in 24 games with the team during the 2015–16 season, posting a record of 11–10–0 to go along with a 2.76 goals-against average and .910 save percentage, as well as one shutout in his second season. He also played in eight Stanley Cup playoff games in 2016, recording a record of 3–4 to go along with a 2.76 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. On 28 December 2016, Vasilevskiy recorded his first career NHL point as an assist on an overtime goal scored by Tyler Johnson, which came in a 4–3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.