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The voting pool is a small one for the Vezina Trophy, given to the NHL's best goaltender each year.

The award is voted by the league's 30 general managers, who each rank their top three candidates.

In 2014-15, Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens came impressively close to a unanimous decision as he captured his first Vezina. He received 27 first-place votes and three second-place votes for a total of 144 points, according to NHL.com, more than twice as many as the 60 points collected by second-place finisher Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.

Price's star has been on the rise for the past few seasons, so it's surprising he became a Vezina finalist for the first time in his career just last year. But after sharing the William Jennings Trophy as one of two primary goaltenders on the teams with the lowest goals against, as well as picking up the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award as the league's MVP at any position, Price has spent the summer of 2015 head and shoulders above the rest of the goaltending herd.

Right now, it's hard to imagine any other goaltender stealing the Vezina away from Price next season, but these things happen. The trophy hasn't had a repeat winner since Martin Brodeur did the deed for the New Jersey Devils back in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

This slideshow will look deeper at where Price stands going into 2015-16, then offer up the challengers who are best positioned to contend if Price gets injured or otherwise falters next year.