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Why Braden Holtby is the runaway leader for the Vezina Trophy

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby is 27-4-2 this season, with a .932 save percentage. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

At the halfway point of the 2015-16 season, the Washington Capitals are the team to beat in the NHL, leading the league with a 32-7-3 record, while allowing a league-low 89 goals against. That's why it makes sense that Braden Holtby is considered the clear front-runner for the Vezina Trophy.

The Vezina Trophy, whose origins date back to the 1926-27 season, has been awarded since the 1981-82 season to the most outstanding goaltender, as selected by the NHL's general managers.