Semyon Varlamov Could Be Ready To Return

Semyon Varlamov could be back to fight for his throne in Colorado by Tuesday

According to Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy, goaltender Semyon Varlamov could be ready to go by Tuesday — but he’s not going to have an easy time of it once he comes back.

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The Avalanche made their opinion on Reto Berra quite clear when Varlamov was re-injured, giving AHL call-up Calvin Pickard six consecutive starts and sitting Berra in all the Varlamov-less games.

The last time Varlamov returned, though, Colorado reassigned Pickard to the AHL… choosing instead to keep Berra on the bench behind last year’s net superstar. This time, Varley is coming back to a team that has has been led by one of the best and brightest young goaltenders in the league in his absence.

In his last two starts alone, Calvin Pickard has only allowed two goals on seventy-seven shots… a feat good for a .974 SV% over the two games. He hasn’t dropped below a .900 SV% more than twice on the season, recording two partial shutouts to pull the Avalanche ahead in back-to-back comeback victories and boasting a 2.16 GAA for his twelve games played.

It was assumed that when Varlamov returned, Pickard would continue to develop in the AHL — but with the 22-year-old netminder bailing Berra out of numerous bad situations and Varlamov’s lingering injuries, things might look a little different in Colorado this year.

(Of course, that’s assuming that Roy even plans to use a goaltender at all for the remainder of the season.)

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