Colorado Avalanche: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

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DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 29: Goaltender Semyon Varlamov #1 of the Colorado Avalanche stands ready against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Pepsi Center on December 29, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Are they in trouble in goal?

Yes, they do have Semyon Varlamov as the No. 1 goalie. But there is a question of whether or not he stays healthy. The last few years he has struggled with thing or another. When he is playing he can be seen as a NHL-caliber goalie.

But what happens if he gets hurt? The Avalanche don’t seem to have too many prime replacement candidates behind him. Last year the Avalanche used Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond as back ups. Both had their moments where they played solid in the net. There were some bad moments too. They both are unrestricted free agents.

Who are they going to turn to now? This could present a problem down the road. The Avalanche are hoping to be a contending team. Contending teams have really good goalies. It is a position they have yet to fill. The goalie position has been a struggle for them for a long time now.

The Avalanche have some goalies in the minor leagues. But they have no experience in the NHL. When it comes down to it that could hurt you. Considering they are already playing with a very young team at most positions. Goaltending needs to be solid to help reach the next level.

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Losing Varlamov willreally hurt the team. His numbers have been solid recently and a big reason they made it last season. This is a question to keep an eye on as we get closer to the season.

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