Five Current Colorado Avalanche Players Most Likely To Be Hall of Famers
By Austin Manak
4. Semyon Varlamov
Nov 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (1) during the first period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Semyon Varlamov figures to be the man tending the area between the pipes for the foreseeable future in Colorado. Varlamov is just emerging as one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL. His athleticism is being coupled with a technical soundness, that make him extremely difficult to beat.
Unfortunately for Varlamov, he plays behind a team that forces him to face a lot of shots. Varly saw an NHL high 2,013 shots last season, and is 4th in the NHL this year, with 462 shots faced. The 35 shots per game Varly is facing this year, make it hard for him to post the type of goals against average that stands out.
Going forward, nobody can question the talent Varly possesses. The Avalanche have a strong young core of talented forwards. If this team can get some issues figured out defensively, and make some deep playoff runs in the upcoming years, you have to figure Varlamov will cement himself as one of the top goalies in the game.
Everyone on this list is dependent on team success going forward, but especially Varlamov. Winning goaltenders make it to the Hall of Fame. It’s as simple as that. You have to figure he will need to win a Cup, and also have some international success with Russia if he wants to be considered a goaltender worthy of gracing the halls of hockey’s cathedral.
Varlamov Career Stats
GAA: 2.57
Save percentage: 0.917
Wins: 112
Games Played: 223
Notable Career Accomplishments
- 2014 Vezina Trophy runner-up (Best goalie in NHL)
- 2012 Gold Medalist at Hockey World Championships