Whats the deal with Varlamov?

[shadow1]

I’m a nutshell: he’s an above average goalie who’s always been a bit streaky and a bit injury prone. There is also the perception that he is not a “big game” goalie, as evidenced by his playoff resume.

The Avalanche probably won’t bring him back/he may not want to come back (due to lots of other opportunities across of the NHL), but stranger things have happened.

 

[Trinstin]

Hope he is gone after this year.

 

[AvsCOL]

Peak Varly was as good as any goalie in this league. Still think he should've won the Vezina in 2013-2014. Single-handedly took that team to the playoffs. Unfortunately, he's incredibly fragile, even for a goalie. I'd personally like to have him back, as I think he's quite a bit better than Grub, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't re-signed.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Peak Varly was as good as any goalie in this league. Still think he should've won the Vezina in 2013-2014. Single-handedly took that team to the playoffs. Unfortunately, he's incredibly fragile, even for a goalie. I'd personally like to have him back, as I think he's quite a bit better than Grub, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't re-signed.

Peak Varly only shows up so often though.

And the fact that he didn’t win the Vezina in 13/14 is actually super ridiculous.

 

[varano]

Man hes hurt again eh...

 

[Foppberg]

Man hes hurt again eh...

He's okay. Just one game

 

[S E P H]

Varlamov was always an elite goaler with a questionable mental game. Now though, not sure you can call him elite anymore due to all the time he has lost with injuries. It was a risk trade by Sherman, which we ultimately won considering what McPhee did, but like a lot of trades both teams probably move on and Varly doesn't recapture his Vezina performance again (still remains a passable goaler though).

 

[Foppa2118]

I think Varly's mental and big game ability are fine. He battled through that crazy distracting season of court battles with his ex, and had a great season. That must have taken a very strong mental game. He's also stood on his head down the stretch in multiple seasons, winning multiple big games.

Every time Varly seems to play at a sub par level, it seems to be revealed soon after he's battling injuries. Varly was dealing with groin injuries going into the playoffs for Washington in 2010, and that's where some of this big game criticism has come from.

I really think most, if not all of Varly's problems with inconsistency and other critiques, stem from his injuries. That's a legit critique, because he can't seem to stay healthy much. You just have to hope they only keep him out a few games and not half a season.

If he's 100% healthy, Varly is an outstanding #1G. He's just not always 100% healthy and that's a concern.

 

[Bonzai12]

the issue with his injuries though are that they've stacked up...

I've fallen into the trap before of thinking about players - "oh once he gets over all the injuries, he'll be back to being elite"......for a lot of players, injuries take their toll and just continue to degrade the players capabilities until they become much more of a burden on your roster than a positive factor. It's hard to watch happen but I think it started happening to Varlamov quite some time ago.

 

[LieutenantDangle]

Additionally, Varly seems to struggle in games where he’s not seeing lots of shots. He engages when the rubber comes early and often and has ridiculous games where he will make 45+ saves (to the shegrin of hawks and stars fans). But then he’ll have games where he isn’t challenged early and sees less than 20 shots in a game and look disengaged and soft.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Additionally, Varly seems to struggle in games where he’s not seeing lots of shots. He engages when the rubber comes early and often and has ridiculous games where he will make 45+ saves (to the shegrin of hawks and stars fans). But then he’ll have games where he isn’t challenged early and sees less than 20 shots in a game and look disengaged and soft.

So we should play Varly in every game that we expect to get destroyed. NSH, WPG, CGY, LAK, SJ, CHI, etc..

 

[varano]

He bounced back last night...just lacked the goal support. That second goal was just a brutal line change

 

[Pokecheque]

Rudo noted that Varly's lateral movement still doesn't look right. I listened to the game on the radio so I didn't see. Any truth to this? I know his rebound control is still a mess, and that's usually one of his strengths.

 

[klozge]

Rudo noted that Varly's lateral movement still doesn't look right. I listened to the game on the radio so I didn't see. Any truth to this? I know his rebound control is still a mess, and that's usually one of his strengths.

He did look like something was still bothering him. I thought he looked a bit better than in the game before but... it's probably time to move on and look for an alternative.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

He still looks really bad IMO. Rebound control is a disaster and he looks slow moving especially when he's trying to track the puck. Held his own against LA but that really isn't saying much, if they were a more aggressive team in the offensive zone they certainly would have gotten a couple more off of rebounds.

 

[CobraAcesS]

He did look like something was still bothering him. I thought he looked a bit better than in the game before but... it's probably time to move on and look for an alternative.

Pretty much what I was going to say except the end, but I've got a theory about goalies who have had his surgery no one ever seems to give credence. Moving on from Varly kind of depends on the finish he has for me, and what he'd ask for. If he finishes the year strong I'd give him a one year contract with the idea to extend that if he does well next year.

I've got no problem looking for another solution regardless, but I don't necessarily think Varly is done for. I've got no reason to trust Grubs right now, and they haven't given Frank a shot. Also the goalie market is going to suck this off-season.

 

[klozge]

Pretty much what I was going to say except the end, but I've got a theory about goalies who have had his surgery no one ever seems to give credence. Moving on from Varly kind of depends on the finish he has for me, and what he'd ask for. If he finishes the year strong I'd give him a one year contract with the idea to extend that if he does well next year.

I've got no problem looking for another solution regardless, but I don't necessarily think Varly is done for. I've got no reason to trust Grubs right now, and they haven't given Frank a shot. Also the goalie market is going to suck this off-season.

I like Varly too much to disagree but it would be fairly risky to go with him and Grubauer again. I pretty much expect Francouz to leave after the season because the Avs don't seem to trust him, so I don't consider him an option. And because the goalie market will indeed suck like it always does trading Varly for someone else's backup is possibly our best chance. His value isn't exactly high right now but it's still higher than Grubi's imo.
Just a sad, stupid situation. Especially because there isn't much time left until the deadline.

 

[HartKinnon]

Rudo noted that Varly's lateral movement still doesn't look right. I listened to the game on the radio so I didn't see. Any truth to this? I know his rebound control is still a mess, and that's usually one of his strengths.

I don't remember if it was againts Leafs or Senators but during a pre game warm up he changed the blades of his skates couple of times.

 

[Foppa2118]

Varly was one stupid penalty from Cole away from a 31 save shutout, but that's not saying much?

His rebound control has been fine for the most part the last few games. It's not on top of his game, smothering all the shots Varly, but it's fine for how much traffic he's had to deal with the last few games. He's not leaving a bunch of pucks around the crease on harmless shots for guys to clean up.

 

[Balthazar]

Varly didn't inspire confidence regardless of the score but that's not even the point here.

The point is we need to know what we have going forward and unless they play Grubs and Francouz we will never know. It would be important to know before the summer, ideally before the deadline. Varly is currently a roadblock, he's in the way.

 

[Foppa2118]

Varly didn't inspire confidence regardless of the score but that's not even the point here.

The point is we need to know what we have going forward and unless they play Grubs and Francouz we will never know. It would be important to know before the summer, ideally before the deadline. Varly is currently a roadblock, he's in the way.

They don't appear interested in playing Francouz. I think it was a mistake to pass up the couple chances they had earlier in the year to give him a start against eastern opponents.

Bednar seems to be in do whatever it takes to win mode though, with the team barely holding onto a playoff spot. So that probably means they don't want to risk playing him. I'm not putting a lot of stock in that long range softy he gave up, but that probably didn't help either.

If they didn't play Francouz before, I have my doubts they will down the stretch, unless there's an injury, or they lock down a playoff spot.

If that happens, I think it'll will have been poor planning by the coaching staff/management to not give Francouz a look early in the season to help them evaluate him going into next year.

 

[Avs44]

If that happens, I think it'll will have been poor planning by the coaching staff/management to not give Francouz a look early in the season to help them evaluate him going into next year.

I mean, I'm not even sure Francouz will be here next year. He's a UFA, he obviously came over to get a shot at the NHL. If the Avs don't give him that I'm not sure why he'd stay.

 

[Foppa2118]

I mean, I'm not even sure Francouz will be here next year. He's a UFA, he obviously came over to get a shot at the NHL. If the Avs don't give him that I'm not sure why he'd stay.

He wants a shot at an NHL job. The problem isn't with him leaving to find one. It's that the Avs might have put themselves in a position where they don't know what they have in him, and it's tough for them to gamble on him over one of Varly or Grubauer because they're more proven.

If he walks, it's likely because the Avs don't feel comfortable committing to him in the NHL, and he looks for a better opportunity elsewhere.

Best case, he's down for another year starting the year as the #3 with the Eagles. Hoping he gets a shot and locks down an NHL job, but that's probably not realistic to expect him to be on board with that again.

 

[klozge]

Varly didn't inspire confidence regardless of the score but that's not even the point here.

The point is we need to know what we have going forward and unless they play Grubs and Francouz we will never know. It would be important to know before the summer, ideally before the deadline. Varly is currently a roadblock, he's in the way.

It really is complicated, isn't it? Varly is probably our best goalie but he can't stay healthy. Right now he seems to be on track to slowly become the goalie he can be again but he might just be one injury away from being done. Grubauer is the plan for the future but the players don't seem to trust him anymore because he had a couple of nightmarish games. (He's also been one of the worst goalies I've ever watched behind the German national team which is one of the reasons I don't like him. He sucks and one good season for the Caps doesn't change this. At least not for me. I admit I'm biased here.) Franky doesn't seem to be that great either (I don't really know, though, because I can't watch him in the AHL. I didn't like his lateral movement in the limited time I've seen him in the NHL.) and never gets a chance anyway.
What do we do? I have no idea.

 

[Pokecheque]

I'm not sure what the plan was, but Grubauer's continued ineffectiveness has surely screwed up whatever plan that was. Obviously Varly's stumbles haven't helped, but they sure look like they're scrambling for answers with the goaltending implosion.

As far as Frankie goes, I don't know how much of not playing him has to do with Bednar, and how much of that has to do with management. Either way it was an absolutely dumb call not to have at least given him one start during all the chaos.