2009-10 Rink Wrap: Semyon Varlamov

This is a tough one. He did have a mediocre regular season, especially considering his amazing ‘09 playoff run. But once again, he stepped it up in the postseason. Plus, he’s only 22—he still has a lot of maturing to do. He won’t reach the peak of his game for quite some time.

Please stop getting hurt, kthx.

It’s not that tough for me. I was expecting him to be the guy in the playoffs but also expecting about a 40-40 split from him and Theo (-1) and also for him to be getting most of the starts by the end of the season (-1). His numbers were about what I expected.

If not for the injury and the rust he had to shake off after it, Varly gave me about what I was hoping for this season. Which is to say that he reinforced my belief that he’s good enough to be the Caps’ #1 going forward and that he was the best goalie the Caps had last year. He looked very impressive right before the injury and at times in the playoffs. I am, admittedly, perhaps being too forgiving of the fact that he was injured and his ups-and-downs afterward.

I voted 3.

After the postseason last year, I expected Varlamov to come out and seize the starter’s job. He faltered early, got hot, seized it for 12 games, then got injured, then got injured again, then came back, was mediocre, and then got better. He stepped up for us in the playoffs – you have to note that the guy excels in high-pressure situations – but it wasn’t enough.

Varly has a lot of potential, but he needs to stay healthy and he needs to be more consistent.

A 10 next year would require 60+ starts, a save percentage above .920, and a GAA in the low twos.

I had high expectations for him to come in and be a brick wall for the team. He did that, but, he was injured and it scared the hell out of me. Even though I believe the injuries were just bad luck. Once you have a leg injury, especially upper leg injury, you’ll almost always end up tweaking something else as you begin to favor the opposite leg or move differently.

A 10 next year? 60 starts (that means he has soundly taken the job from Neuvirth) .915 (he’ll have some rust but he needs to show he’s well above the Mendoza line) and have a handful of shutouts (since he seems to have mental issues for playing to his ability for the full 60)

My expectations were that Varly would be the starting goaltender by mid season, and never look back. The frequency of injuries has me worried and lowering my expectations a bit for next season. In fact at this point I would be surprised at all if Neuvy is the 1a and Varly is the 1b next year.

I am completely stuck between the options of having a veteran backup and go with the two kids. I think both can probably work well, it’s a matter of how much will a veteran backup help the growth of the two kids? Depends upon who that backup is I guess…

Games played matter, I expected him to seize the job from JT60 or at the very least play at a high level for his 50 games if it was the 1A/1B split we anticipated at the beginning of the year. JT60 outplayed him in the regular season, and he couldn’t stay on the ice which hurt. He was competent during the regular season and played very well in the playoffs to salvage the 3. I dunno maybe I expected too much, but ce la vie.

I’m excited about his 10-11, and will drink to his health. To get a 10 next year he needs to Play 65, go Sub-2.4 GAA and higher then .920 sv%, and keep it up in the playoffs.

I should note that reading the last ’graph of “The Good” in Troy McClure voice makes this Wrap more enjoyable.

I expected Varly to become the hands-down #1 goalie, play 50+ games and lead the team deep into the playoffs. Obviously, he accomplished none of those. Still, I’m very high on his future. His play during the regular season when he wasn’t shaking off the rust and his performance in the Worlds show just how talented he really is. For him to get a 10, he has to become a solid #1, play 50-60 games and win a Cup. I won’t say next season is make or break for him. He is only 22, but he has to start living up to his potential or Neuvirth is going to pass him on the depth chart.

When he was in there he was pretty damn good. Obviously the injuries knock him down a couple points and in general I didn’t think he was spectacular in games 6 and 7.

In order for him to get a 10, he has to become a top 10 goalie as far as GAA, Sv % and backstop the team to the Stanley Cup finals.

I would let him enter camp as the front runner for next season. Don’t give him Ryan Miller minutes, but he should be the primary goalie IMO.

Injured? Check.

Solid in the post-season? Check.

Some struggles with the glove? Check.

Sounds like he met my expectations, though I had expected him to be the #1 when the playoffs started, so he ends up at 5.

5. His play on the ice was above expectations, his lack of games was below expectations. seems like he solved his glove problems and i think his playoff performance continues to give me hope that he’s the guy.

yes, i believe he can lead the caps to the stanley cup finals. i am comforable with he and neuvy as the goalie tandem. if things go sideways, i am comfortable that we would be able to find a veteran backup at the deadline.

a 10 next year means he plays 50-60 games next year with no major injuries and comes through in the playoffs.

Has anyone else seen two different ads for exercise/weight loss on top of the FanPost section for this Wrap (yes, the Geico caveman working out counts)? Coincidence or subliminal advertising?

If I’m Neuvy and I hear that Theo’s agent hasn’t heard from the Caps I wonder how that would affect his performance in the Calder Cup – if at all…

When the Finals are over there still will be plenty of time to talk with Theo and his agent.

I thought Varly made a lot progress this year in improving his weak glove hand. He also played about how I thought he would…sometimes brilliant, and sometimes awful, but mostly good. He’s 22 and cant escape the injury bug.

I thought his playoffs were good overall with some dynamic play at times. But I also thought in game 7 that he could have saved both goals. He was caught leaning on the 4 on 3 pp MAB shot and I still dont know how LaPierre’s goal gets by him. Not terrible goals, but not lights out, which he had to be because Halak was.

In the future it will be fun to see which of the young goalies can adapt best to the CAPS defensive style which leads to odd man rushes and , to this point anyway, poor power play support. Varly would seem to have an edge but it’s very early for both of them.

I expected him to overtake JT60 during the course of the season, and he never did that. I expected him to be able to steal games/series for us in the post-season, and he didn’t do that. He was strong in games 3 and 4, but also got lots of offensive support; my lasting impression of his postseason will continue to be him giving up 2 goals before the game was 10 minutes old in BOTH games 5 and 6. If I find myself thinking that JT should be starting, as I was before both games 6 and 7, then he clearly hasn’t lived up to my expectations. Overall, a good season, and I still like his potential a lot, but he failed to live up to expecations this year.

The Discussion: Is Semyon Varlamov capable of leading the 2010-11 Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals? Does he need a veteran back-up, or could he and Michal Neuvirth be a successful tandem? What would it take for Varly to earn a 10 next season?

Yes, he can lead the caps to the cup. But to do so, he needs to stay healthy and commit to conditioning.
No, the caps don’t need to bring in a vet; give the job to the young guys and let them battle it out.
To earn a 10, he needs to stay healthy, start 50+ games, have numbers that are good enough to be in the vezina conversation, and lead the caps on a long playoff run.

So this series can keep going… (though admittedly we are full up on lumbering defenseman who don’t play as big as their giant frames).

I don’t fault him for the playoffs at all. I didn’t expect him to play so strongly in the regular season (once he got past those first few “I’m back” starts) but I also expected better health.

Is Semyon Varlamov capable of leading the 2010-11 Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup Finals?

Yes.

Are the 2010-11 Washington Capitals capable of taking Varly to the Stanley Cup Finals? That I hope, but I don’t know.

Does he need a veteran back-up, or could he and Michal Neuvirth be a successful tandem?

I really can’t say. I hope he doesn’t, and I have to think he doesn’t just by the way he carries himself, but I really don’t know. Wouldn’t hurt, I guess, but I think having competition for the starting job is more important than a veteran presence.

What would it take for Varly to earn a 10 next season?

On a team without AO and Backstrom, I’d have said Conn Smythe (maybe that’s high, but I think the kid’s really really good). I guess I’ll go with no shellacking in an elimination game, sv% above .920, GAA under 2.5, and at least 8 playoff wins and 30 regular season wins. No injuries that require more than two weeks off either.

On a rate basis, he performed at my (very high) expectations but not at the level of my wishcasting (.925+). On a counting basis, he way underperformed, missing a good half of the season and then failing to cleanly overtake the mediocre Theo.

His playoffs were terrific. He’s still very, very young. Tons of promise but health is the #1 question (#2 is how often he’ll get burned coming out so far from the crease before he learns to stay back a bit more).

Yes he’s capable of being a SC winning goalie. A 10 would be .925+ SV %, healthy all season and 8 SOs. He and Neuvirth are clearly my preferred starting G duo for next season. No need to sign a costly mediocre vet. There’s always going to be several mediocre goalies available in season if we end up needing one due to injury or (shudder) performance.

Have any personal admirers emerged?

“I have a true love, so I don’t look at any other women. You know, I’m extremely fortunate that I met a Russian girl in America. It’s difficult to look at a lot of the local women. You get the feeling that just don’t take care of themselves! There are an awful lot of heavyset ones. But Russian girls have nice trim figures. I couldn’t imagine myself being with an American girl.”

Pure lulz.

Hell and fire is unleashed on Varly’s head. So many 4s. With all my love to Varly his is not on Roy or Brodeur level. At least not now. At least not on a team where defense has helluva room for improvement. It’s unfair and unreasonable (though very seducing) to see him as immediate solution for our goal tending problems.
Young goalies tend to be unpredictable. Varly could easily have some sophomore slump this year sorta like Mason did. You never know for sure. I know rating here is all about expectations, but lets get back to reality.