Once the leading man, Semyon Varlamov is now the forgotten man of the Avalanche

CALGARY, Alberta – Semyon Varlamov sat quietly in a corner of the dressing room that served as Avalanche headquarters for a day, at a suburban ice facility on a hill overlooking this city.

“What do you want to talk to me for?” Varlamov asked a reporter who ventured to his stall.

Well, because, came the response. You’re still a player on this team. You might not be playing in these playoffs right now, but that can change at any moment.

If that was supposed to cheer Varlamov up, it didn’t work. Life for Varly right now consists of practicing with the team, but that’s it. He lost his starting goaltender position to Philipp Grubauer, and while he is supportive of his teammate, the fact is it’s eating him up inside.

“I hate sitting on the bench,” Varlamov acknowledged, to BSN Denver. “I try to be as supportive as I can, but…”

But, it’s tough. Varly wants to play, feels he has some great hockey still left in him and he really doesn’t want to go out as an Av like it looks like it could, with him planted on the bench, wearing a baseball hat.

His future seems totally up in the air. His contract with the Avs runs out this summer and it’s unclear what the Avs’ plans toward him are. Grubauer is 27 and has two years beyond this one on his contract. Varlamov will turn 31 on April 27.

Varlamov has said previously he wants to re-sign with the Avalanche, that he loves Denver and considers it home.

I asked him, “Do you still feel that way?” on Friday, and the answer was a bit more muddled.

“I mean, I don’t have a contract for next year. We’ll see how things go, in summertime,” Varlamov said. “Right now, I don’t really even want to talk about it or bring this up, because we’re in the playoffs, and the playoffs, that’s all that matters at this point.”

Keep in mind: Varlamov was a big reason why the Avs made the playoffs last season. He was excellent in the final third, but his season came to an abrupt halt after being injured in a game against Chicago. So, he missed out on experiencing the playoffs against Nashville. His only previous playoff experience with the Avs were those seven games against Minnesota in 2014.

Thursday night here, Varlamov was in uniform for a playoff game, but the only time his skates ever touched the ice was in warmups. Although Grubauer allowed three goals in the Avs’ 4-0 Game 1 loss to the Flames, coach Jared Bednar said today he was “pretty happy” with Grubauer’s play, i.e., he’ll be the starter for Game 2. Varlamov will again have probably the best seat in the Saddledome to see the game, but he dearly wishes it would come from a different angle – one staring out from in front of a net.

Varlamov loves being an Av. He has been with the team for more than eight years now. He’s been through all the of the lowest of the lows. Now, this is a team that’s in the playoffs for the second straight year, and yet he hasn’t played a single game so far. That’ll eat at a proud, competitive man like him.

But don’t mistake Varly for a whiner or a malcontent. Not at all. He just wants to play. Would we like it if a player said: “Hey, I love sitting on the bench, doing nothing.”

No. We wouldn’t.

“Look, every goalie would tell you the same thing; nobody likes to sit on the bench,” he says. “To be honest with you, I want Phil to play great and to be successful. I want this team to win and go on to the next round. I cannot be selfish and just think about…me, and if I play or don’t play. I hate sitting on the bench, but it is what it is. I support this team.”