Avalanche Acquire Varlamov from Capitals, Sign Him to Three-Year Deal

The Colorado Avalanche announced on the first day of free agency that they have acquired goaltender Semyon Varlamov from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Colorado's first round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft and a conditional second round pick in either 2012 or 2013. After the move was completed, the Avalanche announced they had signed the 23-year-old netminder to a three-year contract worth $8.5 million. The deal averages out to $2.83 million per season. In 27 games last season with the Capitals, he posted an 11-9-5 record, two shutouts, a 2.23 GAA, and a .924 save percentage. He missed a combined total of 29 games in 2010-11 becuase of injuries. This is a decent move for the Avalanche, as Varlamov brings a lot of skill between the pipes for the team. He has good size and plenty of upside to become an elite goaltender at the NHL level. However, Varlamov does have consistency issues from time to time, so a first and second round pick could turn out to be a steep price if he can't play a more consistent game.