Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov had been unavailable for 12 of the previous 18 games before he underwent season-ending hip surgery last week. So it’s not as this came out of nowhere.
But at least there will be no more uncertainty about his status in the Avalanche’s final 36 games — he’s out and, barring injuries or surprise developments, Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin will share the goaltending duties the rest of the season.
“We know he’s done for this season,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of Varlamov Monday. “We’re looking forward to getting a healthy Varly for next year.