Remember right before free agency that it appeared the Colorado Avalanche had a ton of interest in goalie Tomas Vokoun? And recall that the team would need to open up its checkbook to do so (hey, the Avalanche do need to reach that salary floor, right?).
↵Well, free agency started and the Avalanche said, "Hey let's trade with the Washington Capitals for Semyon Varlamov." We'll need to wait until 2012 to see how that trade works out since the Caps received a 2012 first-round pick and a conditional second-rounder in either 2012 or 2013. Are the Avs giving up a lottery pick in a deep 2012 draft? Certainly the Caps appear to believe that is what they received.
↵Oh, and Vokoun? Yeah, he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Capitals. Kind of funny how things work out, right? I guess the team isn't that confident in either Michal Neuvirth or Braden Holtby. Vokoun and Neuvirth will be the team's Opening Night goalies while Holtby waits in the minors for another season or for an injury.
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