Boy, it sure has been a typical year for the Colorado Avalanche. They start the season 12-1-0 after holding the second-worst record in hockey last season, new head coach Patrick Roy looks like a genius and, you know, red-hot goaltender Semyon Varlamov was just charged with second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault.

Wait, what?

Right. This year has been anything but typical in the Mile High City, and the Varlamov news could have had a major impact on the team.

Colorado is a team based mainly on offense, but their incredible October was thanks in part to their surprisingly phenomenal goaltending duo of Varlamov and Jean-Sebastian Giguere.

Neither goalie is regarded as a top-tier netminder, but they have both put up fantastic numbers and are huge reasons why this team has ben such a pleasant surprise thus far.

The Avs, however, have been facing some criticism lately because of the situation.

Varlamov spent one night locked up, and guess where he was the next night? In Dallas, winning a hockey game.

Varlamov has a record of 8-1-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average, and while it is important to have him on the ice, Giguere really has not been doing much worse. The smart thing to do would have been to let Giguere become the primary starter until the whole ordeal was sorted out.

Now, are all of the allegations true? We don't know. They may be completely false. But while everyone is still speculating, putting him on the ice the day after his arrest is not the message to send, especially when a very good backup is sitting on the bench.

As far as the Avalanche is concerned, the team's record will likely dip a little in the coming weeks simply because it would be nearly impossible to stay this hot, regardless of the Varlamov situation.

If he winds up getting suspended, it likely would not put a huge damper on the team's chances since Giguere is more than qualified to start in his place. If he doesn't get suspended, expect him to come back to earth a little bit anyways.

The situation will either develop or fade away in the coming days, but it likely will not have a major impact on the Avalanche's season regardless of what happens.