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Juuso Valimaki

Juuso Valimaki Fined For Slashing

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The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Arizona Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki $4,189.19 on Wednesday, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), for slashing Anaheim Ducks forward Max Jones. The announcement came from the department’s Twitter account.

Valimaki’s infraction occurred in last night’s 5-2 home loss to the Ducks. Officials gave him a five-minute major for slashing and game misconduct on the play, which occurred 3:34 into the second period.

Jones initiated contact between the two players, and Valimaki was primarily penalized for the retaliatory nature of the slash, which was to Jones’ lower back and caused him to fall to the ice.

The fine means Valimaki, who’s appeared in 44 of 48 Coyotes games this season, won’t miss any further game action. The small financial blow is softened even further by the fact that the Coyotes signed him to a one-year contract extension before the game yesterday.

In his first season with Arizona, Valimaki has already set a career-high in points with 12. He’s well on his way to shattering his previous games played high of 49 with Calgary in 2020-21.

Arizona Coyotes Extend Juuso Valimaki

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The Arizona Coyotes have signed Juuso Valimaki to a one-year contract extension, avoiding restricted free agency this summer. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the deal will be worth $1MM. Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong released a statement:

We are very pleased to sign Juuso to a one-year extension. He is a big, strong, two-way defenseman who has been a great addition to our defensive corps. We look forward to having him on our roster next season.

Valimaki, 24, was claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames in October and has found a home in Arizona. Playing a depth role, he has 12 points in 43 games and looks to have put his injury troubles behind him. This extension is a nice piece of work by Armstrong and the Coyotes front office, given that Valimaki would have been due a qualifying offer substantially higher in the offseason, or else hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Signed to a two-year deal by Calgary in 2021, he currently carries a $1.55MM cap hit. The qualifying offer would have been $1.86MM, and Valimaki has arbitration rights. With a $1MM deal in place, he’ll not only come in below that but remain under team control and on schedule to become an RFA in the summer of 2024 once again.

The 16th overall pick of 2017, Valimaki suffered a torn ACL in 2019 that cost him an entire season of development. The young defenseman has struggled to live up to the early hype since, and now looks more like he’ll settle into a bottom-pairing or seventh-defenseman role in the NHL. While that is still relatively valuable, the $1MM contract points to the lack of real upside that is present in his game today.

Valimaki becomes the fifth defenseman in Arizona signed to a one-way deal for 2023-24, joining Jakob Chychrun, Patrik Nemeth, Josh Brown, and Dysin Mayo (currently in the AHL). The team is likely going fill its ranks with youngsters in the years to come, as they start to turn from rebuilding to more competitive status. It remains to be seen whether Valimaki can continue to hold down a regular role once that transition takes place, but his age certainly fits into the timeline.

Snapshots: Ruff, Valimaki, Segafredo

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In today’s edition of their 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek name New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff as being one of the early names on the hot seat to start the year. The Devils have dropped both their opening games to the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.

Although they’ve played well overall in both outings, they’ve gotten just a .804 save percentage from Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood, goaltending that doesn’t exactly permit you to win many games. Firing Ruff may not fix that, but some of his usage decisions have admittedly been puzzling as well. Forward Jesper Bratt, who has three points in those two games and has been extremely strong analytically to start the year, ranks sixth among Devils forwards in average ice time to start the year, behind players like Ondrej Palat, who has a -5 rating and is pointless through two games.

  • PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan notes that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki will make his team debut tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs after being claimed off waivers last week from the Calgary Flames. Valimaki has been unable to play with the team due to work visa issues in the US, which still aren’t resolved, but he can play in Canada on the team’s three-game road trip through the eastern part of the country. He’s looking to secure a full-time NHL role again after playing just nine games for the Flames last year.
  • The WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders today released forward Alessandro Segafredo, who will be returning home to Europe. The Italian-born forward was technically eligible for last year’s draft but was born on the cutoff date of September 15, so he’s hardly an overage prospect. He raised some eyebrows in his first North American appearance, registering 10 points in 19 games last year for the Seattle Thunderbirds, but has scored just five points in 25 games split between the Raiders and Winnipeg Ice since. Segafredo has a Swiss player license and will likely return there to continue his junior career.

Arizona Coyotes Claim Juuso Valimaki

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According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Arizona Coyotes have claimed defenseman Juuso Valimaki off waivers from the Calgary Flames. He is the only player from yesterday’s waivers complement that failed to clear.

Valimaki is the second player from the 2017 NHL Draft’s first round to get moved today after the St. Louis Blues dealt Klim Kostin to the Edmonton Oilers. Valimaki was the 16th overall selection.

It’s hard to classify Valimaki’s career at this point. If you’d consider him a bust, it’s certainly not his fault – he’s missed considerable time to injuries over the course of his development, including the entire 2019-20 season. Valimaki played in just nine NHL games with the Flames in 2021-22 after being a full-time player in 2020-21, though, and he had 18 points in 35 games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. His role within the organization was slipping under the new Darryl Sutter regime.

Now, he gets his second shot at a regular lineup spot, this time with the Coyotes. With Jakob Chychrun injured to start the season, Valimaki could conceivably even earn a top-four spot, slotting in on the second pairing behind Shayne Gostisbehere at left defense. He was passable as a full-time player in that 2020-21 season, notching 11 points in 46 games and holding his own during what was a tough season for the Flames overall.

Snapshots: Kane, Valimaki, Has

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It seems it’s no longer an “if,” but instead a “when and where” that the Chicago Blackhawks trade franchise-great Patrick Kane. With Chicago escalating its rebuilding efforts this offseason, lead by the trade of Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators, it seemed Kane was as good as gone this summer too. However, the veteran has a full no-movement clause in his contract and appears keen on taking a wait-and-see approach this season with where he would want to be dealt. Still, given the tight squeeze on the salary cap for many teams, the forward’s impending free agency, and the fact that he’s still playing near the top of his game, finding a match on his shortlist of teams could prove to be a challenge nonetheless. One team that could be a fit is the Boston Bruins, but those challenges mentioned above pose as much of an issue to them as anyone else. The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont acknowledges those challenges, but looks to find a path to a deal between the two Original Six squads.

Given Kane’s $10.5MM cap hit, of which the Blackhawks can retain 50% in a trade, and Boston being $1.44MM over the salary cap ceiling, Chicago would certainly have to take some salary back from Boston. This might not be an issue, Dupont says, as the team could realistically craft a package around one or both of forward Jake DeBrusk and defenseman Brandon Carlo, who carry cap hits of $4MM and $4.1MM respectively. These two aren’t the sort of young prospects or premier draft picks Chicago would hope to acquire, but could represent a collection of young talent that would help get things moving forward more quickly for the Blackhawks. Dupont also points to youngsters Jakub Zboril or Jack Studnicka as an additional sweetener if needed, but does raise concern if a first-round draft pick was needed on top of this package.

  • It’s once again that time of year where we’ll see at least a dozen players, if not more, hit the waiver wire each day, with some very intriguing names as part of that. Today’s crop of waiver-wire finds includes a pair of former top Avalanche prospects in Martin Kaut and Shane Bowers, who may still have room to grow, an intriguing defenseman in Mark Friedman, as well as another young 2017 first round pick like Bowers in that of Calgary Flames defenseman Juuso Valimaki. Considering the amount of players on waivers and teams needing to trim their rosters, many players that would be claimed any other time of the year, are able to be snuck through. However, Hailey Salvian of The Athletic believes Valimaki might not be able to sneak through so easily. Losing someone like Valimaki, who still has some upside, for nothing wouldn’t be ideal for Calgary, but for Valimaki, Salvian points out, it could be a fresh start, perhaps with an opportunity to once again establish himself as an everyday NHLer.
  • The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, have signed defenseman Martin Has to a one-year AHL deal, the team announced. That news alone doesn’t seem to make it much different from any other AHL signing, however it does carry with it the caveat that Has is a Capitals draft pick who has not signed an ELC, but is still eligible for one. Has was a fifth-round selection of the Capitals back in 2019, but has seen limited game action prior to last season. The 21-year-old defenseman did put together a solid year in 2021-22 though, getting into 57 games as a member of the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL, recording 20 points. The Capitals have one year remaining in order to decide whether or not they would like to offer Has his ELC, otherwise he will become a free agent next summer.

Minor Transactions: 05/21/22

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Most of the day-to-day roster shuffling is now complete but there have been a handful of moves made.  We’ll keep track of those here.

  • A day after sending him back down, the Flames have recalled defenseman Juuso Valimaki from AHL Stockton, per the AHL’s transactions log. It’s the third time this week that the 23-year-old has been recalled although he hasn’t seen any game action.  With the Heat set to start their next series on Monday, there’s a good chance that Valimaki – who played in just nine games with Calgary this season – will be sent back down soon.
  • The Avalanche have brought up goaltender Hunter Miska from AHL Colorado and had him at practice today, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). Miska will serve as the emergency goalie for the Avs for the time being although with their next series in the minors starting on Monday (against Calgary’s affiliate), he could be shuffled back and forth over the next few days.  At the moment, both Miska and AHL starter Justus Annunen are up with the big club.
  • A year after deciding to try his hand overseas, John Quenneville is looking for a new home after Zurich of the Swiss NLA announced in their transactions log that he has been released. The 26-year-old has played in 42 NHL games over parts of four seasons and could be a candidate to return to North America on a two-way deal this summer after a decent season with the Lions that saw him collect 20 goals and 17 assists in 46 games.

Calgary Flames Recall Juuso Valimaki

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The Stockton Heat don’t start their third-round playoff series until Monday, meaning at least for the next few days, the Calgary Flames can have another extra body around. Juuso Valimaki has been recalled from the AHL, and was on the ice with the Flames today as they prepare for their opening game against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Flames’ Chris Tanev has been dealing with an injury but was also on the ice today according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet, meaning Valimaki’s recall might be nothing more than a little insurance for the next few games. The team will do battle tonight, Friday, and Sunday before the young defenseman is needed back with Stockton, where the Heat are going for their own championship.

It’s been a difficult road for the 2017 first-round pick, who missed the entire 2019-20 season due to injury just as his career was starting to take off. This season he played most of the year with the AHL club, appearing in 35 games with Stockton compared to just nine for Calgary. Set to turn 24 before the start of next season, he’s signed for the 2022-23 campaign at a $1.55MM cap hit but has obviously not proven himself enough to be a regular in the lineup.

Because of that contract though, any chance he does receive will be an important showcase for the young defenseman. The Flames will see Nikita Zadorov, Erik Gudbranson, and Michael Stone all hit unrestricted free agency this summer, meaning there will be room for someone like Valimaki to step into a full-time NHL role if necessary.

Snapshots: Ekblad, Sharks, Valimaki

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While he may not be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, things are still looking positive regarding the health of Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Head coach Andrew Brunette said today that Ekblad remains week-to-week, but he has started skating and should return sometime in early May. That makes it seem likely that Ekblad will at least make an appearance during Florida’s First Round series, which will likely be against the Washington Capitals. It will be the second season in a row where Florida starts the playoffs without their star defenseman due to a lower-body injury, but this time around, it seems he’ll be ready to step in shortly after. Ekblad will have finished his regular season with 15 goals and 42 assists for 57 points in just 61 games, which is still currently eighth among all NHL defensemen.

More from around the NHL today:

  • While San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson had been on a medical leave of absence since November, his departure announcement from the organization today still came as a shock. Long-time assistant GM Joe Will has taken duties since then, and he’ll remain in the interim position, but team president Jonathan Becher said today that the Sharks will hope to have a new GM by the beginning of next year. With that, it’s entirely possible that the Sharks head into a draft and free agency period with Will still at the helm of the club. That may not be an entirely bad thing, considering his familiarity with Becher and the club, but it takes away the chance for his successor to craft their roster ahead of next season.
  • After being sent down early in the year and falling out of favor with head coach Darryl Sutter, the Calgary Flames have brought top defense prospect Juuso Valimaki back up to the big club from the AHL’s Stockton Heat. Valimaki played in 49 of the team’s 56 games last season, recording 11 points and never touching AHL ice. But after just two assists in eight games this season in limited minutes, the team opted to send Valimaki back down to the minors, where he had 17 points in 30 games. The team has no injuries on defense, so it’s a clear sign that the organization wants to see what effect his AHL stint this year had on him and whether he can be relied upon to play minutes for the team in the playoffs if injuries strike.

Calgary Flames Assign Juuso Valimaki To AHL

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The Calgary Flames have assigned defenseman Juuso Valimaki to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, per a team tweet.

Valimaki doesn’t require waivers, so there’s no chance of the Flames losing one of their best defense prospects. However, Valimaki’s cap hit is $1.55MM, and not all of that can be buried in the minors. It appears as though roughly $500,000 of Valimaki’s cap hit will still count towards the cap while he’s buried in the minors.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Valimaki, who hasn’t meshed well with coach Darryl Sutter and has played in just eight games, registering two assists.

He still has the pedigree and potential of a 16th overall pick, however. The 23-year-old was one of the team’s more impressive players last season, playing the full season with the team and scoring 11 points in 49 games.

The assignment to Stockton is an effort to get Valimaki into some more game action, as it’s not doing him much good to just sit on the bench.

The Flames still have Michael Stone, who’s played in just one game this season, to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman.

Juuso Valimaki Signs With Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames have inked another defenseman today, this time reaching a two-year deal with Juuso Valimaki. The contract will carry an average annual value of $1.55MM.

Valimaki, 22, has had a turbulent start to his NHL career, including missing the entire 2019-20 season with a torn ACL. He returned this year and played in 49 games for the Flames but failed to really take the big step forward that some were hoping for. He looked outstanding while playing in Finland for the start of the 2020-21 campaign, scoring 19 points in 19 games, but that kind of offense has still failed to materialize in the NHL.

Still, even considering the lost development year, the young defenseman is still a valuable piece for Calgary moving forward. He will be a regular in the lineup again this season and with Mark Giordano now there are a lot of minutes on the left side up for grabs. The Flames did add Nikita Zadorov in the offseason, but that’s really it in terms of players competing with Valimaki for ice time.

There’s a real opportunity to step into the top-four, but that would be quite the leap for a player that has averaged just over 15 minutes a night through his first 73 NHL games. Valimaki was used sparingly on the penalty kill this season as Giordano and Chris Tanev ate up most of the short-handed minutes, but that is somewhere he could really help in 2021-22. The powerplay duties that Giordano held seem likely to go to Noah Hanifin, though that potentially is another spot that Valimaki could compete. He was a big goal-scoring threat in junior when he played with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, but has just three in his time with the Flames.

Overall, this is a very interesting player to watch in Calgary this season as a big step in his development could mean a big step for the Flames in general. Locking him in at a reasonable amount for two seasons could prove brilliant if he runs away with a top-four job. The young defenseman will be arbitration-eligible when the contract expires, but still a restricted free agent under the Flames control.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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