TSN: Valimaki Claimed by Coyotes

[scoringmachine]

Calgary put Jusso Valimaki on Waviers and was claimed by the Coyotes as per tsn. Does this create a hole in our defense prospect pool. Do we need to look for a replacement in case of injuries to the main roster defense.

Toronto Maple Leafs waivers Wayne Simmonds Victor Mete Juuso Valimaki | TSN

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed Wayne Simmonds, Victor Mete, Kyle Clifford, and Adam Gaudette on waivers. Juuso Valimaki, who was placed on waivers Saturday by the Calgary Flames, was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes.

www.tsn.ca

Click to read more...

 

[Rubi]

Calgary put Jusso Valimaki on Waviers and was claimed by the Coyotes as per tsn. Does this create a hole in our defense prospect pool. Do we need to look for a replacement in case of injuries to the main roster defense.

Toronto Maple Leafs waivers Wayne Simmonds Victor Mete Juuso Valimaki | TSN

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed Wayne Simmonds, Victor Mete, Kyle Clifford, and Adam Gaudette on waivers. Juuso Valimaki, who was placed on waivers Saturday by the Calgary Flames, was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes.

www.tsn.ca

The Flames currently have Mackey and Meloche who could probably step in as 3rd line dmen if need be. They also have promising LD prospects in Poirier, Solovyov, and Kuznetsov. Hanifin, Andersson, and Kylington are all 25 and Weegar and Zadorov are 28 and 27 respectively so it will be a while before our dcorp ages out. And then of course I fully expect Stone to be signed as our #7 dman. Also Valimaki, if he hadn't been claimed would likely be #3 on the recall list for dmen. No great loss.

 

[cannucky]

Yeah it's unfortunate to lose a young player like that but not that big of a loss , the question is does that now mean Arizona has used their first dibs and they move to the bottom of the claiming order because there aren't a whole lot of teams that have cap space to be claiming players with .

 

[lightstorm]

Its not a loss, if you let the value of your asset plummet all the way down to zero, or below zero (just ask Sean Monahan).

I think you can call it a 4D chess win.

 

[PainForShane]

Hi guys,

Zona fan here I come in peace, probably you can all guess why I'm here. Just lurked through the other Valimaki thread but looking to get more info on what he brings to the team. Seems like you guys are saying he may or may not be the same player after he tore his ACL a few years ago, maybe Sutter had something to do with it maybe not.

I guess what I'm asking is, what kind of player is Valimaki, and what do you think his upside is (2nd pair, 3rd pair, non-NHLer etc)? In other words is he physical, or maybe more of a puck mover / passer who's good in transition, or maybe a creative playmaker who needs to shoot more (etc etc)? Am looking for that level of detail if you guys can spare the time.

Thanks in advance for any help! And good luck to you guys the rest of the season (and playoffs).

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Hi guys,

Zona fan here I come in peace, probably you can all guess why I'm here. Just lurked through the other Valimaki thread but looking to get more info on what he brings to the team. Seems like you guys are saying he may or may not be the same player after he tore his ACL a few years ago, maybe Sutter had something to do with it maybe not.

I guess what I'm asking is, what kind of player is Valimaki, and what do you think his upside is (2nd pair, 3rd pair, non-NHLer etc)? In other words is he physical, or maybe more of a puck mover / passer who's good in transition, or maybe a creative playmaker who needs to shoot more (etc etc)? Am looking for that level of detail if you guys can spare the time.

Thanks in advance for any help! And good luck to you guys the rest of the season (and playoffs).

Pretty much drafted as a decent, all-around puck moving mobile defenseman. Ceiling was never a blue chip, bona-fide #1 defenseman but figured to be at least a solid top four.

You can follow his path here:

Prospect Info: - At 16th Overall the Calgary Flames Select Juuso Valimaki

LWOS Scouting Report http://lastwordonhockeyprospects.com/2017/04/18/juuso-valimaki-scouting-report/

forums.hfboards.com

Then he had a few seasons of injuries (high ankle sprain, ACL) that hampered his mobility. Hasn't had the same effectiveness since then. Not sure if it's mental or physical. Or both. If he can overcome those issues, he might still be a useful piece. Claiming him was low risk, with minor potential to cash in.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Hi guys,

Zona fan here I come in peace, probably you can all guess why I'm here. Just lurked through the other Valimaki thread but looking to get more info on what he brings to the team. Seems like you guys are saying he may or may not be the same player after he tore his ACL a few years ago, maybe Sutter had something to do with it maybe not.

I guess what I'm asking is, what kind of player is Valimaki, and what do you think his upside is (2nd pair, 3rd pair, non-NHLer etc)? In other words is he physical, or maybe more of a puck mover / passer who's good in transition, or maybe a creative playmaker who needs to shoot more (etc etc)? Am looking for that level of detail if you guys can spare the time.

Thanks in advance for any help! And good luck to you guys the rest of the season (and playoffs).

Losing that much development time at that particular stage of his career really threw him off what was a promising track. He shoots lots, passes pretty well, reasonable skater for his size. Just can't pivot or make super tight turns on his edges, which for a NHL defenseman can be a death sentence. For him to be effective he needs to be aggressive in the OZ and losing confidence in your skating hampers that a lot. By no means a lost cause though, despite not having great counting numbers in the AHL last year he was overall still quite good.

If the Flames weren't as deep as they are at defense at the moment and Sutter took a bit more of a shine to him he'd probably still be here.

 

[evdog]

So does this free up a contract slot so they can sign Michael Stone?

 

[Rubi]

So does this free up a contract slot so they can sign Michael Stone?

Depends on what's going on with Kylington. Right now the Flames have 13 fwds, 7 dmen, and 2 goalies on the active roster but that count doesn't include Kylington. If the Flames sign Stone and Kylington comes back that gives the Flames 24 players on the roster.

 

[Body Checker]

Norris, Thomas and Chytil were all there at 17 to pick. Guess Flames thought Monohan and Bennett would be around alot longer.

 

[Kranix]

He showed glimpses of being a powerful D-man. Too bad

 

[Fig]

Hi guys,

Zona fan here I come in peace, probably you can all guess why I'm here. Just lurked through the other Valimaki thread but looking to get more info on what he brings to the team. Seems like you guys are saying he may or may not be the same player after he tore his ACL a few years ago, maybe Sutter had something to do with it maybe not.

I guess what I'm asking is, what kind of player is Valimaki, and what do you think his upside is (2nd pair, 3rd pair, non-NHLer etc)? In other words is he physical, or maybe more of a puck mover / passer who's good in transition, or maybe a creative playmaker who needs to shoot more (etc etc)? Am looking for that level of detail if you guys can spare the time.

Thanks in advance for any help! And good luck to you guys the rest of the season (and playoffs).

I recall there was some mention that his style of play was similar in nature to Giordano. I think Ekholm might have been another comparable? Just prior to the pandemic, he actually didn't look out of place in our top 4. Then he got injured badly twice in quick succession, pandemic messed everything up and he never recovered.

He's a big body well rounded D and like Gio had some sneaky good offense that he could offer. He played LD quite well prior to his injury and far earlier than was expected progression wise. Post injury, he was looking pretty solid in Liiga and he even worked on playing RD to try and win that spot on the bottom pairing.

I think a huge part of his issues is mental. Like... Yips but more. How he played in Liiga vs how he played in the AHL is night and day. For some reason, he plays with confidence and how he did prior to his injury, but in the AHL/NHL situations, he plays hesitant and a style completely different than the one that made him successful.

If he can unlock that I think he will still be a good 3/4 dman. This was his original projection. There were glimpses of a top like dman, but those are likely gone.

Kinda sucks to lose Valimaki. I wish him the best and not going to lie, it'll be a good thing not bad thing if he can find his game and succeed with Arizona.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Good luck in AZ. Hopefully it works out for him.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I think he was trending to be a top pairing guy. I think Ekholm is a solid comparison style wise. I think you can definitely say that some of his issues have been from the mental department. But I think it’s almost impossible to ignore or not say that the majority of his struggles have come from his injury. The player himself has admitted that he hasn’t been the same since he was injured. It is a shame, I really thought he was going to be an excellent defenceman for us for a very long time. Right now though I think he’s trending a lot like Juolevi.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Vali a big soft crybaby confirmed

“The vibe is friendly, kind, we want to work hard and that’s kind of what coach is all about, working hard,” Valimaki said. “What I also like is, he doesn’t expect us to be perfect, because nobody is.”

‘I really enjoy hockey again’: Juuso Valimaki making the most of new NHL role in Arizona

Former Calgary Flames defenceman Juuso Valimaki is off to a strong sta...

flamesnation.ca

 

[Kahvi]

I cant see any crying in there.

 

[super6646]

Vali a big soft crybaby confirmed

‘I really enjoy hockey again’: Juuso Valimaki making the most of new NHL role in Arizona

Former Calgary Flames defenceman Juuso Valimaki is off to a strong sta...

flamesnation.ca

Yet nowhere to be found in the article.

He’s an nhl caliber dman. He wasn’t getting minutes here and I’m sure the coaching style didn’t help. Good for him

 

[Some Other Flame]

Y'all are weirdly literal

“The vibe is friendly, kind"

“What I also like is, he doesn’t expect us to be perfect, because nobody is.”

Translation: Trying to make a competitive roster is too hard - it's so much nicer to be given a spot and have no expectations or consequences over performance

Remember when Sutter came on board and called out a culture of entitlement among certain younger players? Yeah, this is who he was referring to.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I cant see any crying in there.

I see an honest admission about losing his confidence with the Flames org, but yeah that's about it.

 

[Kahvi]

I see an honest admission about losing his confidence with the Flames org, but yeah that's about it.

Absolutely, I think most people here have been saying for the last year or so that he still has potential but needs to get his confidence back.

 

[Mobiandi]

Valimaki was supposed to be the crown jewel of our defense between Hanifin, Andersson, and Kylington. Had that quote about how he'd make the NHL within 2 years of the draft, actually cracked the line-up in our 2019 season where we were top of the west, played in the playoffs and was a bright spot in the series loss.

When Sutter came in, expectations for the team changed and Valimaki couldn't overcome his new limitations from the injuries to think the game in a different way. Treliving was in the process of grooming him for the #1D spot before he was close to earning it so it probably was a pretty big shock to him that he got sent down last year.

That perfection quote is interesting when we're a club that roles four lines and three pairings for the likes of Lewis, Lucic, Gudbranson, Rooney. Zadorov learned from his time in the pressbox and spent time in the summer bettering his game and is a more useful player for us, getting more opportunities.

I'm happy Valimaki gets a shot to prove himself at the NHL level but no one else wanted him via trade or waivers and he's on a team where the sole expectation for the players is to not intentionally score on your net. It's good he's happy, but will he learn enough there to stick in the NHL? Doesn't sound like he's there yet, mentally

 

[Rubi]

Playing for the Yotes is a step up from playing in the Swedish Hockey League but still doesn't have the pressure of playing defense for an actual NHL team. Arizona is exactly where Valimaki needs to be. I hope he thrives there and learns to be an NHL dman.

 

[JPeeper]

I think Vali's problem is he massively overrates himself. You want confidence in your ability sure, but you need to also be humble and take criticism and work on your game to keep improving.

Vali did the opposite, he never really improved and only regressed.

Come in to camp and prove you belong, instead Michael Stone destroyed him in competition and earned a contract over him, 100% earned.

Now he talking about having fun and he can make mistakes and not get reemed out.

To me that's a horrible mindset to have when your team has ultimate aspirations of winning the Cup.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

I think Vali's problem is he massively overrates himself. You want confidence in your ability sure, but you need to also be humble and take criticism and work on your game to keep improving.

Vali did the opposite, he never really improved and only regressed.

Come in to camp and prove you belong, instead Michael Stone destroyed him in competition and earned a contract over him, 100% earned.

Now he talking about having fun and he can make mistakes and not get reemed out.

To me that's a horrible mindset to have when your team has ultimate aspirations of winning the Cup.

I am not defending his play in preseason or in general as a Flame, but you are making a classic Flames fan mistake, that young players who play the coach wants them will develop the best way.

Sometimes kids need more of a long leash to develop their game, and then as they enter their prime they can add the aspects of reliable play.

If Hartley never gave Gaudreau a leash, Johnny would never have become the player he was last year.

If Gulutzan had given Bennett a leash to wheel and deal, he's probably be a very similar player to what Kadri is right now. Instead he coached the creativity right out of him and turned him into a zombie. The player you see in Florida, while still a better centre than Elias Lindholm, is not Bennett's best case.

Sometimes playing on a bad team is the difference between a Thomas Chabot that people fellate and an Oliver Kylington who people think is disposable when he's actually elite AF

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

We’ve mishandled prospects like Kulak and Byron who 100% had earned NHL spots. Bennett as well although I think he’s closer to Dube than Lindholm. Valimaki struggled for like 2 seasons. It was never going to work here. He needed a change.