Injury Report: Valimaki Torn ACL, Requires Surgery

[Fig]

Looks like Juuso is cleared to begin skating again. That's good news!
Looks like he could possibly play before the end of the year. That's good news!
If he plays one game, that goes towards his expansion eligibility and he'd have to be protected in the draft. That's bad news.
Juuso probably won't play again this year. That's bad news.
Juuso probably won't have to be protected in the draft. That's great news!

Could this mean... Dorothy, we better not be not in Kansas anymore?

Let Valimaki play in the AHL for the remainder of the season. I assume if he plays in the AHL for the rest of the regular season he remains ineligible to be drafted in the expansion draft?
Bring him back up for the playoffs. I assume playoff games don't affect his expansion draft ineligibility?

I don't think that's true if we look at how we burned Sam Bennett's first season.

 

[Fig]

Let Valimaki play the rest of the season in Stockton once he's ready. No need to rush him.

Nah. I'd rather he spend the remainder of the season in a super development situation and come into next season hungrier than ever. Two reasons:

1. Read the Chychrun article about the ACL tear and end result. It won't necessarily hamper him having an NHL career, but he's going to have to be diligent as hell to make sure the issue doesn't flare up.

2. AHL would cause him to not be expansion exempt. Not worth it for a handful of games this season where he likely won't be comfortably over 70-80%.


Hell, seriously consider getting him to do full time skating coach via figure skating and power skating for the remainder of the season or something and discuss trying to come back top pairing potential or bust for next season. Chychrun reported constant swelling and fatigure being a fixture of the situation, but that he's not worried at all about having a long NHL career.

 

[Mobiandi]

Can't we loan Valimaki to a Finnish team?

 

[Rangediddy]

If Juuso comes back and can play meaningful minutes, it allows (creates?) a situation for Treliving where is can trade from a position of strength (LD) to either acquire a top 6 right shot RW or to acquire a top 4 RD. Should Valimaki play, the Flames should protect 4F, 4D, and 1G in the expansion draft.

Namely:

Gaudreau, Monahan, Lindholm, Tkachuk (assumes Lucic waives his NMC)
Valimaki, Hanifin, Kylington, Andersson (assumes no trade of LD for an RD)
Ritter

Yes this exposes a shwack of talent, but it protects the young D corp. If Vali doesn't play, insert Brodie. Seattle can only take one player. Do they go for veteran leadership? Speed? Scoring prowess?

My preference is to get him back into the game. Losing an entire season of competitive hockey is hard to come back from.

This is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re essentially giving away one of our players to Seattle. IF he comes back it would still only be maybe less than 15 games (just a guess). He’s still a rookie and I doubt coming off this injury he’s going to be impactful let alone be given top minutes. We can see what he is in September and make a trade then... if needed

 

[SKRusty]

Looks like Juuso is cleared to begin skating again. That's good news!
Looks like he could possibly play before the end of the year. That's good news!
If he plays one game, that goes towards his expansion eligibility and he'd have to be protected in the draft. That's bad news.
Juuso probably won't play again this year. That's bad news.
Juuso probably won't have to be protected in the draft. That's great news!

Not 100% sure but I believe Valimaki could play in the playoffs without it affecting his eligibility for the Expansion draft.

Now onto the rehab. I would expect Valimaki to be in Calgary working with the trainers and skating with the guys for a month or better as they ensure there is no chance for complications. When Valimaki is ready for actual hockey games he will be sent down to Stockton. Once game 82 is played it will be anybodies guess as to where he will play.

Juuso's talent is top end and could easily have the impact Cale Makar had playing for Colorado last season in the playoffs. Only time will tell.

 

[Fig]

This is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re essentially giving away one of our players to Seattle. IF he comes back it would still only be maybe less than 15 games (just a guess). He’s still a rookie and I doubt coming off this injury he’s going to be impactful let alone be given top minutes. We can see what he is in September and make a trade then... if needed

Yep. I believe if he plays any game this season, that's season 2 and he'd enter the expansion draft looking at 2021 season as a 3rd year which is why he'd not be expansion exempt.

Not 100% sure but I believe Valimaki could play in the playoffs without it affecting his eligibility for the Expansion draft.

Now onto the rehab. I would expect Valimaki to be in Calgary working with the trainers and skating with the guys for a month or better as they ensure there is no chance for complications. When Valimaki is ready for actual hockey games he will be sent down to Stockton. Once game 82 is played it will be anybodies guess as to where he will play.

Juuso's talent is top end and could easily have the impact Cale Makar had playing for Colorado last season in the playoffs. Only time will tell.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/CBA2012/NHL_NHLPA_2013_CBA.pdf
Now, I don't know exactly all the legal lingo, but this sticks out to me from the CBA:

For the purposes of the foregoing, the term "professional season" shall: (A) for a Player aged 18 or 19, mean any season in which such Player plays in eleven (11) or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC), and (B) for a Player aged 20 or older, mean any season in which such Player plays in one or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC).

There's a bit of confusion about "first and second year" player if you're messing with the accrued season vs professional season. But I'm pretty sure it's the latter.

- Valimaki is 21.
- He's played in the 2018-2019 season in the NHL and AHL. (Year 1)
- Nothing in the 2019-2020 season. (So it could slide if he playing 0 professional games as per above)
- Does the professional season slide if he goes back to Kansas? (I think it does)
- Lending him to Europe (forgot who mentioned it) I think can be conclude-able to be considered a professional game.

Don't let Valimaki play another game this season including playoffs, AHL and Europe.


Additional info:

Seattle 2021 NHL Expansion Draft rules same as Golden Knights followed

* All first- and second-year NHL players, and all unsigned draft choices, will be exempt from selection (and will not be counted toward protection limits.

 

[Corpus X]

Yep. I believe if he plays any game this season, that's season 2 and he'd enter the expansion draft looking at 2021 season as a 3rd year which is why he'd not be expansion exempt.



http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/CBA2012/NHL_NHLPA_2013_CBA.pdf
Now, I don't know exactly all the legal lingo, but this sticks out to me from the CBA:



There's a bit of confusion about "first and second year" player if you're messing with the accrued season vs professional season. But I'm pretty sure it's the latter.

- Valimaki is 21.
- He's played in the 2018-2019 season in the NHL and AHL. (Year 1)
- Nothing in the 2019-2020 season. (So it could slide if he playing 0 professional games as per above)
- Does the professional season slide if he goes back to Kansas? (I think it does)
- Lending him to Europe (forgot who mentioned it) I think can be conclude-able to be considered a professional game.

Don't let Valimaki play another game this season including playoffs, AHL and Europe.


Additional info:

Seattle 2021 NHL Expansion Draft rules same as Golden Knights followed

Maybe if he plays, but he personally identifies as a non-player for the season? I think it could work.

 

[Fig]

Maybe if he plays, but he personally identifies as a non-player for the season? I think it could work.

Treliving: He ain't no player for 2020 season, playa. He's a gamer! Expansion exempt!

 

[crackdown44]

Can't we loan Valimaki to a Finnish team?

This would work but wouldn’t his ELC then slide a year? What’s Valimaki’s incentive to do that?

 

[Schred]

Glad to hear he is going to be back skating!
I think if he is ready to play, you need to play him. Can't imagine that sitting him (if he is healthy) for the remainder of the year will do him any good.
He is our top prospect, and if he can play, he should.

 

[Rangediddy]

Glad to hear he is going to be back skating!
I think if he is ready to play, you need to play him. Can't imagine that sitting him (if he is healthy) for the remainder of the year will do him any good.
He is our top prospect, and if he can play, he should.

Ya, as much as we don't want to have to use an expansion slot on him if we don't have to, Treliving isn't a guy to keep him away for that purpose.

That said, maybe the leg isn't strong enough by the end of the season and we have good reason to really make sure it is 110%. Playing 5 games isn't exactly going to affect his long term development very much and I can't imagine he's going to come right in an be better than Kylington.

 

[Schred]

Ya, as much as we don't want to have to use an expansion slot on him if we don't have to, Treliving isn't a guy to keep him away for that purpose.

That said, maybe the leg isn't strong enough by the end of the season and we have good reason to really make sure it is 110%. Playing 5 games isn't exactly going to affect his long term development very much and I can't imagine he's going to come right in an be better than Kylington.

Ya I guess it will all depend on when he is back to 100%. I'd agree there would be no point in getting him NHL time if there is only 5 games left at that point, but wouldnt be against him suiting up in the A. Poor kid hasnt played much hockey the last 2 years now.

 

[Volica]

Ya, as much as we don't want to have to use an expansion slot on him if we don't have to, Treliving isn't a guy to keep him away for that purpose.

That said, maybe the leg isn't strong enough by the end of the season and we have good reason to really make sure it is 110%. Playing 5 games isn't exactly going to affect his long term development very much and I can't imagine he's going to come right in an be better than Kylington.

Last year in the playoffs, he was better than any Dman on our team not named Gio. That being said, it's a very small sample size.

I'd personally just let this kid sit out the rest of the year. Recover fully, get back to training (in Calgary, over the summer) and get ready for your rookie season next year.

 

[Basko34]

Any word on how Juuso is doing? Are any flare up reported since he started skating?

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Any word on how Juuso is doing? Are any flare up reported since he started skating?

Treliving made it sound like he's not going to be back this year.

 

[Volica]

They'd be silly to rush him back. With all the D healthy Calgary has 9 guys that would compete on most rosters.
Let him sit, clear his expansion eligibility and make sure he;s 100%.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Any word on how Juuso is doing? Are any flare up reported since he started skating?

If he plays this year, he is eligible for exposure to the Seattle Expansion Draft.

It is in Calgary's best interest to work with him behind the scenes to come back hard next year rather than to force him in the lineup this year.

 

[SKRusty]

If he plays this year, he is eligible for exposure to the Seattle Expansion Draft.

It is in Calgary's best interest to work with him behind the scenes to come back hard next year rather than to force him in the lineup this year.

More than that when we get Valimaki back he needs to be the strongest most prepared player he can be. Calgary can't afford to lose this young man because they pushed things too fast.

Valimaki is the franchise d-man for the next 10-15 years.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Hopefully we learned from rushing Bennett.

 

[super6646]

What makes people think Valimaki is a “franchise dman” lol...

He was seen as a #3 before his injuries. I would be just a little cautious projecting him as such after his injuries.

 

[Rubi]

If he plays this year, he is eligible for exposure to the Seattle Expansion Draft.

It is in Calgary's best interest to work with him behind the scenes to come back hard next year rather than to force him in the lineup this year.

So no play no exposure...
What about if he only plays in the playoffs (AHL or NHL)? Do those games count??

 

[JPeeper]

So no play no exposure...
What about if he only plays in the playoffs (AHL or NHL)? Do those games count??

Yes, it's how Bennett burned his first year.

 

[Volica]

What makes people think Valimaki is a “franchise dman” lol...

He was seen as a #3 before his injuries. I would be just a little cautious projecting him as such after his injuries.

He has the most potential to be a franchise Dman within our group.
Anyone who watched him in Junior can understand why he's viewed so highly. Guy's a can't miss top 4D, and he has the tools to be something fantastic back there.

Where in the world was he seen as a #3? He was projected to anchor our bottom pair with Ras to start the year. But even you, can't tell me his play last year in the playoffs wasn't damn impressive in a series where there was almost no one who fit that bill.

 

[Mobiandi]

Since Brodie is most likely walking in the summer and Gio is getting way up there in age, there's every chance we see him on the top pairing next season. Wasn't a huge fan of his first 10ish games last season but once he settled down, he looked really good.

Something like
Valimaki-Andersson
Gio-Kylington
Hanifin-Gustafsson

That'd be really solid

 

[2023FriendshipTour]

He has the most potential to be a franchise Dman within our group.
Anyone who watched him in Junior can understand why he's viewed so highly. Guy's a can't miss top 4D, and he has the tools to be something fantastic back there.

Where in the world was he seen as a #3? He was projected to anchor our bottom pair with Ras to start the year. But even you, can't tell me his play last year in the playoffs wasn't damn impressive in a series where there was almost no one who fit that bill.

He was our best D in the games he played Vs the Avs and only noticeably good D man.. that isn't saying much, but he has the size and speed to be a top end D man.