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.