Ex-Flames defenceman Juuso Välimäki is struggling this season
The 2023-24 season hasn’t been a pretty one for former Calgary Flames defenceman Juuso Välimäki.
The 25-year-old, who was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes from the Flames ahead of the 2022-23 season, is set to be a healthy scratch tonight. In 25 games with the Coyotes this season, he has just six assists.
One more note: Juuso Välimäki will not play tonight with Durzi returning. https://t.co/5CT5XLcUMq
— Patrick Brown (@pbrownhockey) December 21, 2023
Välimäki was once a player with great promise, having been taken 16th overall by the Flames in the 2017 draft. Unfortunately, an ACL injury paired with inconsistent play at the pro level resulted in him struggling to earn a full-time role with the Flames, and eventually led to him being placed on waivers over 14 months ago.
Despite his struggles, however, many Flames fans still believed he had the potential to become a solid NHLer, and were frustrated when he was picked up by the Coyotes. That frustration only grew further after Välimäki was able to break out in his first year in the desert, registering career highs across the board with four goals and 34 points in 78 games.
As good as his 2023-24 season was, however, the Flames may not have given up on a great talent like many fans had feared. At 25, there is still room for him to improve on his game, though generally, players of his age are beginning to enter their prime.
It appears that what the Flames may have instead given up on was a bottom-pairing defenceman who is capable at times of providing offence. While players like that have value, they aren’t difficult to replace. Perhaps it wasn’t a mistake to place him on waivers in favour of keeping some other defenceman on the roster last fall.
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