After trading Jakob Pelletier prior to the 4 Nations break, the Calgary Flames found themselves with just two Brad Treliving first-round picks remaining the organization. Well, they have a chance to bring that number back to three, as former Flames Juuso Valimaki has been placed on waivers by the Utah Hockey Club.
Given the current state of the Flames blueline and what Valimaki can bring to the whole table, it makes a whole lot of sense to bring him back into the fold after losing him on waivers a few years ago.
An upgrade for the Flames
Even though he’s on waivers for the second time in his career, Valimaki would still very much be an upgrade for the Flames on the blueline. Here’s who the team currently has lining up on the left side and their numbers compared to Valimaki’s this season.
| LD | CF% | xGF% | HDCF% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Bahl | 48.03 | 48.15 | 45.54 |
| Joel Hanley | 50.53 | 49.51 | 46.02 |
| Jake Bean | 51.69 | 52.81 | 51.94 |
| Juuso Valimaki | 50.70 | 49.92 | 50.74 |
It’s no secret the Flames are incredibly weak down the left side. The numbers back that up, and offer a major reason why claiming Valimaki makes sense. His numbers thus far are at par or better with who the Flames currently have, meaning he would at the worst add some more depth and a younger option on the left side.
| LD | Points last 3 seasons (2022–2025) |
|---|---|
| Kevin Bahl | 33 |
| Joel Hanley | 8 |
| Jake Bean | 26 |
| Juuso Valimaki | 56 |
Valimaki simply has a much higher ceiling than Hanley, Bean, and Bahl combined. Let’s not forget just two years ago Valimaki had a career-best 34 points, far surpassing anything the other three options have ever done. Hanley’s career-high is eight points, Bahl’s is his current total of 14, and Bean’s is 25. Valimaki may be having a rough 2024–25 season, but you can’t deny his offensive ceiling and what it would add to the Flames low-upside blueline.
Low risk, high reward
In short, claiming Valimaki comes with zero risk, but could pay off. Still just 26 years old with a history of offensive output, Valimaki could jump right into the Flames lineup and be an upgrade. Signed for just one more season at only $2M AAV, there’s no reason not to at least put in a claim for Valimaki.
