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Flames place Juuso Valimaki on waivers

Originally posted on Flamesnation | By Ryan Pike | Last updated 10/8/22

The Calgary Flames have made another roster move in advance of Monday’s roster deadline. The club has placed defenceman Juuso Valimaki on waivers. (If Valimaki clears, presumably he would be assigned to the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers.)

Juuso Valimaki (CGY) among those on waivers today.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 8, 2022

Valimaki, 24, was the first-round pick of the Flames in the 2017 NHL Draft. But his development as a pro player was derailed significantly by a high ankle sprain in 2018-19 and an ACL tear, requiring surgery, which wiped out his entire 2019-20 season.

In four seasons as a pro, Valimaki has 16 points in 82 NHL games and 32 points in 55 AHL games. He’s in the final year of a contract that carries a $1.55 million cap hit at the NHL level. If he clears waivers and is assigned to the AHL, he’ll still carry a $425,000 hit on the Flames’ salary cap.

The Flames begin their regular season on Thursday when they host the Colorado Avalanche. They have to submit a cap compliant, 20-23 player roster to the league offices at 3 p.m. MT on Monday.

This article first appeared on Flamesnation and was syndicated with permission.

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