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.)
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.
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