The Stockton Heat don’t start their third-round playoff series until Monday, meaning at least for the next few days, the Calgary Flames can have another extra body around. Juuso Valimaki has been recalled from the AHL and was on the ice with the Flames Wednesday as they prepare for their opening game against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Flames’ Chris Tanev has been dealing with an injury but was also on the ice Wednesday, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet, meaning Valimaki’s recall might be nothing more than a little insurance for the next few games. The team will do battle Wednesday, Friday and Sunday before the young defenseman Valimaki is needed back with Stockton, where the Heat are going for their own championship.
It’s been a difficult road for the 2017 first-round pick, who missed the entire 2019-20 season due to injury just as his career was starting to take off. This season he played most of the year with the AHL club, appearing in 35 games with Stockton compared to just nine for Calgary. Set to turn 24 before the start of next season, he’s signed for the 2022-23 campaign at a $1.55M cap hit but has obviously not proven himself enough to be a regular in the lineup.
Because of that contract though, any chance he does receive will be an important showcase for the young defenseman. The Flames will see Nikita Zadorov, Erik Gudbranson and Michael Stone all hit unrestricted free agency this summer, meaning there will be room for someone like Valimaki to step into a full-time NHL role if necessary.
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