The Calgary Flames have an opportunity to reunite with a relatively young defenceman. Juuso Valimaki, who was drafted 16th overall by the Flames in 2017, went on to log 82 games with the organization before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club) prior to the 2022-23 season.
The decision to place Valimaki on waivers was one met with some frustration from Flames fans, many of whom weren’t surprised to see him get claimed. That frustration only grew further when Valimaki went on to record 34 points in 78 games in his first season with the Coyotes.
Valimaki’s play has taken a step back since that breakout 2022-23 campaign, to the point where his ice time has been cut significantly this season. Utah was clearly not happy with what they were getting from him, and made the decision to place him on waivers Sunday morning. Now, the Flames have a chance to right their wrong from over two years ago.
The Flames remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, but their lack of blue line depth has been hurting them as of late. It became apparent how limited they were on the back end when Kevin Bahl went down with an injury, as they’ve struggled to find anybody they can rely on to replace his minutes.
The good news for the Flames is that Bahl is expected to return soon, as he was activated from the injured reserve on Sunday morning but wound up missing last night’s game versus the San Jose Sharks due to an illness. While he is likely to suit up on Tuesday, the Flames could still use an upgrade on the left side, especially if another injury impacts their top four.
While Valimaki isn’t an elite defenceman, he has proven over the past two and a half seasons that he can be an everyday player. He would be an upgrade over several defencemen on the Flames’ current roster such as Joel Hanley, Daniil Miromanov, Ilya Solovyov, and perhaps even Jake Bean.
What also works to the Flames’ benefit is that Valimaki has another season remaining on his contract with a cap hit of just $2 million. He’s worth that money, and could serve as a replacement in 2025-26 for Hanley, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Valimaki also still has room to grow as a player, as he’s still just 26 years old. He is a solid defender, and proved in 2022-23 that he has the offensive capabilities many expected to see from him when he was first drafted into the NHL.
What would make this decision easier from the Flames’ perspective is that they already know the player quite well, having had him in the organization for more than five years. While he’s not the same player he was during his time in Calgary, the coaching staff and management know his strengths and weaknesses as a player, which would give them a good idea of where to slot him into the lineup and what types of situations they can use him in.
As for Valimaki, he doesn’t have a say in the matter, but getting the chance to rejoin the organization that drafted him and prove that he’s now an everyday NHL defenceman is an opportunity he would likely welcome with open arms. He also has familiarity with some players in the Flames’ locker room, and is comfortable in the city. Rejoining the Flames would be much easier on him in terms of settling in than it would be joining a brand-new organization for what would be the third time in his career.
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Calle Jarnkrok appears to be on his way out of Toronto, but thus far, the market to trade him hasn't been as good as Brad Treliving had initially hoped. After some intriguing moves this off-season, including several trades to acquire forwards from the West Coast, the Toronto Maple Leafs have found themselves with a logjam of forwards heading into the 2025/26 season. That's led to the belief that one of Scott Laughton, Steven Lorentz, Nick Robertson, David Kampf or Calle Jarnkrok are likely on their way out of Toronto, although the team are now facing some difficulties with the latter. The team originally believed that there would be a market for Jarnkrok heading into the off-season, but according to a report from The Fourth Period, the market on the veteran forward has not been vibrant to say the least. 'The market hasn't been vibrant, to this point, but the Leafs will continue to dangle him' At 33-years of age, Jarnkrok has played in just 71 games over his two seasons with Toronto, tallying 28 points in that time, and given his injury history and his lack of production, this is a team that may simply be stuck with the Swede until his contract runs out. That contract carries a $2.1 million salary cap hit and runs out at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, so whether they move him or not, they'll be able to move on after next season, but given how badly this team needs to move on from the logjam of forwards currently in their bottom-six, don't be surprised to see them get aggressive and find a way to move him.
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
The ongoing saga with the NFL Players Association has taken another turn, as the organization is also reportedly the subject of a federal investigation. ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler reported on Friday that there is an ongoing criminal investigation involving the NFLPA regarding potential misuse of funds and self-enrichment of union officials. A senior union attorney sent a memo to NFLPA officials this week informing them of the federal probe. The document states that the NFLPA is "now on notice of financial actions that may be criminal" and that the union faces "immediate threats requiring prompt actions," according to ESPN. While the document did not specify which individuals are part of the criminal investigation, the notice was sent days after executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. and director of strategy J.C. Tretter resigned from their positions with the NFLPA. Howell was accused of misusing union funds and faced other troubling allegations. Tretter resigned because he felt like he was left to take the heat for the scandal that has been unfolding, though he has denied any wrongdoing. The NFLPA is searching for an interim executive director. ESPN reports that the memo sent to union officials this week warns that potentially hiring an outside executive director might not be a wise move without knowing exactly how deep "the problems may be." Howell was the executive director of the NFLPA for two years.
Michigan and Ohio State are sure to play another spirited game on the gridiron this season, but it sounds like there will be no flag planting afterward regardless of the outcome. Michigan won its fourth straight game against Ohio State last season, and the Wolverines' latest victory was the biggest upset the rivalry has seen in years. The eventual national champion Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country when an unranked Michigan team went into Columbus and beat them, 13-10. A huge scrum broke out after the game when Michigan players stood on Ohio State's midfield logo and pretended to plant their flag in enemy territory. The brawl got so out of hand that stadium police wound up using pepper spray. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said his players will not be partaking in any flag-planting activity going forward. "There will be no more flag planting. There will be no more grabbing the flag," Moore said. "We talked about our new tradition and what we do when we win a game is go beat the band, go sing our (fight song) and stay over there until the other team departs. That's how we'll operate — shake hands after the game, show sportsmanship, be cordial." While there has been no formal ban of flag planting, Ohio State coach Ryan Day also expressed opposition to the act after last year's incident. Ohio State and Michigan have one of the best rivalries in sports, so there is always going to be bad blood between the two programs. Moore and Day are doing what they can to make sure things don't get out of hand again the next time their teams meet.