[Stampede2TheCup]

There seems to be a lot of premature jumping to conclusions all over the place. I’m pretty sure you can find some similar comments about Kyllington having no shot at the team during his killer training camp.

I doubt Sutter dislikes Valimaki. He’s still a promising young D and appears to have a very good attitude. Sutter isn’t a fickle tyrant that rashly and unfairly sends players to his doghouse. He’s a demanding coach that insists everyone be on board with just how he needs them to play. Sutter clearly communicates what more he needs from guys and Valimaki is a good young player who seems to be putting in the work right now to get there.

As has been said plenty, it’s only one quarter of the way into the season and he he’s just been passed by Killer and Gorilla-Branson. The season is long and if any coach-GM combo truly values and loves their depth defensemen no matter where they assign them, it must be the Flames’. It takes plenty of defensive depth to make it anywhere in the playoffs, and we haven’t had injuries affect our D much yet.

As for Tre, all of the bottom D contracts were all negotiated independently with different players and agents who are all in different negotiating situations. I don’t see the differences in contracts as meaning much about intentions and favorites between the guys battling for the bottom D spots. All you can do is sign the best possible roster in summer, then manage your roster in-season as well as possible to deal with the chaos that comes in-season. There’s always players that step up and players who falter on a team once the season starts.

Valimaki may be used as a trade chip. Valimaki may eventually not fit on the Flames. I just don’t see any evidence to think Valimaki has fallen out of favour anywhere in all of this right now. I don’t see proof of anything other than a young #7 D trying to find his way into the top 6, with coaching and management trying to help him get there.