Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
I don’t see how Valimaki playing poorly in the AHL is “on the team.”
Sometimes to be able to play well in pressure situations, you have to learn in no-pressure situations. When you go through waivers and get claimed you’re no longer “1st round pick” you’re just another guy, and going to a team competing for absolutely nothing to play on the third pair is probably the lowest pressure situation possible, and it allowed him to figure it out. He didn’t have to earn a call up, he’s not on a team pushing for playoffs, his injuries are behind him, he can just play his game without added pressure.
He’s doing well. I don’t see why it always has to be more complicated than that, or the two groups of people here seem to be “this is somehow the Flames’ fault” or “Valimaki isn’t actually good at all.”
Not everyone works out on every team in every situation. That doesn’t mean there is something wrong, it’s just reality.
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While I agree with most of this, I hope the Flames are not just shrugging their shoulders and moving on with their lives.
This was a high draft pick that the Flames failed to develop properly. I would hope that there is an evaluation being done as to what exactly happened in the Flames inability to develop a player, especially since he is having success elsewhere in a new opportunity.
As for Valimaki himself, he certainly should own some of his struggles here in Calgary. I won't put all the blame on the org, they've developed a number of good prospects, so if Valimaki felt he wasn't working out here I hope he took some time to reflect on that when he was claimed by AZ.
Hell, maybe some of the hard lessons learned here are why hes enjoying his improved play now. Thats a hard one to know for sure.