What’s the matter with Valimaki?

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

Ive never thought of Jusso Valimaki as great open ice hitter or a physical presence. Am I missing something?

Yeah, you are missing the "old" Valimaki, he was all over the ice and popping people with regularity, and seemingly with great pleasure. He looked like a menace early on.

That's been dialled out either through coaching or injury.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Not a chance

Zadorov will be getting a multi-year 4M+ deal this summer, he is a bonified everyday NHLer.

They’d be overpaying for a bottom pair dman

[Lanny_McDonald]

Been saying since he was sent down that he was trade bait and had no place in the Flames' organization. Had his chances and never lived up to expectations. Use him to move a bad contract (Monahan, Lucic, or Backlund) and move the hell on. Good pick than never panned out.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Everyone needs to relax.

He is still young and we shouldn’t just give up on him yet.

Of course it isn't a time for MASS HYSTERIA! But there is a decision point looming as neither he nor Mackey will be waivers exempt next year.

Mackey makes way more sense on a 3rd pairing for $637k less, which could go a long way to ensuring his partner is more Gudbranson than Nesterov.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Been saying since he was sent down that he was trade bait and had no place in the Flames' organization. Had his chances and never lived up to expectations. Use him to move a bad contract (Monahan, Lucic, or Backlund) and move the hell on. Good pick than never panned out.

How valuable is Valimaki in a trade? This is a guy who may be available for free at the start of the year and you have to be convinced he makes your club.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Of course it isn't a time for MASS HYSTERIA! But there is a decision point looming as neither he nor Mackey will be waivers exempt next year.

Mackey makes way more sense on a 3rd pairing for $637k less, which could go a long way to ensuring his partner is more Gudbranson than Nesterov.

We can still have him here as one of our top 7-8 dmen.

[GreenLantern2814]

His skating has always been underwhelming.

He doesn’t seem to respond well to Darryl’s coaching.

Injuries.

A lot of things.

There’s a good player in there. He needs to focus on being a good defender first. He doesn’t have top-tier NHL skill, and once he realizes that and simplifies his game, he’ll be an effective mainstay on an NHL blue line.

[OminousFlames]

You know his value is so low, when TheScorpion doesn't even use his picture anymore for a profile pic.

[Huntingwhale]

Goalies are the ultimate crap shoot in any draft. Defencemen are 2nd biggest crap shoot. Hard to project many of them, regardless of where they are drafted.

Not ready to give up on his yet, as the same things were said about Kyllington before he broke out. Even Hanifin got it rough, and he's only now finally coming into his own at age 25. Valimaki is only 23 and has suffered serious injuries throughout his career.

He might be a bit of a late bloomer, and that's fine. If he doesn't fit in with the teams style or lacks the kind of motor that Sutter wants, well than that's on him.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

We can still have him here as one of our top 7-8 dmen.

Sure...but should we pay a 7/8 guy 1.55M?

[Drunk Uncle]

IMO his quickness on defensive reads and ability to make a quick first pass are still developing. In the past his skating saved him a bit but with the injuries and diminished ability to take quick first steps he hasn't been steady.

Improve any of those areas and he could still become steady.

[SuperMatt18]

Went from being Over-Confident to having no confidence IMO.

Think after his great play in the Finnish league after recovering from his injury that he'd come to the NHL and make an immediate impact.

It didn't happen, he lost confidence, and then Sutter came and he really seemed to lose all confidence in himself as a hockey player.

He hasn't even been great at the AHL level this year.

I think he just needs to forget this season even happened, come back and refocus this offseason. Try to have fun playing hockey again.

[FlamesAddiction]

He is 21st in games played for 2017 1st rounders (drafted 16th OA), and 35th for all players drafted that year.

All in all, where he is in his career isn't far off what should be expected. It would just be nice to see more from him seeing as he was looking far better than his draft position at one point until he missed a full year because of injury.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Went from being Over-Confident to having no confidence IMO.

Think after his great play in the Finnish league after recovering from his injury that he'd come to the NHL and make an immediate impact.

It didn't happen, he lost confidence, and then Sutter came and he really seemed to lose all confidence in himself as a hockey player.

He hasn't even been great at the AHL level this year.

I think he just needs to forget this season even happened, come back and refocus this offseason. Try to have fun playing hockey again.

This is the thing. It's between the ears. He was good enough to play in the NHL for the first 10 games of the season. I thought he played well. Then he got demoted and fell apart.

He needs a reset. Not sure that can happen here.

[powderjunkie]

Also, our RHD depth is particularly lacking:
Andersson

Tanev - I'm knocking on wood as I type this, but his 72 reg gp so far this year is a career high. Maybe all of those missed games as a Canuck mean less tread on him overall, but it's also a little hard to imagine he stays so good & healthy for the rest of this deal...

Boltman - at least 2-3 years away and even then who knows...

On the left we have 4 good LHD under 26, plus Poirier, Kuznetsov, and Whynot.

Maybe there's a team out there with the opposite problem? NYR? Fox and Trouba lock down their right side, with Braden Schneider and Nils Lundkvist as highly touted RHD...maybe the bloom is off Lundkvist a bit since Schneider is 2 drafts (but only 14 months) younger and seems to be winning the battle for the last spot at the moment? They aren't thin enough at LHD to need Valimaki straight across, but that's the kind of asset we should be targetting.

[Wastedyouth]

This thread is hilarious.

[GhostCookie]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

They’d be overpaying for a bottom pair dman

*Ken Holland has entered the chat*

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Not a chance

Zadorov will be getting a multi-year 4M+ deal this summer, he is a bonified everyday NHLer.

Ossio Dispersimus!

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Sure...but should we pay a 7/8 guy 1.55M?

I don’t believe he will stay as the 7/8.

I really see him as our 3LD next season.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

I don’t believe he will stay as the 7/8.

I really see him as our 3LD next season.

Over Mackey? I don't think Sutter does.