Juuso Valimaki’s imminent return to active duty comes at an interesting time for the Flames. As of this publish date, the trade deadline is exactly five weeks away and multiple reports suggest Calgary is interested in adding a left-shot defender. It’s not overstating it to suggest how Valimaki fares upon his return will determine the type of defenceman the Flames end up targeting.
IN THE IMMEDIACY
I’m anticipating an AHL assignment for Valimaki to coincide with Calgary’s forthcoming eight-day break, which makes sense. Valimaki has missed 27 games with a high ankle sprain sustained Nov.