The Calgary Flames will be without one of the top young defensemen for awhile, as Juuso Valimaki will be undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. With Valimaki out indefinitely, the challenge for general manager Brad Treliving is replacing him.
Let’s assume that since the Flames lost a left shot defender, they’re going to be looking for one – and with their precarious cap situation they’ll be looking for bargains. There are four places the team can look.
Promote from within
Let’s start with the obvious contender: Oliver Kylington was likely pegged to start the season as the top pairing option in Stockton (with fellow lefty Brandon Davidson serving as the Flames’ seventh man).