Juuso Valimaki hasn’t played a game this season. Knowing the serious injury he sustained in August, there’s a decent chance Valimaki won’t see NHL action again until September. The situation is fluid, though, which means home remains Valimaki could yet be an option for Calgary between now and April. What the Flames decide for Valimaki has significantly impacts how they approach the trade deadline in just over a month.
The current situation
Valimaki tore his ACL during offseason training and has been working his way back ever since. The “normal” recovery time for that injury is six-to-nine months, but as we know, elite athletes typically return closer to the front end of those estimates.