If you're like me and tried to get to bed early on Monday night, you likely missed the trade that went down between Carolina and Utah. It was a quiet one, with the Canes adding defenseman Juuso Valimaki from the Mammoth for future considerations.
Valimaki, 27, was the 16th overall pick in the 2017 Draft, calling Calgary home to begin his NHL career. He struggled to find consistent playing time with the Flames, eventually being placed on waivers and claimed by the Arizona Coyotes. He cracked Arizona's roster for the 2022-23 season, playing 79 games and recording 34 points.
He failed to continue that level of consistency, taking a puck to the face and missing games early during the 2023-24 season, only playing 68 games. Valimaki followed the team to Utah last season. He played 43 games with the Hockey Club before being placed on waivers in February and sent to AHL Tucson, where he would ultimately suffer a season-ending ACL tear soon after.
After a successful surgery, Valimaki returned to the ice in the AHL right after Christmas after clearing waivers. Now, he's a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Valimaki is expected to start in the AHL, being assigned to Chicago, though it's not completely improbable that he gets some time with the Hurricanes during the second half of the season.
Valimaki is familiar with a few members of the Canes' roster. He was teammates briefly with Shayne Gostisbehere in Arizona before the Canes acquired Gostisbehere at the 2023 deadline. He was also with Sebastian Aho at the 4 Nations tournament in February, though the defenseman didn't dress for any of Finland's games.
His addition adds some defensive depth to the organization. He's a left-shot defenseman, which the Canes have an abundance of at the NHL level. Though, at the rate they've dropped this season with injuries, the team can't have too many of them.
This is a low-risk, high-reward move for the team, especially since the Hurricanes gave up nothing to acquire him. Valimaki boasts legitimate NHL experience, and he has proven he can be a contributor in the NHL. His greatest issue has been his health. A good showing with the Wolves as he works back from his ACL injury could get him back in the national sooner rather than later.