Calgary Flames: Who will replace Juuso Valimaki on the blueline?
How can the Calgary Flames replace Juuso Valimaki?
On Monday, the Calgary Flames organization broke the news that their up and coming defenseman Juuso Valimaki tore his ACL during off-season training.
This comes as a shock to players, fans, and coaches, as the Flames 2017 first-round pick had a very solid shot at making the opening night roster. General Manager Brad Treliving is not beating around the bush, as he flat out said they are already looking into options internally and externally to fill the gap Valimaki leaves. It begs the question, who could realistically be his replacement?
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The Stockton Heat, the Flames AHL affiliate, have done a decent job of seasoning their players for NHL ice time. With Valimaki out of the mix for an extended period of time, there are others that could fill his shoes.
Oliver Kylington got some part-time looks for the Flames last year. He played in 38 games for the Flames last year, racking up eight points. If he is the full-time replacement, it is very likely he will be paired up with T.J. Brodie or Rasmus Andersson on the third pairing.
The Flames have signed a handful of defensemen on two-way contracts this summer that depending on their performance, might get an alternate chance in Calgary.
Internal Options
Rinat Valiev
Drafted: 2014, #68 Overall
Cap Hit: $700,000
# of NHL Games: 52
Brandon Davidson
Drafted: 2010, #162 Overall
Cap Hit: $700,000
# of NHL Games: 168
Alexander Yelesin
Drafted: Undrafted
Cap Hit: $925,000
NHL Games: 0
On the UFA side of things, there are a couple of players that may be within Calgary’s budget.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Ben Hutton
2018-19 Scoring: 5G, 15A (20 Points)
2018-19 Salary: $2.8 Million
Niklas Kronwall
2018-19 Scoring: 3G, 24A (27 Points)
2018-19 Salary: $1.75 Million
Jake Gardiner
2018-19 Scoring: 3G, 27A (30 Points)
2018-19 Salary: $4.05 Million
Some of the Flames trade bait may actually be saved by this injury. It is no secret that Brodie has not been performing to the level of his contract. He’s been in trade rumors all summer to the point where the common belief is Calgary is having a hard time finding a suitor. It looks like he may get another season to prove he can still help the team.
Already leaving the blue line, however, is Michael Stone. The Flames announced on August 2nd they are buying out his contract. This was intended to get the young guys like Valimaki to fill in, but now due to the circumstances, puts them one short on the blue line.
Michael Frolik has also been among trade talks. Getting a defenseman in a trade package for him could be a win-win for the Flames. Clearing up cap space and having alternative d-man to fill in if needed. However, a trade that may need to be done, may require losing more prospects or draft picks.
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There is already some unrest in the organization with big-time contracts like Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane still needing to be squared away. The Flames are getting low on cap space and will need to make a trade to find something that is going to work for hopefully another season in playoff contention.