Juuso Valimaki, Connor Ingram relishing new leases on NHL life in Arizona after waiver claims
Juuso Valimaki remembers the feeling of being placed on waivers for the first time.
“The very first thought is that you get a little bit scared,” Valimaki said in an appearance on Sportsnet 960 The Fan in Calgary on Thursday.
“What if nobody picks you up?” Valimaki continued. “Obviously, that’s not necessarily a place where any player wants to be.”
The Calgary Flames originally selected Valimaki in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft. The Finnish defenseman showed great promise in his early years with the Flames but dealt with numerous injury-related setbacks (including a torn ACL) before being relegated to the American Hockey League for much of the 2021–22 season.
At a certain point, it became clear: Valimaki and the Flames needed to go their separate ways.
“Once I finally got the call that I’d been claimed and it was Arizona, that wait was worth it and I was really excited,” Valimaki said. “I’m just really happy that I got to start fresh again and just get an opportunity to play.”
Valimaki has been an early bright spot on a Coyotes team desperate for long-term solutions on defense.
With Jakob Chychrun injured and not long for Arizona, the Coyotes don’t exactly have an obvious No. 1 defenseman of the future in the offing.
J.J. Moser is promising but raw. Victor Soderstrom is still figuring things out in the AHL. Conor Timmins is injured again. It’s only been four months since the Coyotes drafted Maveric Lamoureux and Artem Duda.
Valimaki and Moser skated together on the top pairing during the Coyotes’ 6–3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
With Valimaki on the ice, the Coyotes outshot the Blue Jackets 5–4 at full strength (in a game where they were outshot 21–12 on the whole). Valimaki logged 18:55 in all situations and picked up a power-play assist.
Through his first four games in Arizona, Valimaki leads the Coyotes in 5-on-5 on-ice expected goals percentage. It’s very early, but that’s a positive sign heading into the Coyotes’ first game at Mullett Arena on Friday.
“It’s crazy how confidence kind of drives everything,” Valimaki said. “When you don’t have it, it’s tough to play. When you get it back, even in a short period like this, in a couple of days or a couple of games, you play some good hockey.
“Then, all of a sudden, you feel like a completely different player.”
Connor Ingram started in goal for Arizona in the game against Columbus. The 25-year-old netminder made 30 saves for his first win since joining the Coyotes, like Valimaki, via waivers at the start of the season.
Connor Ingram with a solid night between the pipes.
30 Saves | .938 SV% pic.twitter.com/LOAdpyOZO9
Thrust into the spotlight in a thankless role with the Nashville Predators during their inevitable sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of last year’s playoffs, Ingram now has his first full-time NHL role — more than six years after being drafted.
After signing Kevin Lankinen to fill their backup role behind Juuse Saros in the off-season, the Predators placed Ingram on waivers in early October. With only the Montreal Canadiens ahead of them in the waiver priority hierarchy, the Coyotes pounced.
Those same Canadiens shelled Ingram for five goals on 29 shots in his first game as a Coyote, a 6–2 loss at Bell Centre on October 20. But the former AHL All-Star rebounded back to form in his sophomore effort with his new team against Columbus.
“Just kind of getting back into it, going to Montreal was the first time I’ve played since the playoffs last year,” Ingram said after the 6–3 win over the Blue Jackets. “The more we play, the better you’re gonna feel. It’s good to just keep going.”
Ingram and Karel Vejmelka will battle for starts in Arizona this year. It’s a relatively young tandem by NHL standards — Vejmelka turned 26 in May — but one with plenty of upside.
As it stands, the Coyotes also don’t have a bona fide top goaltending prospect. Ivan Prosvetov is looking good early on with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners this season but there isn’t much else at the position in the pipeline.
The Coyotes’ long-term forward core includes the likes of Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, Conor Geekie, and Barrett Hayton. There’s depth at all three positions up front.
But until they can use more of their stockpiled draft picks to address their deficiencies on defense and in goal, their best bet in those areas is to take chances on talented players looking for the right fit.
“It’s really fun going to the rink every day now,” Valimaki said. “I’m really excited for games and I think it’s been exactly what I needed so far.”
_____
POINTSBET IS LIVE IN ONTARIO. PLAY NOW!
Think you know sports? PointsBet Canada is live in Ontario!