Utah HC re-signs defenseman Juuso Valimaki to two-year contract

The Utah Hockey Club has signed defenseman Juuso Valimaki to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Saturday afternoon.

Valimaki, 25, collected two goals and 17 points while averaging a career-high 19:05 of ice time in 68 games with the Arizona Coyotes during the 2023-24 regular season.

“We are looking forward to having Juuso return to our team for a third season,” Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said in a release on Saturday. “He is a big, strong, two-way defenseman who has been a great addition to our defensive group over the past two seasons.”

Utah did not disclose the terms of Valimaki’s new contract, but it could walk him directly to unrestricted free agency in 2026. The Finnish defender had been slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

PuckPedia reported on Saturday that Valimaki’s new deal with Utah carries a $2 million annual cap hit, representing a doubling of his previous salary in Arizona.

The Coyotes originally claimed Valimaki off waivers from the Calgary Flames at the start of the 2022-23 season. The Tampere, Finland product led all Coyotes defensemen with 34 points (four goals, 30 assists) in 78 games during his first year with the club.

Valimaki arrived in the desert after parts of three seasons with the Flames, who selected him with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. The former Tri-City Americans star struggled to overcome persistent injury issues in Calgary before being lost on waivers.

Through 228 career games over parts of five NHL seasons with the Flames and Coyotes, Valimaki has collected nine goals and 67 points. He added an assist in two playoff games with the Flames in 2019.

After making multiple transactions on Saturday, Utah’s defensive group now includes Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, pending RFA Sean Durzi, Michael Kesselring, and Valimaki.