Utah places Juuso Valimaki on waivers

On Sunday, the Utah Hockey Club placed defenseman Juuso Valimaki on waivers.

If Valimaki clears waivers on Monday, he could be optioned to Utah’s primary affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. It would be the first time the Finnish blueliner would head to the American Hockey League since the 2021-22 season when he was with the Stockton Heat, then the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames.

Valimaki has appeared in 43 games with Utah this season, scoring two goals and three assists for five points. He has registered a plus/minus of -5 while averaging 16:33 of ice time. He ended up being named to Team Finland for the 4 Nations Face-Off, though he didn’t see any action.

The 26-year-old hasn’t been in the lineup since Utah’s 3-1 loss at the hands of the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 26. He last put this name on the scoresheet with an assist in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 18.

Valimaki’s numbers are down from his two seasons with the team known as the Arizona Coyotes. He averaged a career-high 19:06 of ice time last year and posted a respectable 34 points in 78 games during the 2022-23 campaign.

The Tampere native was taken by the Flames in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2017 NHL Draft. He played parts of three seasons with Calgary before he was claimed off waivers by the Coyotes in October 2022. Across six seasons in the NHL, Valimaki has appeared in 271 games, scoring 11 goals and 61 assists for 72 points. He also appeared in two games with the Flames in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Utah (24-24-9) is fifth in the Central Division, six points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.