Hockey Club's Juuso Valimaki: Pots goal in shootout loss
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Valimaki scored a goal on four shots, added two hits and blocked two shots in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Wild.
Valimaki has goals in back-to-back contests and three points over his last six games. The 26-year-old is likely to get a little more security in the lineup since Robert Bortuzzo (lower body) is expected to miss some time after suffering an injury Tuesday. Valimaki is up to three points, 24 shots on net, 23 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating across 22 appearances.
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Hockey Club's Juuso Valimaki: Lights lamp Sunday
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Valimaki scored a goal and blocked two shots in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Flyers.
Valimaki earned his second point over the last five games by scoring in the second period Sunday. The 26-year-old has seen steady playing time since Maveric Lamoureux (upper body) exited the lineup. Utah has three injured blueliners, and they're all at least a month away from a return, so Valimaki has a chance to carve out a role for himself. He's produced two points, 20 shots on net, 21 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating across 21 appearances in 2024-25, playing in a bottom-four role.
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Hockey Club's Juuso Valimaki: Opportunity knocking
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Valimaki notched an assist, two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers.
Utah announced prior to the game that Maveric Lamoureux will miss 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury. Valimaki was given the first chance to fill the empty spot in the lineup, though he may have to compete with Vladislav Kolyachonok during Lamoureux's absence. Valimaki was scratched for the previous four games, and prior to Friday, he didn't have a point this season. He's added 15 shots on net, 16 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 17 appearances. The Finn is unlikely to be a power-play threat, but Utah's injury woes have allowed Valimaki to stick in the NHL, and that could open the door for him to try to figure things out after a rough first quarter of the campaign.
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Hockey Club's Juuso Valimaki: Healthy scratch Saturday
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Valimaki was a healthy scratch Saturday against the Kings.
Valimaki has no points in eight games so far, and he's seen his ice time drop from 22:30 to 17:43 over his last four games. He's minus-7 in that span. Valimaki had seemingly turned around his queasy defensive play last season, but he's struggled out of the gate. The view from the press box will give him a different perspective on what he needs to do when he returns to the lineup. Valimaki has a 34-point season under his belt from 2022-23, but he must step up significantly to make a fantasy impact this year.
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Juuso Valimaki: Re-ups with two-year deal
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Valimaki signed a two-year contract with Utah on Saturday.
Per PuckPedia, the deal carries a $2 million cap hit. Valimaki took a step back on offense last season with 17 points over 68 contests, a year removed from a 34-point campaign. Part of the decrease can be explained by a reduced power-play role. Valimaki also improved from minus-10 in 2022-23 to plus-12 in 2023-24, showing improved defense. The 25-year-old is likely to fill a bottom-four role for Utah.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Chips in with helper
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Valimaki provided an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 8-5 loss to the Rangers.
Valimaki snapped a nine-game point drought when he set up Logan Cooley's third-period tally. It's been a tough year for Valimaki, who has 15 points, 61 shots on net, 72 blocked shots, 57 hits and a plus-8 rating over 60 appearances. He remains a constant in the lineup but typically sees bottom-four minutes, and his power-play time is sporadic.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Puts up helper Sunday
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Valimaki notched an assist and two hits in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Capitals on Sunday.
Valimaki has a helper in three of his last five games. The 25-year-old defenseman is starting to find his way on offense again, but he remains in a bottom-four role with virtually no power-play time. He's produced 13 points, 42 shots on net, 44 hits, 49 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 47 outings this season.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Notches assist in loss
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Valimaki recorded an assist, two shots on goal and two hits in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.
Valimaki posted five points over 11 outings in February, easily his most productive month of the campaign. He's also logging steady bottom-four minutes, though that hasn't come with power-play time lately. Valimaki is up to 12 points, 41 shots on net, 41 hits, 47 blocked shots and a minus-3 rating over 45 appearances as he struggles to replicate the form that saw him produce 34 points a season ago.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Pockets helper
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Valimaki notched an assist and two shots on goal in Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Jets.
Valimaki snapped a four-game slump when he set up a Matias Maccelli tally in the second period. The 25-year-old Valimaki has five points over his last 13 outings while seeing mostly bottom-four usage on the Coyotes' blue line during the team's 12-game losing streak. For the season, he has 11 points, 38 shots on net, 39 hits, 46 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating over 43 appearances.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Registers assist
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Valimaki notched an assist in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Wild.
The 25-year-old defenseman has three points over four games since the All-Star break. Valimaki has largely underwhelmed in 2023-24, but his recent play suggests he might have turned a corner. He's at 10 points, 32 shots on net, 33 hits, 43 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 38 appearances in a bottom-four role.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Lights lamp Saturday
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Valimaki scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Saturday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Predators.
Valimaki put the Coyotes ahead 3-2 early in the third period. The 25-year-old defenseman is starting to find his way on offense with three points over his last six games, a run that should also help him fend off Josh Brown's challenge for playing time on the third pairing. Valimaki is up to two goals, nine points, 30 shots on net, 34 hits, 42 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through 36 appearances this season.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Nets first goal in return
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Valimaki scored a goal on his lone shot in Monday's 5-2 win over the Penguins.
After serving as a healthy scratch in Arizona's prior six contests, Valimaki notched his first goal of the season in his return to the lineup Monday, beating Tristan Jarry from the slot to put the Coyotes ahead 2-1 in the second period. It's the first point for Valimaki since Dec. 12 -- he's now up to seven points through 31 games this season. It's been a disappointing campaign overall for the 25-year-old blueliner, as he looked poised to take a step forward following a 34-point (four goals, 30 assists) campaign in 2022-23. Still, Valimaki could have a chance to turn his season around, as he'll remain in the lineup with Troy Stecher (lower body) expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Sitting amid slump
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Valimaki has been scratched for four straight games after sitting out versus the Flames on Tuesday.
Valiamki was also scratched twice in December amid his eight-game point drought. It's a significant concern that the 25-year-old wasn't able to draw in against his former team Tuesday, even with the Coyotes dressing seven defensemen. Valimaki has just six assists with 35 blocked shots, 25 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating over 30 appearances.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Snags power-play assist
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Valimaki recorded a power-play assist in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Penguins.
Valimaki has two helpers over his last three games, but that's all of his offense across seven contests since he returned from a mouth injury. The 25-year-old defenseman continues to hold down a top-four role with time on the second power-play unit, but his offense hasn't been very impressive this season. He's at six assists, 14 shots on net, 26 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating through 22 outings.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Delivers helper
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Valimaki put up an assist in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Bruins.
Valimaki helped out on a Clayton Keller goal early in the second period. This was Valimaki's first point in five games since he returned from a mouth injury. The point drought stood at 10 contests overall when accounting for his dry spell before the absence. Despite his lack of offense, the 25-year-old continues to feature on the second power-play unit, even with Janis Moser playing better hockey of late. Valimaki is at five assists, 13 shots on net, 25 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating through 20 appearances.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Returning to action Thursday
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Valimaki (mouth) will return to the lineup Thursday versus Colorado, according to Leah Merrall of PHNX Sports.
Valimaki has missed the last six games since taking a puck to the mouth versus the Stars on Nov. 14. Valimaki has only four assists in 15 games, with three coming on the power play. With the blueliner back in action, he should reclaim his spot with the man advantage, which will likely drop Janis Moser from the power play.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Won't play Tuesday
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Valimaki (mouth) won't play Tuesday against Tampa Bay, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports.
Valimaki took part in Monday's practice, sporting a full shield to protect his surgically-repaired mouth. He hasn't played since taking a shot to the face against Dallas on Nov. 14. Valimaki has generated four assists, 10 shots on goal and 20 blocked shots across 15 outings this season.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Will miss time
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Valimaki is expected to miss time after taking a puck to the face Tuesday versus the Stars, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports.
No official move has been made yet, but it sounds like Valimaki could be a candidate for injured reserve. Morgan adds Vladislav Kolyachonok may be called up to replace Valimaki on the roster if such a move happens.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Can't finish contest
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Valimaki (face) left Tuesday's game versus the Stars after he was struck by a puck, and he was still being evaluated after the contest, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports.
Valimaki left the ice bleeding after taking a puck up high. The defenseman has gone six games without a point, so an injury is the last thing he needs as he looks to get back on track. If he can't play Thursday in Columbus, Michael Kesselring will likely enter the lineup.
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Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Supplies helper
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Valimaki posted an assist, three shots on goal and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Ducks.
Valimaki ended a three-game point drought when he helped out on Lawson Crouse's second-period tally. Through nine outings, Valimaki has four helpers, six shots on net, 12 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating. The 25-year-old has played in a bottom-four role while also seeing time on the second power-play unit.
