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The Flames announced earlier today that Juuso Valimaki suffered an ACL tear during his offseason training over the weekend and that surgey is required. This is a devastating blow to a prospect who was poised to have a big season with Calgary after getting a taste last year. Valimaki had 24 regular season and 2 playoff games under his belt and had a very good chance to claim a full time role this year.
Valimaki’s injury will also throw a wrench into some of the Flames remaining offseason plans. The idea of moving T.J. Brodie now seems to be not the best idea with defensive depth waning, meaning Calgary will have to look at finding a way to move Michael Frolik or other pieces to make the money work with Matthew Tkachuk.
Recovery time on knee injuries are often hard to predict, but it’s safe to say that Valimaki could be out at least four months depending on the severity. It’s also very possible that the recovery period could drag to six or more months into March. Regardless of how long he’s out, it will be crucial for the Flames training staff to act cautiously as the chances of re-injuring improve significantly. Get well Juuso!