Coyotes' Juuso Valimaki: Contributes assist in win
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Valimaki supplied an assist, two hits and three blocked shots in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Oilers.
Valimaki picked up three helpers over the last nine games of the campaign. The 25-year-old defenseman's play took a step back this year with 17 points through 68 appearances. He did, however, shore up his defense a bit with a plus-12 rating and 90 blocked shots. Valimaki is set for restricted free agency this summer. The team has no NHL-level defensemen under contract for 2024-25, but it has five blue-line RFAs to negotiate with.
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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: Produces assist in Friday's win
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Valimaki recorded an assist, three shots on goal and a plus-3 rating in Friday's 4-0 win over the Red Wings.
Valimaki has four helpers over his last eight games while adding a plus-3 rating and 13 shots on net in that span. The 25-year-old defenseman could see an uptick in playing time with Troy Stecher dealt to the Oilers at the trade deadline. Valimaki's fantasy upside remains limited since he sees almost no power-play time. He has 14 points, 49 shots on net, 47 hits, 52 blocked shots and an even plus-minus rating over 50 appearances.
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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: Posts helper in loss
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Valimaki logged an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights.
Valimaki set up a Jason Zucker tally in the first period. This was Valimaki's second point over five contests since he returned from a six-game stint as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old defenseman has just eight points with 28 shots on net, 40 blocked shots, 26 hits and a minus-2 rating through 35 outings overall. He should stick in the lineup most of the time, but he could be rotated out at times depending on the play of Michael Kesselring and Josh Brown.
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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.
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: Undergoes surgery
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Valimaki underwent facial surgery after being struck by the puck during Tuesday's game against Dallas, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports Thursday.
It's not clear how long Valimaki will need to recover, but he's in Phoenix while his teammates are set to play in Columbus on Thursday. The 25-year-old has four assists, seven hits and 20 blocks in 15 contests this year. Michael Kesselring is projected to draw into the lineup while Valimaki is absent.
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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.
