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NHL Notebook: Arizona Coyotes extend Juuso Valimaki, Calgary Flames fall in power rankings and more

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Photo credit:David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
1 year ago
The Arizona Coyotes have extended defenceman Juuso Valimaki inking him to a one-year deal.
The former Flames rearguard joined the ‘Yotes ahead of this season after Calgary waived him. Valimaki has flourished in the desert scoring two goals and 12 points in 43 games this season.
“We are very pleased to sign Juuso to a one-year extension,” said Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong. “He is a big, strong, two-way defenseman who has been a great addition to our defensive corps. We look forward to having him on our roster next season.”
Valimaki, 24, struggled to get a foothold with the Flames. After being drafted 16th overall in the 2017 draft, he appeared in 82 games over three seasons with the team scoring three goals and 16 points. He also appeared in 55 games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat scoring six goals and 32 points.

Flames fall in power rankings

The Calgary Flames have fallen in Daily Faceoff’s weekly power rankings.
Ranked 8th last week by Scott Maxwell, the Flames have fallen down to 13th. Here’s what Maxwell wrote about the team:
13. Calgary Flames
Record: 22-16-9 (.564%, 17th)
5v5 Goal Differential: +7 (13th)
5v5 xGF/60: 2.84 (t-6th)
5v5 xGA/60: 2.37 (7th)
PP xGF/60: 8.16 (15th)
PK xGA/60: 7.02 (4th)
5v5 PDO: 98.5
Previous Week: 8th (-5)
The Flames had a couple of losses in important games with other teams they’re fighting with for a playoff spot in the Predators and Avalanche, but they managed to salvage the week with a dominant win over the Lightning. The Flames continue to be the most volatile team in these rankings, as that five-point rule held them back from being as high as sixth based on the aggregate.

Blues activate Krug and Tarasenko; place Buchnevich on IR

The St. Louis Blues have activated defenceman Torey Krug and Vladimir Tarasenko from the injured reserve, the club announced Tuesday.
Krug missed the previous 13 games with a lower-body injury and had scored 17 points in 31 games before going down with injury. He’s now in his third season with the team after inking a seven-year deal with a $6.5-million AAV in Oct. 2020.
Tarasenko, meanwhile, rejoins the team after missing 10 games with a hand injury. The disgruntled forward, who still has a trade request active, has scored 10 goals and 29 points in 34 games this season.
The club also placed Pavel Buchnevich on IR. He recently underwent a minor medical procedure to treat an infection on his ankle, and is set to be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. He’s scored 15 goals and 38 points in 38 games this season.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.

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