Valimaki unlikely to play this season as it has Seattle expansion draft implications
Eric Francis of Sportsnet: Calgary Flames defenseman Juuso Valimaki has been rehabbing his knee for the past 10 months. Even if he’s cleared by doctors to return, it’s unlikely the Flames would want to include him for their playoff run.
If Valimaki plays one game this season it would count a year towards his NHL service, which would make him eligible for the Seattle expansion draft, which in turn would likely mean that Mark Giordano would be exposed.
“It’s pretty cut and dried that the eligibility rules on the expansion draft say that to be eligible you have to have played three years pro,” said GM Brad Treliving. “Basically, if you play an NHL game that counts as a year pro. By the letter of the law if he doesn’t play a year of pro – and not that we’re sitting him out – he doesn’t qualify for the expansion.”
The 37-year old Giordano has a year left on his contract at $6.75 million and could be left unprotected anyways. Noah Hanaifin and Rasmus Andersson will be protected. If the Flames re-sign Travis Hamonic or T.J. Brodie or acquire another top-four defenseman, they could be protected over Giordano.
Canadiens – moving up in the draft, extra cap space, and offer sheets
Arpon Basu of The Athletic: (mailbag) If the Montreal Canadiens don’t win the draft lottery, for a team to want to trade down to No. 9, they would likely have to be lacking second-round picks. The New Jersey Devils at No. 7 are interesting as they don’t have their second or third. The Devils do have two conditional first-round picks. The Devils might have an interest in dropping two slots to gain a second.
The Canadiens could use some more talented depth. The Canadiens have an abundance of cheaper, younger options, so teams that are facing a cap crunch because of the flat cap could come calling. The Canadiens could take advantage of their cap space, prospects, and extra draft picks to land an established player.
The Canadiens could consider offer sheets again this offseason given their prospect depth and extra draft picks. The Colorado Avalanche has the salary cap space so would likely match an offer sheet for Ryan Graves. Dallas Stars Roope Hintz might be one player would consider.
The St. Louis Blues could have trouble matching a big offer sheet for defenseman Vince Dunn. A $4.2 million offer sheet would only cost a second-round pick and Blues may not be able to go that high.