While admitting the intense desire to be here up top, Valimaki concedes that the time spent in the minors helped round his game.
"The start was really good, obviously, making the team. I was really proud of that, really happy,'' he says. "Then a big setback with the injury. It took a lot of time out of the year. But it's part of the game.
"I got the better first, then you get the worse after. There are tough days, days when you're down but you've got to take it the right way.
"Being in Stockton, probably long-term I think was good for me. Playing tons of minutes, learning how to do that in pro hockey.
"I think I grew as a player and when I came back up here, after a couple of games I feel even better than at the start of the year. Obviously, you can see the growth. I'm pretty happy how it went but obviously a disappointing ending for all of us.
"Everybody.
"I look in the mirror, too.
"So I can't be too happy about my game, either. We can all be better."
The aim obviously next season is to stick from post-to-post, adding responsibility along the way.
"The really good ones," said Heat assistant coach Joe Cirella, a 14-season NHLer on defence, during Valimaki's AHL spell, "can play powerplay, kill penalties, play big minutes, play in tough situations against top players.
"Can Juuso eventually be that guy? Yeah. I don't see why not."
They all see him that way. More decisively, he sees himself that way, too.
"He's thinking not only of making this team for 82 games, but being part of the powerplay or the penalty kill,'' said Peters, gazing into his crystal ball.
"That's how he thinks."
How he thinks is top-shelf. Big league. Carnegie Hall (or that aforementioned local equivalent).
"You want to be here,'' said Valimaki with an unshakeable conviction belying those 20 years. "You don't want to go down at any point.
"If you do, it's like: 'OK, I want to get back.' Every day, you're aching to get back.
"You don't want to play there.
"Especially when you get a taste of this, right?"