The Montreal Canadiens under general manager (GM) Kent Hughes have a desire to take another step forward in the rebuilding process. While the focus from fans is on the draft picks, and what prospects are doing, the management team’s focus is on the NHL roster and how it can improve into a competitive team that could be within striking distance of a playoff berth.
Part of that focus will be placed on Joel Armia and what he has to offer the team. From being waived and sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) to having a career-best season in goals (17), he had an eventful 2023-24 campaign. This makes Hughes’ decisions on the future of Armia with the Canadiens a difficult one, and one that he may need to gamble on if he is to get the most out of him.
Canadiens Search for Right Formula
Armia was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets, essentially, as a cap dump, and he has provided solid bottom six play, at times on the score sheet, other times, simply by playing his brand of puck possession game. However, over his tenure, the times he plays up to expectations have been inconsistent. The 2023-24 preseason was one of those “down” times, and he was demoted before the season began.
Armia handled this assignment to the Laval Rocket as a true professional, recording six goals and nine points in eight games. Then, an unfortunate season-ending injury to Kirby Dach left Hughes needing to call up a forward. Because of the class and effort Armia put in, he earned his call-up. Being placed on waivers and assigned to Laval may have been what he needed to refocus. He really started to take a step forward after the new year, when his ice time started to increase from fourth line to top-six minutes. He ended the season sitting fourth in goals on the team.
Related: Canadiens Need to Make Room on NHL Roster for Prospects
The final season of his $3.4 million contract is no longer considered “untradeable”. It needs to be said, this is a player who has never scored 20 goals in a single season and has shown he is best suited for a bottom-six role. All that is to say that, his value isn’t very high, but there is no doubt teams would have interest in adding him for a year as they prepare to push for a deep playoff run. Granted, Hughes would likely need to take back salary, or move him for very little in return.
Canadiens Expectations
This season, Armia is coming off of a Masterton Trophy nomination as the Canadiens player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.” Also, he had a career-high season in goals, and is in the final year of his contract; motivation should be expected to remain for the 2024-25 season. The last time he was playing for a contract, he provided a physically dominating performance in the playoffs, helping Montreal reach the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
The good news is that Armia played much better last season than in recent years. He has finally shown a consistent level of play, likely because he has been more focused or even more motivated. His mental approach to the game has also improved. Armia worked diligently with the Canadiens’ mental-performance coach, Jean-François Ménard, working on not being so hard on himself when he makes a mistake, but also in how to let go of that error, and move on in preparation for his next shift. Renaud Lavoie describes Armia as a valued teammate who can keep his teammates laughing. He also went on to state that the 6-foot-3 Finnish forward could be in the Habs’ plans for the upcoming season (La résurrection, le Journal de Montréal, Renaud Lavoie, March 5, 2024).
At 30 years old, the player Armia is now is clear-cut. He isn’t going to suddenly become the top-line player the Buffalo Sabres thought they were drafting back in 2011. What he is, however, is a large, strong, forechecking forward who can keep possession for long periods of time.
He can also provide some depth scoring but also, give a team quality minutes on the penalty killing (PK) unit. For a team looking to contend, having reliable special teams can make or break a postseason performance. He is also reliable in several other scenarios as well like the final minutes of a period, or a game, helping to defend a lead. This is due to his ability to fill and cut off passing lanes, block shots and another important aspect, clearing the defensive zone and holding the puck in the offensive zone, far from his own net.
Montreal’s Next Steps
Armia has been a key cog in the machinery for the Canadiens. He’s been able to play his style, while also helping to insulate a young forward like Joshua Roy. His straightforward style of play makes it much easier to play alongside, which only further assisted Roy’s integration into the NHL. While all of those skills could make him part of the solution, as Lavoie stated, it does make him a tradeable asset as well. Perhaps due to his contractual status, age and the influx of younger players finally beginning to graduate into the roster, his future with the Canadiens past the 2025 Trade Deadline remains uncertain. This is why, if Hughes has a chance to trade him, they should, but not until they are near the deadline.
Some want to see him dealt away immediately just to see the Canadiens cash in on his newfound, albeit, limited value. Yet like everything else in a rebuild, some patience might prove to be worthwhile. With the team’s stated goal of becoming far more competitive next season, maybe even playing well enough to earn a playoff berth, his value in completing a third line with players like Roy might be higher than his trade value this summer.
Keeping Armia into next season would be a gamble by Hughes. But if he does roll the dice to bet on the player, he will need him to continue his strong play into next season. That could help to improve his value while also continuing the stability and flexibility he has provided to the lineup. It could also be the difference between Montreal needing to retain a part of his salary to make a deal or the ability to move his entire contract and get a useable asset in return.
