Major turnaround regarding Joel Armia?

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Elias Edmonson
July 13, 2023 (1:42 PM)

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Several veterans on the team simply no longer have a place in Martin St. Louis's lineup as the Canadiens want to take a youth turn. Many of the organization's prospects aspire to earn a spot with the major club, but the presence of some players, including Joel Armia, is preventing them from securing a place in the Montreal lineup.

Although he is incredibly talented and possesses a devastating shot, the Finnish forward is unfortunately very inconsistent. Capable of being the Canadiens' best attacker one night, he then becomes invisible for several games. Moreover, even if Kent Hughes wanted to trade him, his $3.4 million contract for the next two seasons makes him unattractive to other NHL general managers.

However, during his appearance on The Sick Podcast With Tony Marinaro, Stu Cowan made a truly interesting proposal to allow the organization's young players to have more playing time. Indeed, according to him, the Canadiens should consider the possibility of submitting Joel Armia to waivers with the view of sending him to Laval Rocket.

"I wonder if the Canadiens could send him to Laval. I don't see what they gain at this stage by having Joel Armia taking up a spot in the lineup. He is what he is, he will play very well for two games, then he will disappear. Perhaps not at the beginning of the season, but if Owen Beck goes to Laval and he's on fire, wouldn't it be more beneficial to let him play in that environment with young players where they can make mistakes, learn, and develop? Joel Armia is not part of the rebuild." - Stu Cowan

Wow! We didn't expect that, but we must admit that it's a frankly interesting suggestion. By taking up a spot in the Canadiens' lineup, Joel Armia is hindering the progress of several young players who deserve more playing time.

If the Canadiens are unable to trade him by the start of the season, which is very likely to happen, sending him to Laval could be an interesting solution to free up a position on the team's top four lines.

Personally, we agree with the point of view put forward by Stu Cowan. The Canadiens gain absolutely nothing by keeping Joel Armia in the lineup, who has a very questionable attitude and work ethic. We would much prefer to see a young forward who is ready to give everything for the organization.

Now aged 30, the 6-foot-3, 216-pound right winger has been unable to reach the 15-point plateau in his last three seasons with the Canadiens. In fact, since arriving in Montreal, Joel Armia has only collected a meager total of 95 points in 259 games.