“I could easily see Joel Armia leaving money on the table to stay in Montreal"

Joel Armia had a special season last year. The man who was cut at the end of camp pulled out all the stops… and by the end of the season, he was one of the Habs’ good forwards.

It was quite a turnaround for the Finn.

That said, Armia’s contract expires this season, and if the Habs aren’t “in the mix” for the playoffs, he could be an interesting trade chip.

A big forward who excels on the power play and can solidify the bottom of the lineup could be of interest to some teams.

However, there’s also a world in which Armia isn’t traded… and in that world, there’s also one in which he stays in Montreal beyond 2024-25.

Arpon Basu, answering fan questions on Reddit, brought up the idea, at least :

I could easily see Joel Armia leaving money on the table to stay in Montreal. – Arpon Basu

AMA (Ask Me Anything) Announcement

We’re very pleased to announce a Q&A with Arpon Basu(@ArponBasu ), a senior columnist at @TheAthletic, to discuss the Habs.

Join us tonight at 7pm ET & ask your questions

https://t.co/lrAguY71G3

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 17, 2024

The journalist, who insists that Armia “loves being in Montreal”, doesn’t seem to be ruling out the possibility of the Finn wearing the club’s uniform in 2025-26. For many people, it’s an inconceivable idea considering that there are young forwards on the rise (and that Armia was a liability at this time last year)… but I don’t think we should dismiss it too quickly.

Obviously, Armia shouldn’t come back at any price. That said, if he’s willing to sign a pact for $2.5 million a year, for example, he’s not necessarily a bad piece to have in the forward group.

He’s got offensive talent (even if the consistency isn’t always there), he’s a popular guy in the dressing room and he can play short-handed. As a piece of the third line, you could do worse, especially since it will take veterans to mentor the youngsters.

Seeing Armia, who was in the (very) bad graces of fans a year ago, sign a contract extension in Montreal would be something. That said, if he loves Montreal enough to sign on the cheap and do the dirty work that the club’s talented young forwards should ideally avoid, it’s not to be ignored.

He may not be Kent Hughes’ top priority, far from it…. but on the cheap, why not?

Overtime

– Thomas Harley: two years at $4 million a year for the defenseman.

Thomas Harley signs a two-year extension with the #stars carrying a $4M AAV. Another RFA avoids missing time at training camp.

– Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 18, 2024

– The Red Wings want to keep Dylan Larkin at the top of their salary hierarchy.

Chris Johnston on Insider Trading: “The Red Wings have been reluctant to pay anyone more than the 8.7 per year that captain Dylan Larkin gets. I think one way maybe to get Seider into the mid 8’s or somewhere below that number, it’s to do a 6 or 7 yr deal, so look for that”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) September 17, 2024