Are the Montreal Canadiens Showcasing Joel Armia For a Trade?

The Montreal Canadiens are set to take on the Dallas Stars tonight in a game that could have huge playoff implications… for the Stars.

The Canadiens are in a battle for the best draft lottery odds, and did quite well in that are with losses to the Seattle Kraken and Arizona Coyotes in the past week.

They are really playing for pride at this point after being all but eliminated from the playoffs about a month into the season. So, they don’t have as much to play for as other teams at this point in the season.

But, with the trade deadline fast approaching, the Canadiens could look much different in a couple of days. They have already traded away Tyler Toffoli and Ben Chiarot for first round picks and prospects and they could continue to sell assets before Monday’s deadline.

Who could go next? A quick look at their lines for tonight’s game raises a few questions.

There are some players returning to the lineup tonight which meant a little shakeup was inevitable. But one player in particular is in a curious slot.

Joel Armia has moved all the way up to the top line to play with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield tonight. He was recently featured on a third line with Paul Byron and Jake Evans, or the fourth line with Michael Pezzetta and Ryan Poehling.

But tonight, the big winger with two goals and nine points in 44 games this season is the team’s first line right winger.

Uhh, why?

Well, the Canadiens are missing Josh Anderson who would normally be on that trio. He is out for the second consecutive game with an injury. They could have put Brendan Gallagher up there but they have chosen to play him on a defensive line with Artturi Lehkonen and Christian Dvorak, perhaps easing Dvorak back into the lineup.

Still, Armia is an interesting choice to fill in on the top line.

Why not Rem Pitlick? Since Martin St. Louis took over as coach, Pitlick is third on the team in scoring, behind only Caufield and Suzuki, with 11 points in 15 games.

Why not Mike Hoffman? The veteran winger has nine points in 15 games since St. Louis stepped behind the bench and is a skilled, offensive winger who would fit better with Suzuki and Caufield.

Why not Artturi Lehkonen? He has been having the best season of his career and the team needs to decide whether to commit long term to him or trade him. A little time on the top line would give Lehkonen a chance to show how much offence he can bring.

So, why is Armia playing on the first line when there are many better options to skate alongside the team’s two best offensive players? Could they be trying to showcase him for a deal with the deadline just days away?

It really doesn’t make sense to put him on the top line because of his production. He is one of the few players who haven’t looked good under St. Louis, so why would he be rewarded when a roster spot opens up on the top line? Couldn’t he play on a defensive line with Lehkonen while Gallagher gets first line ice time?

Armia was a valuable player for the Canadiens in last year’s postseason, but it was in a fourth line role. He now makes $3.4 million for the next three seasons which is obviously a lot for a depth player that isn’t scoring.

Maybe a team is interested but wants to see what he can do with skilled players first? We will have to wait and see what happens before Monday’s deadline, but Armia on the first line tonight sticks out like a sore thumb.

It is possible that the coach is just putting him there because he hasn’t fit anywhere else this season. But the timing of it, being this close to the deadline, is interesting for sure.

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