Canadiens: Three Situations That Coul Lead To Joel Armia Trade

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The Montreal Canadiens are off to a 2-1-1 start to their season, battling to beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night.

It was a strong game from goaltender Jake Allen that held them in the game, a big game from captain Nick Suzuki who looked like his old self yet again, and of course Cole Caufield fired home the game’s winning goal in overtime to secure two points for the team.

Another interesting tidbit that came out of Saturday night’s game surrounded veteran winger Joel Armia. Not only that he had been called up that morning from the Laval Rocket to fill the roster void up front from Kirby Dach’s injury. Also, he was listed as a potential trade candidate in the near future.

Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman is one of the best in the business at getting inside information from around the league. He suggested in the second intermission that Armia’s situation is one worth keeping an eye on. He also warned that things around the NHL usually don’t heat up until months into the season, but there are a few players that could be moved early in the season and Armia’s name was on that list.

The 30 year old winger started the season with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League. He also has two years remaining, (including this one) on a contract that pays him $3.4 million per season against the salary cap.

He did play well in the AHL, scoring four goals and five points in four games, and serving as a terrific leader demonstrating excellent attitude and work ethic for the young Canadiens prospects. But, considering he was in the minors and has a big contract, who would be interested in acquiring the a player that passed through waivers at the beginning of the season?

Let’s take a look at three potential situations that could see Armia moved by the Canadiens in the near future.

Mar 9, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports /

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have been trying to move Conor Garland since the offseason, but have been unable to find a taker. He is a skilled forward who has fit in okay with the Canucks, but has not really lived up to the potential he had when acquired from the Arizona Coyotes.

The 27 year old winger had scored 39 points in 49 games in his last season with the Coyotes. He was just 24 years old at the time and playing on a bad team, so the Canucks obviously hoped he could become a near point per game scorer for them if given the right spot in the lineup.

He had been given the opportunity, but hasn’t really put up the numbers expected of him. But he hasn’t been bad. He scored 19 goals and 52 points in 77 games in his first season with the Canucks, and had 17 goals and 46 points in 81 games the following season. He has also had 21 points in 20 games at the World Championships over the past two offseasons, displaying plenty of scoring touch at a high level of competition.

Could he find his game again in a new scenario like Montreal? With Kirby Dach out for the season, Alex Newhook likely plays a lot of center this season, and that could open up a top six winger spot. Playing on a line with Cole Caufield could lead to Garland piling up assists once again.

The downside is he has three years left on his contract, including this season, with a cap hit of $4.95 million. Trading Armia would ideally open up cap space for the Canadiens, but this trade adds money for three seasons. It could also lead to a big reward if Garland clicks in the Habs top six and shows off his offensive skills and playmaking abilites.

The Canucks have to realize at this point they won’t be getting a big return for Garland. Could they be happy to just clear a little cap space and have far more room for the 2025-26 season? If so, an Armia for Garland swap would make sense.

Nov 29, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Kevin Labanc against the Montreal Canadiens. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports /

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are a team that is in the midst of a rebuild, much like the Canadiens. They are the only winless team in the league, having come out on the wrong end of all five games so far. They are the early favorite to finish last overall and have the best odds at the NHL Draft Lottery in the spring.

So, why would two rebuilding teams at the bottom end of the standings pull off a trade? A classic change of scenery type of deal would make sense here.

Armia is a good enough player to play at the NHL level. He has proven it for years, though his lack of offensive consistency has been problematic. He can be a frustrating player to cheer for as he shows off incredible hands and a great shot one night, but then goes ice cold offensively for weeks at a time, if not months.

One thing he always does well is play defensively. It would be difficult for him to shine on a really bad team, but the Sharks could see this as a potential buy low, sell higher later on type of trade. If they acquire Armia now, they could easily eat some of salary and trade him as a $1.7 million cap hit player for the final year of his deal. If he shows he can be a great penalty killer still, the Sharks could land a third round pick for him down the road.

But why would the Canadiens trade him to the Sharks? To clear cap space for the 2023-24 season. The Habs could trade Armia, who has no value at this time, for struggling winger Kevin Labanc. They could hope for a bounceback from Labanc, but really would just be happy to see him, and his $4.725 million contract, walk as a free agent in the summer of 2024.

Oct 21, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens against Anthony Mantha. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports /

Washington Capitals

The one trade sitting out there that makes the most sense for both sides is one with the Washington Capitals. Both teams have a player they don’t really want anymore, and don’t really have a spot in the lineup for them.

The Canadiens would really be happy to see Armia go to another team that will give him a chance to play. The Capitals would like to move on from Anthony Mantha and would probably be happy just to see him go anywhere at all at this point.

Mantha was once considered a top, young goal scorer in the league, but things completely fell apart after he was traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the Capitals. In 2019-20, Mantha scored 16 goals and 38 points in just 43 games. Last season, with the Capitals, he scored 11 goals and 27 points in 67 games.

He is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.7 million. The Capitals are off to a slow start and could use all the help they can find out there, so could be interested in adding some cap space to give them flexibility. A Mantha for Armia trade would free up $2.3 million for the Capitals and move on from a highly paid winger that they had on the fourth line and has sat as a healthy scratch.

At least Armia can play a defensive role for them and kill penalties, making him a much better fit as a fourth line winger.

Mantha may get a chance to put a few pucks in the net on the power play for Montreal, but the big reason to acquire him is he is in the final year of his contract, and this trade could save the Canadiens $3.4 million in cap space next season.

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