The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is utility forward Joel Armia.
Armia's days as a Hab are likely numbered. He is in the final year of his contract and could leave as soon as the trade deadline, depending on where the Canadiens are in the playoff race. Their recent resurgence has given hope that they could contend for a spot, but Kent Hughes will likely be quick to pull the plug and trade some of their expiring contracts unless they have a good chance of making a run.
Armia has been a good piece for the Canadiens, including their Stanley Cup Final run in 2021. However, he is on pace for his best regular season as a pro in 2024-25, and his 81-game schedule in the 2024 calendar year is impressive for a player in his role. Armia scored 19 goals and 18 assists over the 81 games, including a plus/minus rating of +4, which isn't easy to do on a Canadiens team that has lost more games than they won. Fans could get a shock with the return that Armia would land from a Stanley Cup contender.
Armia is ending 2024 on a high note, as he has three goals and three assists over his last six games. It's one of his most consistent stretches of the year and a testament to how well the team has played over the last two weeks. I'll sound like a broken record in this Year-in-Review series, but the recent six wins in the seven-game stretch will be the best moments for many players.
Armia will add another feather to his cap in 2025 when he joins Finland for the Four Nations Faceoff. He will join teammate Patrik Laine as two of three players representing Montreal at the tournament.